Caja del Rio
Encyclopedia
Caja del Rio is a dissected plateau
, of volcanic origin, which covers approximately 84,000 acres of land in northern Santa Fe County, New Mexico
, United States
. The region is also known as the Caja, Caja del Rio Plateau, and Cerros del Rio. The center of the area is approximately 15 miles (23 km) west of Santa Fe, New Mexico
. Most of the Caja is owned by the United States Forest Service
and managed by the Santa Fe National Forest
, Access is through New Mexico Highway 599, Santa Fe County Road 62, and Forest Service Road 24.
, although portions of the Caja drain into the larger river through two tributaries: the Santa Fe River
and Cañada Ancha.
Virtually the entire perimeter of the Caja is ringed by cliffs or escarpments. White Rock Canyon forms the northwestern edge of the plateau. This canyon, through which the Rio Grande flows, has a maximum depth of over 1000 feet. Bandelier National Monument
lies directly across the river to the west of the plateau. Along the eastern edge is Canada Ancha, an ephemeral stream that flows northward into the Rio Grande near Buckman. Another deep canyon (approximately 400 feet in depth) runs along the southern edge of the Caja, and is cut by the Santa Fe River. The canyon of the Santa Fe River separates the Caja from another land grant to the south: the Mesita de Juana Lopez Grant.
The western edge of the plateau is a large escarpment which is easily visible to highway traffic traveling north on Interstate 25 from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. After crossing the Santo Domingo Basin and the reservations of Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblo, the freeway makes a steep climb up the escarpment along a stretch of highway known locally as La Bajada (Spanish
: "the descent"). This part of the plateau is dominated by Tetilla Peak (7,203 feet).
, which includes approximately 60 cinder cones, spatter cones, and basalt
outflows. The volcanism can be explained by the field's location, which is very close to the intersection of the Rio Grande Rift
and the Jemez Lineament. The Rio Grande Rift is a result of extensional
, (or divergent) tectonic forces exerted upon the American Southwest. This feature runs southward from the vicinity of Leadville, Colorado
, through the entire state of New Mexico, through the vicinity of El Paso
, Texas
, and into Chihuahua, Mexico
. The Rift began forming approximately 30 million years ago during the late Oligocene
Epoch. The Jemez Lineament is another, older feature, which also represents a linear weakness in the crust. The Lineament trends southwest to northeast, and underlies a string of volcanic features across Arizona and New Mexico. Those features include the San Carlos volcanic field
, Springerville volcanic field
, Zuni-Bandera volcanic field
, Mount Taylor volcanic field and the Raton-Clayton volcanic field
. These structural weaknesses create a thinned crust, and pathways for intrusion by magma originating in the mantle
. The result has been a series of intercontinental basaltic eruptions.
The Caja is not the only volcanic feature in this part of New Mexico. Approximately 20 miles (32 km) to its northwest is the Valles Caldera, a spectacular caldera
which lies at the heart of the Jemez Mountains
. This mountain range has been created by a series of eruptions since the Miocene. The ages of the first eruptions are difficult to determine, since the older rocks have been almost entirely buried by the material from younger eruptions. The oldest exposed volcanic rocks in the vicinity are approximately 16 million years old. The Jemez area experienced an intense pulse of basalt
volcanism between 9 and 11 million years ago. The lavas from this cycle had little silica, and originated in the mantle. Additional pulses of volcanism occurred between 7-10 million years ago, between 6-7 million years ago, between 3-6 million years ago, and between 2-3 million years ago. The last of these pulses is believed to have created the Cerros del Rio volcanic field, which covers the entire Caja del Rio Plateau.
Several of the later eruptions involved not only basalts, but lavas made of rhyolite
or dacite
. Such lavas contain greater amounts of silica, and are more viscous than basalt. These eruptions created most of the highest peaks in the Jemez Mountains, including Chicoma Mountain
(11,561 feet), and Polvadera Peak and Pajarito Mountain. Weathering
of the igneous rocks resulted in alluvial fans, which spread eastward into the Rio Grande Rift. By 2 million years ago, the sediments had displaced the Rio Grande eastward from an earlier location near Los Alamos
to its current location in White Rock Canyon. Two more eruptive cycles took place approximately 1.6 and 1.25 million years ago. The first eruption created the Toledo Caldera, but this feature was largely obliterated by the later Valles eruption. Each eruption involved pyroclastic flows and produced some of the welded tuff
now found west of the Rio Grande. There have been numerous eruptions of sticky lavas in the last 1.25 million years ago, but all have been within the Valles Caldera. The most recent eruptions took place about 40-50,000 years ago, and formed the El Cajete Crater. This crater lies at the foot of Redondo Peak
, a resurgent dome that rises to 11,254 feet within the Valles Caldera. Lying between White Rock Canyon and the rim of the Valles Caldera is the Pajarito Plateau
, the many canyons of which have been cut by relatively recent erosion.
varies from 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 80.5 degrees in July. The average daily minimum temperature varies from 18.8 degrees in January to 54.4 degrees in July. That average annual maximum temperature is 60.0 degrees, with the average annual minimum at 35.8. The average annual precipitation is approximately 10-12 inches. Most of the annual precipitation is associated with summer thunderstorms, although the area also receives winter snow.
volcanic basalt flows and cinder cone eruptions. Most are best characterized as stony or cindery loam, with shallow horizons. Soil surveys of the Caja generally describe the soils as unsatisfactory, with a reduced potential for hydrologic and nutrient function.
