Bavispe River
Encyclopedia
The Rio Bavispe or Bavispe River is a river in Mexico
which flows briefly north then mainly south by southwest until it joins with the Aros River
to become the Yaqui River
, eventually joining the Gulf of California
.
right on the border of Chihuahua, southeast of Huachinera, Sonora
, and is formed by the confluence of three rivers at aptly named Três Rios. The Rio Bavispe flows northwest through mountainous country until the upper end of the wide Bavispe Valley. This valley trends northward until making a 180 degree curve west around the Sierra del Tigre
. At the north end of the Sierra del Tigre, the Bavispe is joined at Morelos, Sonora by the waters of the Rio San Bernardino (which drain the San Bernardino Valley
) whose beginnings are in extreme southeast Cochise County, Arizona
. From this confluence the Rio Bavispe turns south by southwest and enters the La Angostura Reservoir (Lázaro Cárdenas
Dam), then continues 80 miles further south until it joins with the larger Rio Aros to form the Yaqui River
. The Yaqui River enters the Gulf of California
at the port city of Guaymas, Sonora
.
Important threatened or endangered mammals include the Sonoran Pronghorn antelope
(Antilocapra americana sonoriensis), Mexican Gray wolf
(Canis lupus baileyi), Jaguar
(Panthera onca), Ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis), Jaguarundi
(Puma yagouaroundi), and Lesser Long-nosed Bat
(Leptonycteris yerbabuenae).
North American beaver (Castor canadensis) were historically native to the Rio Bavispe: Baird reported beavers in Canon de Guadalupe (at 5,000 ft, affluent of Rio Bavispe) in 1859, Mearns reported them in Canon de Guadalupe (at 5,000 ft, affluent of Rio Bavispe) in 1907, and Caire
observed beaver activity north of Tasaviri (near San Miguelito just west of Morales, Sonora) on the Rio Bavispe mainstem in 1978. A 1999 survey found beaver sign at 14 different sites on the upper Bavispe River mainstem, associated with the presence of cottonwood
s (Populus fremontii) and willow
s (Salix exigua).
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
which flows briefly north then mainly south by southwest until it joins with the Aros River
Aros River
-References:*Atlas of Mexico, 1975 .*The Prentice Hall American World Atlas, 1984.*Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993....
to become the Yaqui River
Yaqui River
The Yaqui River is a river in the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Being the largest river system in the state of Sonora, the Yaqui river is used for irrigation....
, eventually joining the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
.
History
Historically, the Rio Bavispe valley was the scene of many Apache raids and Mexican military skirmishes. Missionaries settled the upper Bavispe River in the early 1600's.Watershed
The Bavispe River comprises a large part of the northern Yaqui River watershed. The mainstem of the Bavispe starts in the Sierra Madre OccidentalSierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
right on the border of Chihuahua, southeast of Huachinera, Sonora
Huachinera
Huachinera is a municipality and its municipal seat in the northeast of the Mexican state of Sonora. The municipal area is 1,184.86 km², with a population of 1,147 registered in 2000. The population of the municipal seat was 732 in 2000....
, and is formed by the confluence of three rivers at aptly named Três Rios. The Rio Bavispe flows northwest through mountainous country until the upper end of the wide Bavispe Valley. This valley trends northward until making a 180 degree curve west around the Sierra del Tigre
Sierra del Tigre
Sierra del Tigre is a mountain range in northeastern Sonora, Mexico at the northern region of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The region contains sky island mountain ranges, called the Madrean Sky Islands, some separated from the Sierra Madre Occidental proper, and occurring in the northeastern...
. At the north end of the Sierra del Tigre, the Bavispe is joined at Morelos, Sonora by the waters of the Rio San Bernardino (which drain the San Bernardino Valley
San Bernardino Valley (Arizona)
The San Bernardino Valley of Arizona is a northeast by southwest trending valley in extreme southeast Cochise County, Arizona.The north end of the valley merges into the northwest by southeast trending San Simon Valley; both merge in western Hidaldgo County, New Mexico...
) whose beginnings are in extreme southeast Cochise County, Arizona
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. From this confluence the Rio Bavispe turns south by southwest and enters the La Angostura Reservoir (Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...
Dam), then continues 80 miles further south until it joins with the larger Rio Aros to form the Yaqui River
Yaqui River
The Yaqui River is a river in the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Being the largest river system in the state of Sonora, the Yaqui river is used for irrigation....
. The Yaqui River enters the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
at the port city of Guaymas, Sonora
Guaymas
Guaymas is a city and municipality located in the southwest part of the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The city is located 117 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 242 miles from the U.S. border, and is the principal port for the state. The municipality is located in the...
.
Ecology
The river hosts an asemblage of native fishes: Yaqui trout, three suckers (Bavispe, Rio Grande, and Yaqui), Mexican stoneroller, roundtail chub, Yaqui catfish, beautiful shiner and longfin dace. Non-native fish include predatory black and yellow bullhead (Ameiras melas and Ameiras natalis).Important threatened or endangered mammals include the Sonoran Pronghorn antelope
Sonoran pronghorn
The Sonoran Pronghorn is an endangered subspecies of pronghorn found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Sonora. There are believed to be around 200- 300 animals currently existing, up from 14 estimated in 2002.....
(Antilocapra americana sonoriensis), Mexican Gray wolf
Mexican Wolf
The Mexican Wolf is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. It is native to North America, where it is the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies.- Physical features :...
(Canis lupus baileyi), Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
(Panthera onca), Ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
(Leopardus pardalis), Jaguarundi
Jaguarundi
The jaguarundi is a small-sized wild cat native to Central and South America. In 2002, the IUCN classified the jaguarundi as Least Concern as it is likely that no conservation units, with the probable exception of the mega-reserves of the Amazon basin could sustain long-term viable populations. It...
(Puma yagouaroundi), and Lesser Long-nosed Bat
Lesser Long-nosed Bat
The Lesser Long-nosed Bat is a medium-sized bat found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the United States...
(Leptonycteris yerbabuenae).
North American beaver (Castor canadensis) were historically native to the Rio Bavispe: Baird reported beavers in Canon de Guadalupe (at 5,000 ft, affluent of Rio Bavispe) in 1859, Mearns reported them in Canon de Guadalupe (at 5,000 ft, affluent of Rio Bavispe) in 1907, and Caire
observed beaver activity north of Tasaviri (near San Miguelito just west of Morales, Sonora) on the Rio Bavispe mainstem in 1978. A 1999 survey found beaver sign at 14 different sites on the upper Bavispe River mainstem, associated with the presence of cottonwood
Populus fremontii
Populus fremontii, the Fremont cottonwood or Alamo cottonwood, is a cottonwood poplar native to western North America, in California and east to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, and south into Sonora in northwestern Mexico...
s (Populus fremontii) and willow
Salix exigua
Salix exigua Salix exigua Salix exigua (Sandbar Willow, Narrowleaf Willow, or Coyote Willow; syn. S. argophylla, S. hindsiana, S. interior, S. linearifolia, S. luteosericea, S. malacophylla, S. nevadensis, S...
s (Salix exigua).