Oliver Lee Memorial State Park
Encyclopedia
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is a state park
of New Mexico
, USA, in Otero County
. The park is 40 acres (16.2 ha) and sits at an elevation of 4554 feet (1,388.1 m). It is situated at the base of Dog Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains
, and provides opportunities for camping, hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, a nature trail, and a guided tour of Oliver Lee's historic 19th-century ranch house.
The Dog Canyon National Recreational Trail climbs to provide views of the Tularosa Basin
and the Organ Mountains
. Nearby are the community of Alamogordo
and the White Sands National Monument
. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park was established in 1980.
warriors as a defensive position and a base of operations during their numerous battles and wars with Euro-American explorers and settlers. Oliver Lee's homestead near the mouth of Dog Canyon was built in 1893. Lee was an influential citizen of New Mexico's settlement. The ranch is now a historic site and demonstrates how the ranch home looked while Lee was living there. As a well known rancher Lee was able to use his political influence to bring the railroad to nearby Alamogordo in 1898 and establish financial connections with influential citizens in El Paso
, Texas
. The second and northern parcel of land, has been studied extensively by archaeologists to determine the cultural history of the area.
. The Otero County area of New Mexico receives very little rain with an average yearly rainfall of just 11.6 inch. The fact that a perennially flowing stream of water passes through Dog Canyon made it an important location for settlement by Native Americans
that lived in, and travelled through the Tularosa Basin
.
The earliest known people to live in the area of the park were Paleoindians. They lived in the area from 9500 BC to about 5500 BC. They hunted a variety of now extinct animals like the Mammoth
and large Bison
. Evidence of their existence at the park include fluted projectile points and evidence of time-period campsites.
The Paleoindians were followed by peoples of the Archaic period from 5500 BC to 200 AD. These people were more sedentary than their the Paleoindians as evidenced by remnants of plant processing. The Archaics hunted animals and gathered plants for food. They were followed during the Formative period 200 - 1400 by the Jornada Mogollon
peoples. The Jornada Mogollons were farmers that lived in villages and practiced a combination of dry-land and flood-land
agriculture
. Archaeologists have found ground stones, ceramics, projectile points, rock pueblo
ruins, pithouses and rock art that are consistent with the cultural practices of the Jornada Mogollans.
The Mescalero Apache established their dominance in the Tularosa Basin area by 1400. They were a mobile tribe that lived in tipi
s and subsisted on foods they both hunted and gathered. They also left behind projectile points. Other evidence of their time in the area includes drills, spears and stone axes. These Apache were the Indians that were encountered by Spanish explorers and later Anglo-American settlers. The Apache were highly territorial and defended their lands from incursion by settlers from Mexico
and the southwestern territories of the United States.
.
The first homestead in the area was established by Francois Jean Rochas in 1885. He built his home at the mouth of Dog Canyon. He lived in a two room rock and adobe home. Rochas planted an orchard
and built retaining wall
s on the ridges that flank the canyon. His home is marked by a partly reconstructed cabin on the interpretive trail that is west of the park's visitor center.
The park's namesake, Oliver Milton Lee, arrived in the area from Buffalo Gap
, Texas
in 1893. He established a 320 acres (129.5 ha) ranch
on land just south of Dog Canyon. Lee built a ranch house, barns, corrals, reservoir
and slaughterhouse
on his land. He also developed an irrigation
system that provided water for his ranch from the stream in the canyon. Remants of the water system can be see at the park. Oliver Lee later held office in the New Mexico Senate and continued operating his ranches until his own death in 1941. He was able to use his political influence to improve the area by bringing the railroad to Alamogordo in 1898.
Lee sold his ranch in 1907. After a series of several owners, the ranch lands were made a part of the White Sands National Monument
in 1939. Management of the 440-acre (180 ha) Dog Canyon tract was transferred to the State Parks Division in 1983, three years after the establishment of the parcel to the north of the canyon. Ownership of the southern part of the park was transferred to the state of New Mexico in 1998.
