Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Encyclopedia
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a U.S. National Monument
and UNESCO
biosphere reserve
located in extreme southern Arizona
which shares a border with the Mexican
state of Sonora
. The park is the only place in the United States
where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild. Along with Organ Pipe, many other types of cacti
, as well as other desert flora native to the Yuma Desert
section of the Sonoran Desert
region grow here. The Park is a beautiful preservation of the American Southwest.
Land for the graded through the Monument was donated by the Arizona state legislature to the federal government during Prohibition knowing that the north-south road would be improved and make contraband alcohol easier to import from Mexico. In 1937 the land was officially opened as a national monument.
At the north entrance of the park is the city of Why, Arizona
; the town of Lukeville, Arizona
, sits at the park's southern border. Lukeville is a border crossing point to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico.
On August 9, 2002, Ranger Kris Eggle was shot and killed by a suspected Mexican
drug
smuggler during a US Border Patrol operation. The visitor center has been named in his honor.
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
located in extreme southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
which shares a border with the Mexican
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...
state of Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. The park is the only place in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild. Along with Organ Pipe, many other types 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...
, as well as other desert flora native to the Yuma Desert
Yuma Desert
The Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation section of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and the northwest of Mexico. It is in the Salton basin. The desert contains areas of sparse vegetation and has notable areas of sand dunes. With an average rainfall less than 8 inches each...
section of the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
region grow here. The Park is a beautiful preservation of the American Southwest.
Land for the graded through the Monument was donated by the Arizona state legislature to the federal government during Prohibition knowing that the north-south road would be improved and make contraband alcohol easier to import from Mexico. In 1937 the land was officially opened as a national monument.
At the north entrance of the park is the city of Why, Arizona
Why, Arizona
Why is a tiny unincorporated rural community in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It lies near the western border of the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation and due north of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona...
; the town of Lukeville, Arizona
Lukeville, Arizona
Lukeville is a small unincorporated community on the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Pima County, Arizona, United States.The community consists of the international border crossing into Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, together with a gas station, a duty free shop, a few outlets that sell Mexican automobile...
, sits at the park's southern border. Lukeville is a border crossing point to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico.
On August 9, 2002, Ranger Kris Eggle was shot and killed by a suspected Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
drug
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
smuggler during a US Border Patrol operation. The visitor center has been named in his honor.
See also
- Bates Well RanchBates Well RanchThe Bates Well Ranch , also known as the Bates Well, Growler Well, Gray Ranch and El Veit, was one of the fifteen ranches and line camps in the Gray family cattle business in the Sonoran Desert country north of the US-Mexico border in Pima County, Arizona...
, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
within the park - Dos Lomitas RanchDos Lomitas RanchThe Dos Lomitas Ranch, also known as the Rattlesnake Ranch, Blankenship Well and the Gray Ranch, was the first of fifteen ranches and line camps in the Gray family cattle business in the Sonoran Desert country north of the US-Mexico border in Arizona. The ranch is now part of Organ Pipe Cactus...
, also listed on the NRHP
External links
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Official U.S. National Park Service site.