NATURE · PROTECTED AREA
Canelo Hills Cienega Reserve
Nature
Canelo Hills Cienega Reserve is a 260-acre nature preserve southeast of Sonoita, Arizona, on the east side of the Canelo Hills. It protects a rare cienega wetland landscape mixed with fields of black oak and Arizona fescue, creating habitat for unusual species. Among the most notable are the extremely rare Canelo ladies tresses orchid, Spiranthes delitescens, and the Gila chub and Gila sucker along its alkaline banks. The Nature Conservancy purchased the property from the Knipes family in 1969, and it became a National Natural Landmark in December 1974.
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Elgin, Arizona
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