Three primary plant communities are frequently found on the Caja del Rio plateau: Pinon-Juniper Savanna, Pinon-Juniper Woodland, and Great Basin Sage Scrub. The most prevalent vegetative communities consist of a pinon (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus monosperma
) overstory with a short grass understory. Tree densities often range between 100 and 300 trees per acre. Another large community consists of open grassland, with blue grama
(Bouteloua gracilis), galleta (Pleuraphis jamesii
), and various species of Stipa being the most common grasses. Common woody shrubs include Chamiso (Chrysothamnus nauseosus
), Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa), Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens
), and Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata
).
Predatory mammals known to live in the Caja del Rio include black bear
(Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat
(Lynx rufus), coyote
(Canis latrans), fox
(Vulpes
spp), gray fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), ringtail
(Bassariscus astutus), badger
(Taxidea taxus), long-tailed weasel
(Mustela frenata), Western Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale gracilis), and Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis). Non-predatory mammals known to be present include Rocky Mountain elk
(Cervus elaphus), mule deer
(Odocoileus hemionus), raccoon
(Procyon lotor), porcupine
(Erethizon dorsatum), Black-tailed jackrabbit
(Lepus californicus), desert cottontail
, (Sylvilagus auduboni), White-throated Woodrat
(Neotoma albigula), Botta's pocket gopher
(Thomomys bottae), Colorado chipmunk
(Neotamias quadrivittatus), Pinyon Mouse
(Peromyscus truei), and Deer mouse (Peromyscus
spp.). Sensitive mammalian species known to be present at the Caja include Gunnison's prairie dog
(Cynomys gunnisoni). A small herd of wild horses (consisting of approximately 50 individuals) lives year round on the plateau.
Birds of prey found in or near the Caja include Bald eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus), golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetos), Red-tailed hawk
(Buteo jamaicensis), Ferruginous hawk
(Buteo regalis), Swainson's hawk
(Buteo swainsonii), American Kestrel
(Falco sparverius), and Peregrine falcon
(Falco peregrinus anatum), Other resident non-migratory birds include Merriam's turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Pinyon Jay
(Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), Hairy Woodpecker
(Picoides villosus), and Scaled Quail
(Callipepla squamata).
Migratory birds found in or near the Caja include Turkey vulture
(Cathartes aura), Killdeer
(Charadrius vociferus), Loggerhead Shrike
(Lanius ludovicianus), Common nighthawk
(Chordeiles minor), mourning dove
(Zenaida macroura, Broad-tailed Hummingbird
(Selasphorus platycercus), Ladder-backed Woodpecker
(Picoides scalaris), Downy woodpecker
(Picoides pubescens), Northern flicker
(Colaptes auratus), American Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), Say's Phoebe
(Sayornis saya), Ash-throated Flycatcher
(Myiarchus cinerascens), Cassin's Kingbird
(Tyrannus vociferans), Plumbeous Vireo
(Vireo plumbeus), Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), Violet-green swallow
(Tachycineta thalassina), Northern Rough-winged swallow
(Stelgidopteryx serripennis), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
(Polioptila caerulea), Western bluebird
(Sialia mexicana), Mountain bluebird
(Sialia currucoides), Townsend's Solitaire
(Myadestes townsendi), American Robin
(Turdus migratorius), American pipit (Anthus rubescens), Black-throated Gray Warbler
(Dendroica nigrescens), Western Tanager
(Piranga ludoviciana), Chipping Sparrow
(Spizella passerina), Lark Sparrow
(Chondestes grammacus), Western Meadowlark
(Sturnella neglecta), and Brown-headed Cowbird
(Molothrus ater). Waterfowl using the Rio Grande corridor include Canada goose (Branta canadensis), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), northern pintails (Anas acuta), and American wigeon
(Anas americana).
Sensitive bird species known to be present at the Caja include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and Gray Vireos.
Common reptiles include Collared lizards
(Crotaphytus collaris), Roundtail Horned Lizard
(Phrynosoma modestum), Striped whipsnake
(Masticophis taeniatus), and Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox
). Sensitive reptilian species include the Desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida).
Prehistoric Puebloans built dozens of village sites across the Caja del Rio and Pajarito plateaus. In contrast to its western neighbor, however, the canyon walls of the Caja are frequently made of basalt, rather than welded tuff. The latter material is much easier to excavate, and as a result, the Pajarito contains many more cliff houses. Both areas, however, contain countless petroglyphs. Most of them have been pecked into the ubiquitous basalt.
