Cottonwood Canyon Bosque

The Cottonwood Canyon Bosque Preserve is a 12-acre conservation easement donated to the Land Trust in 2000 by Bob and Gayla Cox. It is located on Cottonwood Wash, which is a major tributary of Cave Creek adjacent to Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area in Cave Creek. Because many large mesquite trees were cut down in the 1800’s to serve gold mines in Cave Creek, protection of this old growth forest is particularly important. The vegetation in this basin is a large mesquite bosque characterized by velvet mesquite, desert hackberry, tomatillo and other shrubs and vines. Areas along the active channel host Goodding’s willow, seep willow, burrobush, desert broom and catclaw. The background vegetation type is an Arizona Upland subdivision of Sonoran Desert scrub, characterized by the presence of triangle-leaf bursage, foothill palo verde, and saguaro. The wash serves as an important corridor for large mammals and the mature mesquite trees provide an important food source for birds and animals.