Sunset over the Gila Lower Box

A theme based on a photo I took of the Gila Lower Box WSA in southwestern New Mexico.

A theme based on a photo I took of the Gila Lower Box WSA in southwestern New Mexico. This area has been off limits to cattle grazing for years, which shows how rich and diverse the terrain can be when cattle are not allowed to freely graze the arid southwest. The Gila River cuts a 5 mile-long, 600 foot deep, steep-walled canyon in this WSA. Heavily vegetated with riparian species such as ash, cottonwood, sycamore, and willow, the river canyon provides habitat for 265 species of birds, 67 mammal species, 12 species of amphibians, and 54 reptiles.