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About the
Refuge
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Cranes dancing. Photo Credit: USFWS |
The
Refuge is 57,191 acres located along the Rio Grande near Socorro, New
Mexico.The Refuge is
located at the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert, and straddles the
Rio Grande, approximately 20 miles south of Socorro, New Mexico. The heart
of the Refuge is about 12,900 acres of moist bottomlands--3,800 acres
are active floodplain of the Rio Grande and 9,100 acres are areas where
water is diverted to create extensive wetlands, farmlands, and riparian
forests. The rest of Bosque del Apache NWR is made up of arid foothills
and mesas, which rise to the Chupadera Mountains on the west and the San
Pascual Mountains on the east. Most of these desert lands are preserved
as wilderness areas.
Managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Bosque del Apache NWR is an important link in the more
than 500 refuges in North America. The goal of refuge management is to
provide habitat and protection for migratory birds and endangered species
and provide the public with a high quality wildlife and educational experience.
Tom
Melanson, Manager
P.O. Box 1246
Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Phone: 575/835-1828
Fax: 575/835-0314
FW2 RW Bosque del Apache |
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Last updated:
April 9, 2009