{"id":770,"date":"2012-01-10T18:25:27","date_gmt":"2012-01-10T18:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=770"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:06:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:06:20","slug":"anderson-mesa-iba-%e2%98%bc2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aziba.org\/?page_id=770","title":{"rendered":"Anderson Mesa IBA \u263c"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global IBA for Pinyon Jay<\/i><\/strong>\"AndersonMesa1\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Conservation Stewards: <\/b><\/em>Northern Arizona Audubon Society<\/a> and Arizona Antelope Foundation<\/p>\n

Size: <\/i><\/b>261 square miles, 167509 acres<\/p>\n

Identified: <\/i><\/b>01\/2004. Global: 10\/2009<\/p>\n

Visiting the IBA: <\/b>Located 20 miles southeast of Flagstaff, take the Lake Mary Road exit and travel east on Forest Road 3. Mormon Lake Lodge is located on the south side of Mormon Lake. There are overlooks, trails and two-track roads throughout. Anderson Mesa Station \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Ashurst Lake \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Marshall Lake \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a>, Mormon Lake \u2013 Arizona Birding Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

Ownership: <\/b>Coconino National Forest and private landowners.\"Anderson<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Site Description: <\/b>Anderson Mesa begins about 9 miles southeast of Flagstaff and is a gently sloping\u00a0tableland for approximately 25 miles to the southeast. The northern lakes are Marshall, Lower and Upper\u00a0Lakes Mary, and Mormon. Ashurst and Kinnikinck Lakes are more central. The southern lakes are Long,\u00a0Soldiers\u2019, Soldiers\u2019 Annex, Tremaine and Hay. Along the length of the mesa are many ephemeral wetlands\u00a0of varying sizes. Low bluffs outline part of the western edge and Lakes Mary & Mormon are below the bluffs.\u00a0Various habitats are coniferous & deciduous trees, shrubs, small canyons, open grasslands, seasonal\u00a0marsh wetlands, and shallow wet meadows. The central portion of mesa is made up of plains grasslands,\u00a0habitat for Pronghorn Antelope herds.<\/p>\n

\"Pinyon<\/a>

Pinyon Jay by Richard Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n

Birds: <\/b>Species of special conservation status and interest that use the habitats within this IBA include:<\/p>\n

Breeding:<\/i><\/span>\u00a0The pinyon and juniper woodlands provide significant habitat for Pinyon Jay, and the IBA has\u00a0global recognition for this species. Also breeding there are Cinnamon Teal, Band-tailed Pigeon, Virginia Rail, Sora, Osprey, Pied-billed\u00a0Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark\u2019s Grebe, Purple Martin, Virginia\u2019s Warbler, Red-faced Warbler.<\/p>\n

Migration:<\/i><\/span> Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard,\u00a0Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked\u00a0Duck, Bufflehead, American Avocet, Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, White-faced Ibis and American\u00a0White Pelican.<\/p>\n

Conservation Concerns: <\/b>Grassland and wetlands habitat health requires management of grazing, off highway vehicle travel and fire. Loss of the grasslands impacts the Pronghorn Antelope\u00a0population and the grassland bird assemblage (primarily horned larks, sparrows, and meadowlarks).\u00a0Immediate concerns are: drought, fire, and grazing in wetlands by livestock and wildlife. Strategies: off-highway vehicle management, exclusion of livestock and elk from wetland areas, replanting wetland\u00a0species, and fire management through prescription fires.<\/p>\n

Maps of this Important Bird Area:<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

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Mini Conservation Plan<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Arizona Game and Fish Department Conservation Opportunity Area<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Complete eBird.org Checklist of birds Reported for <\/b>Anderson Mesa IBA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

For an interactive map and habitat and land ownership analysis of this IBA visit the National Audubon IBA Map<\/a><\/b> and select \u201cArizona” and then select this IBA<\/strong><\/p>\n