of the Sacramento Mountains
of New Mexico. It contains Dog Canyon and land to the north of the canyon. The canyon is bisected by a perennial stream, a rarity in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range
lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County (small portions of the range are in Lincoln County
and Chaves County
). From north to south, the Sacramento Mountains extend for 85 miles (137 km), and from east to west they encompass 42 miles (68 km). Dog Canyon is one of several canyons found on the west side of the mountains. The canyon and cliff faces show the geologic history of the park stretching from the Ordovician
times (570 million years ago) to the Permian
times (300 million years ago). Evidence of marine life in the area points to a time period when the land was covered by a shallow sea. The rocks contain fossil
s of nautiloid cephalopods. Native Americans used chert
that was left behind as the seas receded to make stone tools. Rocks from the Mississippian age show continental shelf deposits and reef
-like remains of fossilized crinoid
s, bryozoans and dense limestone
. The Sacramentos underwent a volcanic time
during the Tertiary Period (30 million years ago). The volcanic forces created igneous sills into the rocks from the Devonian Period.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is on the edge of the Tularosa Basin
. Hydrologically, the Tularosa Basin is a closed basin
; no streams flow out. Surface water that doesn’t evaporate or soak into the ground eventually accumulates at intermittent lakes. The basin covers about 6500 square miles (16,834.9 km²). It was formed 25 million years ago by faults that caused the surrounding mountains to fall and the basin to sink.
Dog Canyon was carved into the basin fill materials of sand, silt and clay by heavy runoffs of earth and water from the surrounding mountains. The heavy rocks and fast moving waters carved the canyon out over millions of years. Lake Otero was formed by heavy snowmelt and rains during the late Pleistocene. About 20,00 years ago the climate changed. As the temperatures rose Lake Otero began to evaporate. Parts of the ancient lake can be found in Lake Lucero, Alkali Flat playa and the gypsum
dunes of White Sands National Monument.
environment in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park that is unique for the area. The stream is kept flowing by rain and snow-melt. The water seeps up from the ground in springs that naturally occur in the limestone formations of the park. The stream dries out just to the just of the park and the remaining water flows underground. It supports a small variety of insects and amphibians, but no fish.
Trees found along the stream include Rio Grande Cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislizeni), New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana), and Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina
). In the areas away from the stream One-seeded Juniper (Juniperus monosperma
), Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis
) and Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata
) are found. Shrubs of the park include Four-wind Saltbush (Atriplex canescens
) and Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata. Wild grapes (Vitis arizonica
) and Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) can be found in the cool and wetter parts of Dog Canyon. A variety of cacti
species can be found in the park including Strawberry Hedgehog (Echinocereus
fendleri
), Cane Cholla (Opuntia imbricata
) and numerous prickly pears (Opuntia
spp.). Aquatic plants like Cattail (Typha angustifolia
), Giant Helleborine (Epipactis gigantea
) and Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris
) are sustained by the stream that flows through the canyon. A botanical resource list is provided by the park staff.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is home to mammals that are typically found in the upper Chihuahuan Desert. They include Collared Peccary
, Ground squirrel
s, Mule Deer
, Black-tailed Jackrabbit
and the Desert Cottontail
. These are prey to predators like American Black Bear
s, Cougars, and Bobcat
s. American Badger
s, North American Porcupine
s, Raccoon
, White-nosed Coati and several species of bat
s and skunk
s are also found in the desert of the park. Two species of rattlesnake
s are found in the park, Western Diamondback
and Black-tail
. Several species of lizard
s, skink
s, gecko
s, turtle
s, and non-venomous snakes can be found in the park. The Texas horned lizard
, which is threatened by loss of habitat, pesticides and development in Texas and Oklahoma
, is thriving in the park. The horned lizards are legally protected in the park and throughout New Mexico. Known amphibian
s found in the park include salamanders and toads. The park is also home to birds such as Turkey Vulture
s, Red-tailed Hawk
s, Mourning Dove
s, hummingbird
s, warblers
and wren
s.
, camping
, picnic
king and wild life viewing. There are three trails at the park. Dog Canyon Trail begins at the visitor center and climbs the canyon walls over a distance of 5.5 miles (8.9 km) and rising 3144 feet (958.3 m). At the top of the canyon the trail enters the neighboring Lincoln National Forest
. Two interpretive trails at the park allow visitors to access the riparian environment along the stream in the canyon and the Oliver Lee Ranch House. There are 44 campsites at the park, 16 of which have electric hookups. Picnic ares are available in various locations of the park.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of 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...
, USA, in Otero County
Otero County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.7% White*3.5% Black*6.7% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.2% Two or more races*11.2% Other races*34.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The park is 40 acres (16.2 ha) and sits at an elevation of 4554 feet (1,388.1 m). It is situated at the base of Dog Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains
Sacramento Mountains
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range in the south-central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County...
, and provides opportunities for camping, hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, a nature trail, and a guided tour of Oliver Lee's historic 19th-century ranch house.
