CUENCA
DEL
MAYO
PROTECTING WATER RESOURCES, SPECIES MIGRATION, & ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY IN MEXICO A 2,471,054-acre watershed system will receive renewed federal attention, allowing better management of the area and stronger protection of its valuable resources. Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Areas (CONANP) has requested Nature and Culture’s technical expertise in completing the formal establishment and ensuring the long-term stability of a protected area of hydrological importance, Cuenca del Mayo. Stretching across the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, Cuenca del Mayo consists primarily of tropical deciduous, oak, and coniferous forests. It provides water to key agricultural regions that local cities and communities depend on. The area features important migratory routes for birds and bats and supports the movement of North American carnivores like the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), black bear (Ursus americanus), and jaguar (Panthera onca). Several endangered, endemic parrot species, such as the Thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) and Lilaccrowned Amazon (Amazona finschi), also call this region home. Conservation of Cuenca del Mayo’s biodiversity and hydrological functions is a significant challenge. Its importance as a vital water source was recognized in 1949, when it was first designated for protection. Now, together with local partners, we’re working to formally establish the protected area and begin its management.
Nature and Culture is embarking on a multi-year effort to zone and define the protected area’s boundaries, complete biological, hydrological, and land tenure studies of the landscape, and create management and financing plans for its continued conservation with updated information. Cuenca del Mayo will be managed by CONANP along with four existing federally protected areas it will connect. Together, these form a wildlife corridor spanning 4,285,410 acres! By preserving its ecological integrity, Nature and Culture, CONANP, and other local partners will defend Cuenca del Mayo’s ability to support the well-being and water security of people and wildlife throughout northern Mexico.