Europeans founded Santa Fe in 1610. It is likely that use of the Caja del Rio for the grazing of domesticated livestock began shortly thereafter. From the beginning of colonization until the 19th century, subsistence users treated the plateau as common property, and used it for summer grazing and timber harvesting. During the mid-19th century, commercial livestock ranching increased throughout New Mexico. By the 1890s, grazing levels throughout the Territory were as high as 9 million animal units. This overuse, combined with severe droughts in 1891 and 1892, led to the loss of top soils and major vegetative changes. Among the vegetative changes were the replacement of more palatable forbs and grasses by woody shrubs and trees.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Forest Service began to address the problem of degraded rangelands. The new solutions included the reduction of grazing permits and the institution of range improvement programs. In 1935, the government purchased portions of the Caja del Rio Grant and the Majada Grant under the "Land Program" of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration
. That acreage forms what is today the Caja del Rio Unit of the Santa Fe National Forest. Range surveys, maps, and a range management plan were completed by 1939. In the same year, the Soil Conservation Service assumed administration of the federal lands pursuant to a cooperative agreement among the Indian Services, Resettlement Administration, and the SCS. Responsibility for management was passed to the Forest Service in 1953. The Caja is now managed as a geographically distinct unit of the Espanola District of the Santa Fe National Forest. This unit consists of approximately 67,197 acres in 2010. The Taos Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management
manages additional acreage just outside the forest unit.
The Caja del Rio Allotment is now managed as a community grazing allotment. Beginning in 1941, most of the existing allotment improvement were repaired or reconstructed. From 1954 to 1972, the average actual use was 711 permitted cattle. In 2010, the Forest Service allows a maximum of 8,305 animal unit months. That capacity is divided among twelve permittees who graze 492 cow-calf pairs and 28 bulls on ten pastures, in a yearlong season. The allotment was restocked after 2002 due to drought, and has been below maximum rates since then.
The allotment contains 18 earth tanks, 7 wells, 31 miles of pipelines, 14 drinking troughs, 10 storage tanks, and 77 miles of fencing. In 2006, the water supply was substantially improved by the completion of the Caja del Rio Pipeline.
has designated Caja del Rio a Wild Horse Territory, and manages a herd of mustangs
there. A separate band of feral horse
s in the vicinity is not managed; its members are thought to be domestic horses recently turned loose to fend for themselves.
s. The flat, sand bottom of the canyon is subject to spectacular flash floods during the summer monsoon
season. The hike from Diablo Canyon to the Rio Grande is both scenic and easy White Rock Canyon. The wash is also popular with horse riders. After passing Diablo Canyon, Old Buckman Road continues to the site of Buckman, a former logging town and depot of the narrow gauge Chili Line
. The Rio Grande can be forded in some seasons at Buckman. In fact, this crossing was a major transportation route between Santa Fe and the Pajarito Plateau.
Diablo Canyon was a filming location for the 2007 film 3:10 to Yuma
.
Chino Mesa Trail - 8 miles (one way) of two track road running north from 1100 Well to overlook of White Rock Canyon near Pinabete Tanks.
Montoso Peak Trail - 12 miles (loop) of two track road running west from 1100 Well around north end of Montoso Peak.
Frijoles Canyon Overlook - 2.6 miles (one way) of hiking trail and two track road running west from Montoso Peak to edge of White Rock Canyon, with descent into canyon across from Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument.
Sagebrush Flats Trail - 17 miles (loop) of two track road running north from 1100 Well (or 700 Well) into the northern section of Caja above Diablo Canyon.
Soda Springs Trail - 3.1 miles (one way) of hiking trail running southwest from Buckman, and climbing up to Sagebrush Flats.
Caja del Rio/Diablo Canyon Trail - 1.3 miles (one way) of hiking trail running southwest from Diablo Canyon and climbing up to Sagebrush Flats.
Twin Hills Loop - 18 miles (loop) of two track road passing through 1200 Well, Headquarters Well
, if it extends north of Bernalillo
, may pass along the base of Caja del Rio.
Dissected plateau
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...
, of volcanic origin, which covers approximately 84,000 acres of land in northern Santa Fe County, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The region is also known as the Caja, Caja del Rio Plateau, and Cerros del Rio. The center of the area is approximately 15 miles (23 km) west of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. Most of the Caja is owned by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
and managed by the Santa Fe National Forest
Santa Fe National Forest
The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers 1,567,181 acres . Elevations range from 5,300 feet to 13,103 feet at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness...
, Access is through New Mexico Highway 599, Santa Fe County Road 62, and Forest Service Road 24.
Geography
The landscape of the Caja del Rio Plateau is generally flat to rolling terrain, with numerous steep cones rising up to 800 feet above the plains. The highest points in the immediate area are Cerro Micho (7,326 feet), Montoso Peak (7,315 feet), Ortiz Mountain (7,219 feet), and Cerro Rito (7,296 feet) The entire plateau is within the watershed of the Rio GrandeRio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, although portions of the Caja drain into the larger river through two tributaries: the Santa Fe River
Santa Fe River (New Mexico)
The Santa Fe River is a tributary of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. It starts in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range and passes through the state capital, Santa Fe providing approximately 40% of the city's water supply. It is an...
and Cañada Ancha.
Virtually the entire perimeter of the Caja is ringed by cliffs or escarpments. White Rock Canyon forms the northwestern edge of the plateau. This canyon, through which the Rio Grande flows, has a maximum depth of over 1000 feet. Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument is a National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, and most of its backcountry...
lies directly across the river to the west of the plateau. Along the eastern edge is Canada Ancha, an ephemeral stream that flows northward into the Rio Grande near Buckman. Another deep canyon (approximately 400 feet in depth) runs along the southern edge of the Caja, and is cut by the Santa Fe River. The canyon of the Santa Fe River separates the Caja from another land grant to the south: the Mesita de Juana Lopez Grant.
