Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States
National Wildlife Refuge
located in southern Colorado
. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley
approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of the town of Alamosa
in southeastern Rio Grande
and western Alamosa
counties, in the watershed of the Rio Grande
. It administered jointly with the nearby Baca
and Alamosa
refuges by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. It was established in 1953 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to provide a habitat for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, in the San Luis Valley.
area and thus water is intensively managed on the refuge, especially in comparison to the nearby Alamosa refuge. Irrigation
includes numerous dikes and other water control structures that provide water to a patchwork of diverse wetland habitats ranging from shallow wet meadows to open water. The refuge includes Artesian wells, pumped wells and irrigation canals, some dating to the "ditch boom" of the 1880s. The refuge is a major stopover for migrating greater sandhill crane
s moving between their wintering area around Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
in New Mexico
and breeding grounds in the northern United States and southern Canada
. Up to 20,000 cranes pass through in the spring and again in the fall. Three remaining endangered whooping crane
s from a failed attempt to establish a wild migratory population in the 1980s can be seen migrating with their foster species, the sandhill crane. Beginning in the l980s, a herd of elk
began using the refuge. At present, several hundred elk may be seen on the refuge seeking winter food and sanctuary from hunting pressure on nearby public lands.
The refuge may be viewed by automobile along a 4 mile (6 km) auto tour, as well as from county roads. A visitors center for the Alamosa/Baca/Monte Vista complex is located in the Alamosa refuge southeast of the town of Alamosa.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
located in southern 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...
. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley
San Luis Valley
The San Luis Valley is an extensive alpine valley in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico covering approximately and sitting at an average elevation of above sea level. The valley sits atop the Rio Grande Rift and is drained to the south by the Rio Grande River, which rises in the San Juan...
approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of the town of Alamosa
Alamosa, Colorado
The city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
in southeastern Rio Grande
Rio Grande County, Colorado
Rio Grande County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for the Rio Grande , which flows through the county. The county population was 12,413 at U.S. Census 2000...
and western Alamosa
Alamosa County, Colorado
Alamosa County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county name is the Spanish language word for a "grove of cottonwood trees." The county population was 14,966 at U.S. Census 2000...
counties, in the watershed of the Rio Grande
Rio 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...
. It administered jointly with the nearby Baca
Baca National Wildlife Refuge
The Baca National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. It is located on the lands of the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4 near Crestone, Colorado in the San Luis Valley in southern Saguache and northern Alamosa counties, about northeast of the town...
and Alamosa
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is an United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The site is located in the San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande approximately southeast of Alamosa primarily in southeastern Alamosa County, although very small parts...
refuges by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. It was established in 1953 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to provide a habitat for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, in the San Luis Valley.
Description and history
The site was historically an agriculturalAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
area and thus water is intensively managed on the refuge, especially in comparison to the nearby Alamosa refuge. Irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
includes numerous dikes and other water control structures that provide water to a patchwork of diverse wetland habitats ranging from shallow wet meadows to open water. The refuge includes Artesian wells, pumped wells and irrigation canals, some dating to the "ditch boom" of the 1880s. The refuge is a major stopover for migrating greater sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
s moving between their wintering area around Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge , in southern Socorro County, New Mexico, is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It sits near the Rio Grande astride New Mexico Route 1, formerly U.S. Highway 85. The refuge was founded in 1939....
in 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...
and breeding grounds in the northern United States and southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Up to 20,000 cranes pass through in the spring and again in the fall. Three remaining endangered whooping crane
Whooping Crane
The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
s from a failed attempt to establish a wild migratory population in the 1980s can be seen migrating with their foster species, the sandhill crane. Beginning in the l980s, a herd of elk
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
began using the refuge. At present, several hundred elk may be seen on the refuge seeking winter food and sanctuary from hunting pressure on nearby public lands.
The refuge may be viewed by automobile along a 4 mile (6 km) auto tour, as well as from county roads. A visitors center for the Alamosa/Baca/Monte Vista complex is located in the Alamosa refuge southeast of the town of Alamosa.