The New River Nature Reserve
by Thom Hulen, Conservation Director
Desert Foothills Land Trust

Woven into the riparian fabric of New River is the lush area known as the New River Nature Reserve (NRNR). Donated in 1994 to the Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT) by Steve and Cory Bragg, the 20‑acre reserve is the home to outstanding and increasingly rare, riparian, Sonoran deciduous woodland, biotic community. Sycamore, willow, cottonwood and ash trees crowd this perennial stretch of New River, providing shade and cover for numerous wildlife species notably including lowland leopard frogs, Sonoran mud turtles, and several species of fish, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Riparian biotic communities are rare in the Southwest today because of human competition for water. Fortunately, the geology of the NRNR favors the plants and animals living there with a perched aquifer (high groundwater levels). The New River streambed immediately north of the NRNR is dry because the aquifer is too deep for the roots of the riparian plants to reach.

The NRNR is open to the public for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Motorized traffic, wood collecting, open fires and hunting and fishing are strictly prohibited to protect the natural conditions found there.

Future plans for the NRNR are underway to increase the size of the reserve another 80 acres. The DFLT and the Flood ControlDistrict of Maricopa County (FCDMC) have discussed a partnership to acquire and manage 80 acres south and contiguous of the NRNR as an area for the public to use for recreational purposes such as hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.

Currently the land is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is eligible for purchase by the FCDMC.

Once the FCDMC takes ownership and the DFLT assumes management of the land, a trail network will be established to provide visitors with a safe and enjoyable way to appreciate the beauty and biological diversity of the area, and ensure that the riparian woodland will continue to thrive for many years to come.

For more information, call (480) 488‑6131 or visit dflt.org.