The western edge of the plateau is a large escarpment which is easily visible to highway traffic traveling north on Interstate 25 from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. After crossing the Santo Domingo Basin and the reservations of Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblo, the freeway makes a steep climb up the escarpment along a stretch of highway known locally as La Bajada (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: "the descent"). This part of the plateau is dominated by Tetilla Peak (7,203 feet).
Geology
The Caja del Rio plateau is a monogenetic volcanic fieldVolcanic field
A volcanic field is an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to localized volcanic activity. They usually contain 10 to 100 volcanoes, such as cinder cones and are usually in clusters. Lava flows may also occur...
, which includes approximately 60 cinder cones, spatter cones, and basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
outflows. The volcanism can be explained by the field's location, which is very close to the intersection of the Rio Grande Rift
Rio Grande Rift
The Rio Grande Rift is a north-trending continental rift zone. It separates the Colorado Plateau in the west from the interior of the North American craton on the east. The rift extends from central Colorado in the north to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico in the south. The rift zone consists of four...
and the Jemez Lineament. The Rio Grande Rift is a result of extensional
Extensional
In philosophy of language, a context in which a sub-sentential expression e appears is called extensional if and only if e can be replaced by an expression with the same extension and necessarily preserve truth-value. The extension of a term is the set of objects that that term denotes.Take the...
, (or divergent) tectonic forces exerted upon the American Southwest. This feature runs southward from the vicinity of Leadville, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, through the entire state of New Mexico, through the vicinity of El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and into Chihuahua, Mexico
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...
. The Rift began forming approximately 30 million years ago during the late Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
Epoch. The Jemez Lineament is another, older feature, which also represents a linear weakness in the crust. The Lineament trends southwest to northeast, and underlies a string of volcanic features across Arizona and New Mexico. Those features include the San Carlos volcanic field
San Carlos volcanic field
San Carlos volcanic field is a monogenetic volcanic field in Arizona, USA. The field lies within the San Carlos Apache Reservation about east of Globe, Arizona. It is a small field covering approximately 50 km2 or less of volcanic cones and lava flows. The basanite to hawaiite basaltic flows...
, Springerville volcanic field
Springerville volcanic field
Springerville volcanic field is a monogenetic volcanic field located in east-central Arizona, USA. The field consists of 405 discrete vents covering approximately and is the third largest such field in the continental United States, only the San Francisco volcanic field and Medicine Lake volcanic...
, Zuni-Bandera volcanic field
Zuni-Bandera volcanic field
Zuni-Bandera volcanic field is a volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States....
, Mount Taylor volcanic field and the Raton-Clayton volcanic field
Raton-Clayton volcanic field
Raton-Clayton volcanic field is an extinct volcanic field located in the state of New Mexico, United States. Capulin Volcano National Monument is located in the volcanic field. It is thought to have been formed by the Raton hotspot.-Notable Vents:...
. These structural weaknesses create a thinned crust, and pathways for intrusion by magma originating in the mantle
Mantle (geology)
The mantle is a part of a terrestrial planet or other rocky body large enough to have differentiation by density. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other terrestrial planets, is chemically divided into layers. The mantle is a highly viscous layer between the crust and the outer core....
. The result has been a series of intercontinental basaltic eruptions.
The Caja is not the only volcanic feature in this part of New Mexico. Approximately 20 miles (32 km) to its northwest is the Valles Caldera, a spectacular caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
which lies at the heart of the Jemez Mountains
Jemez Mountains
The Jemez Mountains are a volcanic group of mountains in New Mexico, United States. The highest point in the range is Chicoma Mountain at an elevation of 11,561 feet . The town of Los Alamos and Los Alamos National Laboratory adjoin the eastern side of the range while the town of Jemez Springs...
. This mountain range has been created by a series of eruptions since the Miocene. The ages of the first eruptions are difficult to determine, since the older rocks have been almost entirely buried by the material from younger eruptions. The oldest exposed volcanic rocks in the vicinity are approximately 16 million years old. The Jemez area experienced an intense pulse of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
volcanism between 9 and 11 million years ago. The lavas from this cycle had little silica, and originated in the mantle. Additional pulses of volcanism occurred between 7-10 million years ago, between 6-7 million years ago, between 3-6 million years ago, and between 2-3 million years ago. The last of these pulses is believed to have created the Cerros del Rio volcanic field, which covers the entire Caja del Rio Plateau.
Several of the later eruptions involved not only basalts, but lavas made of rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
or dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
. Such lavas contain greater amounts of silica, and are more viscous than basalt. These eruptions created most of the highest peaks in the Jemez Mountains, including Chicoma Mountain
Chicoma Mountain
Chicoma Mountain is the highest point in the Jemez Mountains, a prominent mountain range in the U.S. State of New Mexico. The Tree line in this area is exceptionally high, and the mountain is forested almost all the way to its summit which is conspicuous from the towns of Los Alamos, Santa Fe,...