The Dog Canyon National Recreational Trail climbs to provide views of the Tularosa Basin
Tularosa Basin
The Tularosa Basin is a graben basin in the Basin and Range Province and within the Chihuahuan Desert, east of the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.-Geography:...
and the Organ Mountains
Organ Mountains
The Organ Mountains are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. They lie east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County.-Geography:...
. Nearby are the community of Alamogordo
Alamogordo, New Mexico
Alamogordo is the county seat of Otero County and a city in south-central New Mexico, United States. A desert community lying in the Tularosa Basin, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains. It is the nearest city to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 35,582 as of the 2000...
and the White Sands National Monument
White Sands National Monument
The White Sands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Dona Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4235 feet...
. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park was established in 1980.
History
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park consists of two separate parcels of land. Both parcels are historically significant. The Dog Canyon tract was used by ApacheApache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
warriors as a defensive position and a base of operations during their numerous battles and wars with Euro-American explorers and settlers. Oliver Lee's homestead near the mouth of Dog Canyon was built in 1893. Lee was an influential citizen of New Mexico's settlement. The ranch is now a historic site and demonstrates how the ranch home looked while Lee was living there. As a well known rancher Lee was able to use his political influence to bring the railroad to nearby Alamogordo in 1898 and establish financial connections with influential citizens in El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United 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...
. The second and northern parcel of land, has been studied extensively by archaeologists to determine the cultural history of the area.
Native Americans
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is situated in the Chihuahuan DesertChihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. The Otero County area of New Mexico receives very little rain with an average yearly rainfall of just 11.6 inch. The fact that a perennially flowing stream of water passes through Dog Canyon made it an important location for settlement by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
that lived in, and travelled through the Tularosa Basin
Tularosa Basin
The Tularosa Basin is a graben basin in the Basin and Range Province and within the Chihuahuan Desert, east of the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.-Geography:...
.
The earliest known people to live in the area of the park were Paleoindians. They lived in the area from 9500 BC to about 5500 BC. They hunted a variety of now extinct animals like the Mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
and large Bison
Bison antiquus
Bison antiquus, sometimes called the ancient bison, was the most common large herbivore of the North American continent for over ten thousand years, and is a direct ancestor of the living American bison....
. Evidence of their existence at the park include fluted projectile points and evidence of time-period campsites.
The Paleoindians were followed by peoples of the Archaic period from 5500 BC to 200 AD. These people were more sedentary than their the Paleoindians as evidenced by remnants of plant processing. The Archaics hunted animals and gathered plants for food. They were followed during the Formative period 200 - 1400 by the Jornada Mogollon
Jornada Basin LTER
Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research program, in collaboration with the USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range, studies the causes and consequences of desertification...
peoples. The Jornada Mogollons were farmers that lived in villages and practiced a combination of dry-land and flood-land
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
agriculture
Agriculture
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...
. Archaeologists have found ground stones, ceramics, projectile points, rock pueblo
Pueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
ruins, pithouses and rock art that are consistent with the cultural practices of the Jornada Mogollans.
The Mescalero Apache established their dominance in the Tularosa Basin area by 1400. They were a mobile tribe that lived in tipi
Tipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
s and subsisted on foods they both hunted and gathered. They also left behind projectile points. Other evidence of their time in the area includes drills, spears and stone axes. These Apache were the Indians that were encountered by Spanish explorers and later Anglo-American settlers. The Apache were highly territorial and defended their lands from incursion by settlers from 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...
and the southwestern territories of the United States.
Early settlers
The Apache were eventually forced from their lands by the forces of the United States. The Oliver Lee Memorial State Park area saw numerous conflicts between the Apache and Anglo-Americans from 1848 until 1912. The U.S. military and the Mescaleros had many confrontations within Dog Canyon itself over this time period during the Apache WarsApache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States and Apaches fought in the Southwest from 1849 to 1886, though other minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. The Confederate Army participated in the wars during the early 1860s, for instance in Texas, before being...
.
The first homestead in the area was established by Francois Jean Rochas in 1885. He built his home at the mouth of Dog Canyon. He lived in a two room rock and adobe home. Rochas planted an orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
and built retaining wall
Retaining wall
Retaining walls are built in order to hold back earth which would otherwise move downwards. Their purpose is to stabilize slopes and provide useful areas at different elevations, e.g...
s on the ridges that flank the canyon. His home is marked by a partly reconstructed cabin on the interpretive trail that is west of the park's visitor center.
The park's namesake, Oliver Milton Lee, arrived in the area from Buffalo Gap
Buffalo Gap, Texas
Buffalo Gap is an incorporated town in Taylor County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 463 at the 2000 census. It is the former county seat of Taylor County, having been supplanted in 1883 by the much larger Abilene to its north...
