Desert wildlife water developments: Questioning use in the Southwest
Broyles B. 1995. Desert wildlife water developments: Questioning use in the Southwest. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 23(4):663-675
Wildlife managers in the desert Southwest have assumed for the last six decades that drinking water is a limiting factor for many desert animal species, especially game animals. To increase wildlife populations and to extend their ranges, managers have increaded the quantity and distribution of available water by developing new waterholes and enchancing existing ones. In the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (CPNWR) and th western portion of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range (BMGAFR) in southwestern Arizona, managers have increased the number of waterholes in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) habitat by 33% and the maximum quantity of water by 364% (Broyles, unpubl.). However, a review of file and technical literature for that region reveals that the effects of these changes remain largely unstudied. It has not been shown that these developments are neccessary, beneficial, or without harmful side effects.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Broyles, Bill
- Units
- ORPI
- Keywords
- Desert Bighorn Sheep, Ovis candensis mexicana, Sonoran Desert, Water Development, Wildlife