(11,561 feet), and Polvadera Peak and Pajarito Mountain. Weathering
Weathering
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...
of the igneous rocks resulted in alluvial fans, which spread eastward into the Rio Grande Rift. By 2 million years ago, the sediments had displaced the Rio Grande eastward from an earlier location near Los Alamos
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Los Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
to its current location in White Rock Canyon. Two more eruptive cycles took place approximately 1.6 and 1.25 million years ago. The first eruption created the Toledo Caldera, but this feature was largely obliterated by the later Valles eruption. Each eruption involved pyroclastic flows and produced some of the welded tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
now found west of the Rio Grande. There have been numerous eruptions of sticky lavas in the last 1.25 million years ago, but all have been within the Valles Caldera. The most recent eruptions took place about 40-50,000 years ago, and formed the El Cajete Crater. This crater lies at the foot of Redondo Peak
Redondo Peak
Redondo Peak is a conspicuous summit in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. It is located entirely within the Valles Caldera National Preserve. It is the second highest summit in the Jemez after Chicoma Mountain. It is the most visually prominent peak in the...
, a resurgent dome that rises to 11,254 feet within the Valles Caldera. Lying between White Rock Canyon and the rim of the Valles Caldera is the Pajarito Plateau
Pajarito Plateau
The Pajarito Plateau is a volcanic plateau in north central New Mexico, United States. The plateau, part of the Jemez Mountains, is bounded on the west by the Valles Caldera and on the east by the White Rock Canyon of the Rio Grande...
, the many canyons of which have been cut by relatively recent erosion.
Climate
The climate of the Caja del Rio is arid and continental. The average daily maximum temperature at White Rock, New MexicoWhite Rock, New Mexico
White Rock is a census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,045 at the 2000 census. It is largely a bedroom community for employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory and their families...
varies from 39.7 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 80.5 degrees in July. The average daily minimum temperature varies from 18.8 degrees in January to 54.4 degrees in July. That average annual maximum temperature is 60.0 degrees, with the average annual minimum at 35.8. The average annual precipitation is approximately 10-12 inches. Most of the annual precipitation is associated with summer thunderstorms, although the area also receives winter snow.
Ecology
Soils in the Caja del Rio are derived from TertiaryTertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
volcanic basalt flows and cinder cone eruptions. Most are best characterized as stony or cindery loam, with shallow horizons. Soil surveys of the Caja generally describe the soils as unsatisfactory, with a reduced potential for hydrologic and nutrient function.
Three primary plant communities are frequently found on the Caja del Rio plateau: Pinon-Juniper Savanna, Pinon-Juniper Woodland, and Great Basin Sage Scrub. The most prevalent vegetative communities consist of a pinon (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus monosperma
Juniperus monosperma
Juniperus monosperma is a species of juniper native to western North America, in the United States in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma , and western Texas, and in Mexico in the extreme north of Chihuahua...
) overstory with a short grass understory. Tree densities often range between 100 and 300 trees per acre. Another large community consists of open grassland, with blue grama
Blue grama
Blue Grama, Bouteloua gracilis, is a long-lived, warm season, C4 perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico...
(Bouteloua gracilis), galleta (Pleuraphis jamesii
Pleuraphis jamesii
Pleuraphis jamesii is a species of grass known by the common name James' galleta. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it is widespread in scrub, woodland, grassland, and plateau habitat...
), and various species of Stipa being the most common grasses. Common woody shrubs include Chamiso (Chrysothamnus nauseosus
Chrysothamnus nauseosus
Ericameria nauseosa , commonly known as Chamisa, rubber rabbitbrush, and gray rabbitbrush, is a shrub of the genus Ericameria that grows in the arid regions of western North America. Two subspecies have been described, nauseosa and consimilis...
), Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa), Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens
Atriplex canescens
Atriplex canescens, Chamiso, Chamiza, Four wing saltbush, Four-wing saltbush, and Fourwing saltbush, is a species of evergreen shrub in the Amaranthaceae family, which is native to the western and mid-western United States....
), and Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata
Artemisia tridentata
Artemisia tridentata is a shrub or small tree from the family Asteraceae. Some botanists treat it in the segregate genus Seriphidium, as S. tridentatum W. A. Weber, but this is not widely followed...
).
Predatory mammals known to live in the Caja del Rio include black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
(Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
(Lynx rufus), coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
(Canis latrans), fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
(Vulpes
Vulpes
Vulpes is a genus of the Canidae family. Its members are referred to as 'true foxes', although there are species in other genera whose common names include the word 'fox'....
spp), gray fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), ringtail
Ring-tailed Cat
The ringtail is a mammal of the raccoon family , native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat or miner's cat, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a "civet cat"...
(Bassariscus astutus), badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
(Taxidea taxus), long-tailed weasel
Long-tailed Weasel
The long-tailed weasel , also known as the bridled weasel or big stoat is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central America and into northern South America.-Evolution:The long-tailed weasel is the product of...
(Mustela frenata), Western Spotted Skunk
Western Spotted Skunk
The Western Spotted Skunk is a spotted skunk found throughout the western United States, northern Mexico, and southwestern British Columbia. With a total length of , the Western Spotted Skunk is smaller than the Striped Skunk . Their habitat is mixed woodlands, open areas, and farmlands. They...
(Spilogale gracilis), and Striped Skunk
Striped Skunk
The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
(Mephitis mephitis). Non-predatory mammals known to be present include Rocky Mountain elk
Rocky Mountain Elk
The Rocky Mountain Elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins...
