The Cienega Watershed of Southeastern Arizona is the basin bounded by the Whetstone Mountains to the east, the Santa Rita Mountains to the west, the Canelo Hills to the south, and the Rincon Mountains to the north. The upper elevations of the watershed include oak and ponderosa pine forests while lower elevations are comprised of magnificent saguaros, desert scrub, rolling grasslands, oak-studded hills, and the lush riparian corridor along Cienega Creek. Water drains from these mountains toward the Cienega Creek Valley.
© Michael McNulty / photos.mcnulty.net
The watershed forms a vital wildlife corridor connecting the diverse ecosystems of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and grasslands with the Sierra Madrean and Rocky Mountain forests and woodlands. Cienega Creek is one of the few remaining perennial streams in Arizona, providing critical habitat especially for threatened and endangered species.
Explore the Cienega Watershed:
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