Location<\/strong>: 35.017\u00b0 N: 111.400\u00b0 W<\/p>\n

County<\/strong>: Coconino<\/p>\n

Site Status<\/strong>: Identified 01\/2004, Global Identified 10\/2009<\/p>\n

Ownership<\/strong>: Coconino National Forest<\/p>\n

Area<\/strong>: 261 square miles, 167509 acres<\/p>\n

Criteria<\/strong>: Global: Species of Conservation Concern (Pinyon Jay)<\/p>\n

State:<\/strong> Waterfowl and Species of Conservation Concern (Bald Eagle, Osprey, Clark\u2019s Grebe, American Avocet, White-faced Ibis)<\/p>\n

Vegetation Communities:<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vegetation Community<\/strong><\/td>\nAcres<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Pinyon Pine-Juniper Woodland<\/td>\n79,024<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ponderosa Pine Forest<\/td>\n43,124<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cold-temperate (Great Basin) Grasslands<\/td>\n20,795<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Montane Meadow-Subalpine Grassland<\/td>\n13,699<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Riparian, Emergent Wetland, and Open Water<\/td>\n6,600<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Interior Chaparral<\/td>\n2,113<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wash<\/td>\n1,432<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Agriculture<\/td>\n470<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other: Rock, Residential, Open-pit Mine<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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This area is a lake complex that also includes permanent, semi-permanent lakes and wetlands, ephemeral wetlands, grasslands, pinyon-juniper and coniferous forests. Northern Arizona Audubon Society is the steward for this site. More information about Northern Arizona Audubon Society and how you can help as a volunteer can be found at Northern Arizona Audubon Society<\/a><\/p>\n

This site has been documented as one of two major waterfowl use areas in Arizona during migration, particularly by dabbling ducks during spring migration. Over 2000 waterfowl were documented using this area during spring migration in the early 1990s. Although severe drought has reduced the numbers of breeding birds, this site remains a significant migration stop over for waterfowl, water birds, and wading birds during years when sufficient moisture occurs during the winter. A goodly variety of land birds also use this area as a migration\/breeding area. The “Checklist of the Birds of Mormon Lake Arizona & nearby areas (Lakes Mary & Ashurst, Anderson Mesa)” contains 230 species, approximately 45% of the official list for birds noted to occur in Arizona. In addition to providing habitat for migrating and breeding birds, these permanent, semi-permanent lake waters and ephemeral wetlands attract many vagrant bird species as well. The natural wetland system within this IBA provides excellent habitat for migration, and on-going restoration and protection of this wetland complex will further enhance the value of this area to nesting waterfowl and wetland birds. The restoration work by the Arizona Game\/Fish at the Long Lake Complex and at Hay Lake has enhanced the natural retention of snow and rain precipitation over 1200 acres. From a landscape perspective, the Anderson Mesa, contains the only major wetland complex between Lake Roosevelt to the south and Lake Powell to the north.<\/p>\n

\"Mormon<\/a>

Mormon Lake Training Station photo courtesy of Cocinino National Forest<\/p><\/div>\n

Conservation Issues:\u00a0<\/strong>Drought is the highest threat. Control of grazing by cattle and elk is essential. To mitigate the impacts to the wetlands from grazing and prolonged drought the U.S. Forest Service has implemented an innovative management strategy that protects the wetlands by regulating the times and duration of grazing in permitted areas. Wetlands are being protected from livestock by constructing fences that still allow passage of wildlife. Other threats include, fire, invasive plants, commercial timber harvest projects, disturbance to birds, certain recreation activities, and water transfer through surface water abstraction. Habitat restoration, including the restoration of grasslands is in progress. The ranchers are actively engaged through the Diablo Trust and numerous conservation organizations have assisted in achieving conservation objectives for this site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Global IBA for Pinyon Jay Conservation Stewards: Northern Arizona Audubon Society and Arizona Antelope Foundation Size: 261 square miles, 167509 acres Identified: 01\/2004. Global: 10\/2009 Visiting the IBA: Located 20 miles southeast of Flagstaff, take the Lake Mary Road exit and travel east on Forest Road 3. Mormon Lake Lodge is located on the south … <\/p>\n

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