(Cervus elaphus), mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
(Odocoileus hemionus), raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
(Procyon lotor), porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
(Erethizon dorsatum), Black-tailed jackrabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
The black-tailed jackrabbit , also known as the american desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level to up to...
(Lepus californicus), desert cottontail
Desert Cottontail
The Desert Cottontail , also known as Audubon's Cottontail, is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae....
, (Sylvilagus auduboni), White-throated Woodrat
White-Throated Woodrat
The white-throated woodrat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found from central Mexico north to Utah and Colorado in the United States. It is primarily a western species in the United States, extending from central Texas west to southeastern California...
(Neotoma albigula), Botta's pocket gopher
Botta's pocket gopher
Botta's pocket gopher is a pocket gopher native to western North America, from California east to Texas and from southern Utah and Colorado south to Mexico...
(Thomomys bottae), Colorado chipmunk
Colorado Chipmunk
The Colorado chipmunk is a species of rodent in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.-References:...
(Neotamias quadrivittatus), Pinyon Mouse
Pinyon Mouse
Peromyscus truei or the pinyon mouse, is native to the southwestern United States. These medium sized mice are often distinguished by their relatively large ears...
(Peromyscus truei), and Deer mouse (Peromyscus
Peromyscus
The genus Peromyscus contains the animal species commonly referred to as deer mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus...
spp.). Sensitive mammalian species known to be present at the Caja include Gunnison's prairie dog
Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Gunnison's prairie dog is one of five species of the prairie dog. This species belongs to the squirrel family of rodents, and are predominantly related to the North American and Eurasian ground squirrels...
(Cynomys gunnisoni). A small herd of wild horses (consisting of approximately 50 individuals) lives year round on the plateau.
Birds of prey found in or near the Caja include Bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus), golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
(Aquila chrysaetos), Red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
(Buteo jamaicensis), Ferruginous hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
The Ferruginous Hawk , Buteo regalis , is a large bird of prey. It is not a true hawk like sparrowhawks or goshawks, but rather belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks, known as "buzzards" in Europe...
(Buteo regalis), Swainson's hawk
Swainson's Hawk
The Swainson's Hawk , is a large buteo hawk of the Falconiformes, sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes like its relatives. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist...
(Buteo swainsonii), American Kestrel
American Kestrel
The American Kestrel , sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America...
(Falco sparverius), and Peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
(Falco peregrinus anatum), Other resident non-migratory birds include Merriam's turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Pinyon Jay
Pinyon Jay
The Pinyon Jay is a jay between the North American Blue Jay and the Eurasian Jay in size. It is the only member of the genus Gymnorhinus, . Its overall proportions are very Nutcracker-like and indeed this can be seen as convergent evolution as both birds fill similar ecological niches...
(Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, averaging approximately 250 mm in length with a 380 mm wingspan...
(Picoides villosus), and Scaled Quail
Scaled Quail
The Scaled Quail , also commonly called Blue Quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico...
(Callipepla squamata).
Migratory birds found in or near the Caja include Turkey vulture
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
(Cathartes aura), Killdeer
Killdeer
The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering...
(Charadrius vociferus), Loggerhead Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike
The Loggerhead Shrike is a passerine bird. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related Northern Shrike occurs north of its range but also in the Palearctic....
(Lanius ludovicianus), Common nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Typically dark , displaying cryptic colouration and intricate patterns, this bird becomes invisible by day. Once aerial, with its buoyant but erratic flight,...
(Chordeiles minor), mourning dove
Mourning Dove
The Mourning Dove is a member of the dove family . The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds...
(Zenaida macroura, Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus, is a medium-sized hummingbird, nearly in length.Male and female both have iridescent green backs and crowns and a white breast. The male has a gorget that shines with a brilliant red iridescence...
(Selasphorus platycercus), Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is a North American woodpecker.-Range and habitat:The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is fairly common in dry brushy areas and thickets and has a rather large range...
(Picoides scalaris), Downy woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker, the smallest in North America.- Description :Adult Downy Woodpeckers are mainly black on the upperparts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. There is a white bar above the eye and one below. They have a...
(Picoides pubescens), Northern flicker
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker...
(Colaptes auratus), American Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), Say's Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
The Say's Phoebe is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have brownish-gray upperparts with an orange-brown belly and light gray on the throat and breast. Juveniles have cinnamon wing bars; adults have no wing bars....
(Sayornis saya), Ash-throated Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
The Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in desert scrub, riparian forest, brushy pastures and open woodland from the western United States to central Mexico. It is a short-distance migrant, retreating from most of the U.S....
(Myiarchus cinerascens), Cassin's Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird
The Cassin's Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans, is a large Tyrant flycatcher.Adults have a gray head with slightly darker cheeks; a dark unforked tail with a buffy fringe and gray-olive underparts.They have a pale throat and deep yellow lower breast....
(Tyrannus vociferans), Plumbeous Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
The Plumbeous Vireo is a small North American songbird, ranging from far southeastern Montana and western South Dakota south to the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the extreme southern regions of Baja California Sur...
(Vireo plumbeus), Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), Violet-green swallow
Violet-green Swallow
The Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina, is a small North American swallow.Their breeding habitat is semi-open areas in western North America from Alaska to Mexico...