, 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...
in 1893. He established a 320 acres (129.5 ha) ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
on land just south of Dog Canyon. Lee built a ranch house, barns, corrals, reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
and slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
on his land. He also developed an 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...
system that provided water for his ranch from the stream in the canyon. Remants of the water system can be see at the park. Oliver Lee later held office in the New Mexico Senate and continued operating his ranches until his own death in 1941. He was able to use his political influence to improve the area by bringing the railroad to Alamogordo in 1898.
Lee sold his ranch in 1907. After a series of several owners, the ranch lands were made a part of the White Sands National Monument
White Sands National Monument
The White Sands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Dona Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4235 feet...
in 1939. Management of the 440-acre (180 ha) Dog Canyon tract was transferred to the State Parks Division in 1983, three years after the establishment of the parcel to the north of the canyon. Ownership of the southern part of the park was transferred to the state of New Mexico in 1998.
Geology
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is at the base of the western escarpmentEscarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of the Sacramento Mountains
Sacramento Mountains
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range in the south-central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County...
of New Mexico. It contains Dog Canyon and land to the north of the canyon. The canyon is bisected by a perennial stream, a rarity in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County (small portions of the range are in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.1% White*0.5% Black*2.4% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*9.1% Other races*29.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Chaves County
Chaves County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*70.9% White*2.0% Black*1.2% Native American*0.6% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.2% Two or more races*22.0% Other races*52.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
). From north to south, the Sacramento Mountains extend for 85 miles (137 km), and from east to west they encompass 42 miles (68 km). Dog Canyon is one of several canyons found on the west side of the mountains. The canyon and cliff faces show the geologic history of the park stretching from the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
times (570 million years ago) to the Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
times (300 million years ago). Evidence of marine life in the area points to a time period when the land was covered by a shallow sea. The rocks contain fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of nautiloid cephalopods. Native Americans used chert
Chert
Chert is a fine-grained silica-rich microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline or microfibrous sedimentary rock that may contain small fossils. It varies greatly in color , but most often manifests as gray, brown, grayish brown and light green to rusty red; its color is an expression of trace elements...
that was left behind as the seas receded to make stone tools. Rocks from the Mississippian age show continental shelf deposits and reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
-like remains of fossilized crinoid
Crinoid
Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the echinoderms . Crinoidea comes from the Greek word krinon, "a lily", and eidos, "form". They live both in shallow water and in depths as great as 6,000 meters. Sea lilies refer to the crinoids which, in their adult form, are...
s, bryozoans and dense limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The Sacramentos underwent a volcanic time
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
during the Tertiary Period (30 million years ago). The volcanic forces created igneous sills into the rocks from the Devonian Period.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is on the edge of the Tularosa Basin
Tularosa Basin
The Tularosa Basin is a graben basin in the Basin and Range Province and within the Chihuahuan Desert, east of the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.-Geography:...
. Hydrologically, the Tularosa Basin is a closed basin
Endorheic
An endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans...
; no streams flow out. Surface water that doesn’t evaporate or soak into the ground eventually accumulates at intermittent lakes. The basin covers about 6500 square miles (16,834.9 km²). It was formed 25 million years ago by faults that caused the surrounding mountains to fall and the basin to sink.
Dog Canyon was carved into the basin fill materials of sand, silt and clay by heavy runoffs of earth and water from the surrounding mountains. The heavy rocks and fast moving waters carved the canyon out over millions of years. Lake Otero was formed by heavy snowmelt and rains during the late Pleistocene. About 20,00 years ago the climate changed. As the temperatures rose Lake Otero began to evaporate. Parts of the ancient lake can be found in Lake Lucero, Alkali Flat playa and the gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
dunes of White Sands National Monument.
Water, flora and fauna
Water is a vital resource in the Chihuahuan Desert. The stream found in Dog Canyon has created a riparianRiparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
environment in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park that is unique for the area. The stream is kept flowing by rain and snow-melt. The water seeps up from the ground in springs that naturally occur in the limestone formations of the park. The stream dries out just to the just of the park and the remaining water flows underground. It supports a small variety of insects and amphibians, but no fish.
Trees found along the stream include Rio Grande Cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislizeni), New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana), and Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina
Fraxinus velutina
Fraxinus velutina is a species of Fraxinus native to southwestern North America, in the United States from southern California east to Texas, and in Mexico from northern Baja California east to Coahuila and Nuevo León.-Description:Fraxinus velutina is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall,...
). In the areas away from the stream One-seeded 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...
), Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis
Chilopsis
Chilopsis is a genus of flowering plant, containing a single species, Chilopsis linearis. It is a small tree native to the southwestern United States and Mexico...
) and Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata
Celtis reticulata
Celtis reticulata, with common names including Netleaf Hackberry, Western Hackberry, Douglas Hackberry, Netleaf Sugar Hackberry, Palo Blanco, Acibuche, is a small to medium size deciduous tree, native to western North America.-Prehistoric:Celtis reticulata was one of the species analyzed in a...
) are found. Shrubs of the park include Four-wind 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 Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata. Wild grapes (Vitis arizonica
Vitis arizonica
Vitis arizonica, commonly known as Canyon grape, is a North American species of wild grape. In the United States it is found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and southern Utah; in northern Mexico it is found in Sonora and Tamaulipas.-Range:...
) and Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) can be found in the cool and wetter parts of Dog Canyon. A variety of cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
species can be found in the park including Strawberry Hedgehog (Echinocereus
Echinocereus
Echinocereus is a genus of ribbed, usually small to medium-sized cylindrical cacti, comprising about 70 species from the southern United States and Mexico in very sunny rocky places...
fendleri
Echinocereus fendleri
Echinocereus fendleri is a species of cactus known by the common names pinkflower hedgehog cactus and Fendler's hedgehog cactus. It grows in deserts and woodlands in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is most common in New Mexico....
), Cane Cholla (Opuntia imbricata
Opuntia imbricata
The cane cholla is a cactus found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, including some cooler regions in comparison to many other cacti...
) and numerous prickly pears (Opuntia
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
spp.). Aquatic plants like Cattail (Typha angustifolia
Typha angustifolia
Typha angustifolia L., , is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackish locations...
), Giant Helleborine (Epipactis gigantea
Epipactis gigantea
Epipactis gigantea is a species of orchid known by the common names stream orchid and giant helleborine. This wildflower is native to western North America from western Canada to central Mexico...
) and Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Adiantum capillus-veneris, the Southern maidenhair fern, black maidenhair fern, and venus hair fern, is a species of fern in the genus Adiantum with a subcosmopolitan worldwide distribution...
) are sustained by the stream that flows through the canyon. A botanical resource list is provided by the park staff.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is home to mammals that are typically found in the upper Chihuahuan Desert. They include Collared Peccary
Collared Peccary
The collared peccary is a species of mammal in the family Tayassuidae that is found in North, Central, and South America. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family...
, Ground squirrel
Ground squirrel
The ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
s, 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...
, 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...
and the 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....
. These are prey to predators like American 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...
s, Cougars, and 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...
s. American Badger
American Badger
The American badger is a North American badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European badger. It is found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico and central Canada, as well as in certain areas of southwestern British Columbia.Their habitat is typified by open...
s, North American Porcupine
North American Porcupine
The North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
s, 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...
, White-nosed Coati and several species of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s and skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s are also found in the desert of the park. Two species of rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s are found in the park, Western Diamondback
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...
and Black-tail
Crotalus molossus
Crotalus molossus is a venomous pitviper species found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Four subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
. Several species of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s, gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s, turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s, and non-venomous snakes can be found in the park. The Texas horned lizard
Texas horned lizard
The Texas horned lizard is one of about 14 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. P. cornutum ranges from Colorado and Kansas to northern Mexico , and from southeastern Arizona to Texas. There are also isolated, introduced populations in the Carolinas, Georgia, and...
, which is threatened by loss of habitat, pesticides and development in Texas and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, is thriving in the park. The horned lizards are legally protected in the park and throughout New Mexico. Known amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s found in the park include salamanders and toads. The park is also home to birds such as 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...
s, 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...
s, 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...
s, hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s, warblers
New World warbler
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are not related to the Old World warblers or the Australian warblers....
and wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
s.
Recreation
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is open for year-round recreation. Recreational opportunities include hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king and wild life viewing. There are three trails at the park. Dog Canyon Trail begins at the visitor center and climbs the canyon walls over a distance of 5.5 miles (8.9 km) and rising 3144 feet (958.3 m). At the top of the canyon the trail enters the neighboring Lincoln National Forest
Lincoln National Forest
The Lincoln National Forest is a protected national forest in the State of New Mexico in the southwestern United States. It was established in 1902 and covers 1,103,828 acres...
. Two interpretive trails at the park allow visitors to access the riparian environment along the stream in the canyon and the Oliver Lee Ranch House. There are 44 campsites at the park, 16 of which have electric hookups. Picnic ares are available in various locations of the park.