(Tachycineta thalassina), Northern Rough-winged swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a small swallow.Adults are 13–15 cm in length, brown on top with light underparts and a forked tail. They are similar in appearance to the Bank Swallow but have a dusky throat and breast...
(Stelgidopteryx serripennis), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea, is a very small songbird.Adult males are blue-grey on the upperparts with white underparts and have a long slender bill, long black tail and an angry black unibrow. Females are less blue without the unibrow...
(Polioptila caerulea), Western bluebird
Western Bluebird
The Western Bluebird is a small thrush, approximately to in length.Adult males are bright blue on top and on the throat with an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on back, and a gray belly and undertail coverts. Adult females have a duller blue body, wings, and tail than the male, a gray...
(Sialia mexicana), Mountain bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
The Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...
(Sialia currucoides), Townsend's Solitaire
Townsend's Solitaire
Townsend's Solitaire is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico.-Range and habitat:...
(Myadestes townsendi), American Robin
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
(Turdus migratorius), American pipit (Anthus rubescens), Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a songbird of the New World warbler family. It is 13 cm long and has black, grey, and white plumage. It breeds in western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, and winters in Mexico and the southwestern United States...
(Dendroica nigrescens), Western Tanager
Western Tanager
The Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family...
(Piranga ludoviciana), Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
The Chipping Sparrow is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.-Description:...
(Spizella passerina), Lark Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
The Lark Sparrow is a fairly large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Chondestes.This passerine bird breeds in southern Canada, much of the United States, and northern Mexico. It is much less common in the east, where its range is contracting...
(Chondestes grammacus), Western Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Not to be confused with Eastern MeadowlarkThe Western Meadowlark is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in long. It nests on the ground in open country in western and central North America. It feeds mostly on insects, but also seeds and berries...
(Sturnella neglecta), and Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or...
(Molothrus ater). Waterfowl using the Rio Grande corridor include Canada goose (Branta canadensis), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), northern pintails (Anas acuta), and American wigeon
American Wigeon
The American Wigeon, also American Widgeon or Baldpate, is a species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. If this is split up, all wigeons will go into their old genus Mareca again...
(Anas americana).
Sensitive bird species known to be present at the Caja include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and Gray Vireos.
Common reptiles include Collared lizards
Crotaphytidae
The family Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are desert-dwelling reptiles native to the southwest USA and northern Mexico. They are very fast-moving animals, with long limbs and tails, and are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects....
(Crotaphytus collaris), Roundtail Horned Lizard
Roundtail Horned Lizard
The roundtail horned lizard is one of the smaller species of horned lizard. Their specific epithet is from the Latin word modestum meaning modest or calm...
(Phrynosoma modestum), Striped whipsnake
Striped Whipsnake
The Striped Whipsnake is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake that is closely related to the California Whipsnake . It is native to the western United States and northern Mexico....
(Masticophis taeniatus), and Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox
Crotalus atrox
Crotalus atrox, the "western diamondback rattlesnake", is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second greatest number in the USA after C. adamanteus. No subspecies are...
). Sensitive reptilian species include the Desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida).
Human Use and Management
Prehistoric Puebloans built dozens of village sites across the Caja del Rio and Pajarito plateaus. In contrast to its western neighbor, however, the canyon walls of the Caja are frequently made of basalt, rather than welded tuff. The latter material is much easier to excavate, and as a result, the Pajarito contains many more cliff houses. Both areas, however, contain countless petroglyphs. Most of them have been pecked into the ubiquitous basalt.
Europeans founded Santa Fe in 1610. It is likely that use of the Caja del Rio for the grazing of domesticated livestock began shortly thereafter. From the beginning of colonization until the 19th century, subsistence users treated the plateau as common property, and used it for summer grazing and timber harvesting. During the mid-19th century, commercial livestock ranching increased throughout New Mexico. By the 1890s, grazing levels throughout the Territory were as high as 9 million animal units. This overuse, combined with severe droughts in 1891 and 1892, led to the loss of top soils and major vegetative changes. Among the vegetative changes were the replacement of more palatable forbs and grasses by woody shrubs and trees.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Forest Service began to address the problem of degraded rangelands. The new solutions included the reduction of grazing permits and the institution of range improvement programs. In 1935, the government purchased portions of the Caja del Rio Grant and the Majada Grant under the "Land Program" of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration
Federal Emergency Relief Administration
Federal Emergency Relief Administration was the new name given by the Roosevelt Administration to the Emergency Relief Administration which President Herbert Hoover had created in 1932...
. That acreage forms what is today the Caja del Rio Unit of the Santa Fe National Forest. Range surveys, maps, and a range management plan were completed by 1939. In the same year, the Soil Conservation Service assumed administration of the federal lands pursuant to a cooperative agreement among the Indian Services, Resettlement Administration, and the SCS. Responsibility for management was passed to the Forest Service in 1953. The Caja is now managed as a geographically distinct unit of the Espanola District of the Santa Fe National Forest. This unit consists of approximately 67,197 acres in 2010. The Taos Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
manages additional acreage just outside the forest unit.
The Caja del Rio Allotment is now managed as a community grazing allotment. Beginning in 1941, most of the existing allotment improvement were repaired or reconstructed. From 1954 to 1972, the average actual use was 711 permitted cattle. In 2010, the Forest Service allows a maximum of 8,305 animal unit months. That capacity is divided among twelve permittees who graze 492 cow-calf pairs and 28 bulls on ten pastures, in a yearlong season. The allotment was restocked after 2002 due to drought, and has been below maximum rates since then.
The allotment contains 18 earth tanks, 7 wells, 31 miles of pipelines, 14 drinking troughs, 10 storage tanks, and 77 miles of fencing. In 2006, the water supply was substantially improved by the completion of the Caja del Rio Pipeline.
Points of Interest
From 2004, the Caja has been the focus of a grass roots campaign to develop recreational trail uses. The purpose of this campaign is to augment use of the Caja, rather than replacing grazing. The trail system is used primarily by mountain bike and horse riders.Wild horses
The United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
has designated Caja del Rio a Wild Horse Territory, and manages a herd of mustangs
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
there. A separate band of feral horse
Feral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated ancestry. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses...
s in the vicinity is not managed; its members are thought to be domestic horses recently turned loose to fend for themselves.
Diablo Canyon
Caja del Rio Canyon (known locally as Diablo Canyon), is a popular local rock climbing area on the northern section of Canada Ancha, near its confluence with the Rio Grande. This area can be accessed by Camino La Tierra and Old Buckman Road. Although the area is not marked, it has an undeveloped but very large parking area at its east end. The canyon walls include impressive trap rockTrap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
s. The flat, sand bottom of the canyon is subject to spectacular flash floods during the summer monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. The hike from Diablo Canyon to the Rio Grande is both scenic and easy White Rock Canyon. The wash is also popular with horse riders. After passing Diablo Canyon, Old Buckman Road continues to the site of Buckman, a former logging town and depot of the narrow gauge Chili Line
Chili Line
The Chili Line, officially known as the Santa Fe Branch, was a narrow gauge branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad . It ran from Antonito, Colorado, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States...
. The Rio Grande can be forded in some seasons at Buckman. In fact, this crossing was a major transportation route between Santa Fe and the Pajarito Plateau.
Diablo Canyon was a filming location for the 2007 film 3:10 to Yuma
3:10 to Yuma (2007 film)
3:10 to Yuma is the 2007 remake of the 1957 film of the same name, making it the second adaptation of Elmore Leonard's short story Three-Ten to Yuma. It is directed by James Mangold and produced by Cathy Konrad, and stars Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the lead roles. ...
.
Caja trails
The Caja has around 100 miles of mapped trails,. Some of the more notable trails includeChino Mesa Trail - 8 miles (one way) of two track road running north from 1100 Well to overlook of White Rock Canyon near Pinabete Tanks.
Montoso Peak Trail - 12 miles (loop) of two track road running west from 1100 Well around north end of Montoso Peak.
Frijoles Canyon Overlook - 2.6 miles (one way) of hiking trail and two track road running west from Montoso Peak to edge of White Rock Canyon, with descent into canyon across from Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument.
Sagebrush Flats Trail - 17 miles (loop) of two track road running north from 1100 Well (or 700 Well) into the northern section of Caja above Diablo Canyon.
Soda Springs Trail - 3.1 miles (one way) of hiking trail running southwest from Buckman, and climbing up to Sagebrush Flats.
Caja del Rio/Diablo Canyon Trail - 1.3 miles (one way) of hiking trail running southwest from Diablo Canyon and climbing up to Sagebrush Flats.
Twin Hills Loop - 18 miles (loop) of two track road passing through 1200 Well, Headquarters Well
Rio Grande Trail
The proposed Rio Grande TrailRio Grande Trail
The Rio Grande Trail is a proposed long distance trail along the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The river extends over 1,800 total miles, some of which pass though the heart of New Mexico. It is the state's primary drainage feature and most valuable natural and cultural resource...
, if it extends north of Bernalillo
Bernalillo, New Mexico
Bernalillo is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 6,611. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, may pass along the base of Caja del Rio.
See also
- Bandelier National MonumentBandelier National MonumentBandelier National Monument is a National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, and most of its backcountry...
- Cochiti DamCochiti DamThe Cochiti Dam is an earthen fill dam located on the Rio Grande River in Sandoval County, New Mexico approximately 50 miles north of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States...
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National MonumentKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National MonumentKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico , is a Bureau of Land Management managed site that was established as a U.S...
- Los Alamos County, New MexicoLos Alamos County, New Mexico-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*87.8% White*0.6% Black*0.8% Native American*6.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*2.2% Other races*14.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
- Pajarito PlateauPajarito PlateauThe Pajarito Plateau is a volcanic plateau in north central New Mexico, United States. The plateau, part of the Jemez Mountains, is bounded on the west by the Valles Caldera and on the east by the White Rock Canyon of the Rio Grande...
- Rio Grande RiftRio Grande RiftThe Rio Grande Rift is a north-trending continental rift zone. It separates the Colorado Plateau in the west from the interior of the North American craton on the east. The rift extends from central Colorado in the north to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico in the south. The rift zone consists of four...
- San Ildefonso Pueblo
- Santa Fe County, New MexicoSanta Fe County, New Mexico-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.2% White*0.9% Black*3.1% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*14.9% Other races*50.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
External links
- audubon.org: Important Bird Area
- trails.mtbr.com: Caja Del Rio Plateau
- cajadelrio.com: Caja del Rio Landfill