The Nature Conservancy Protects Vital Water Resource in Southern Arizona

A vital freshwater resource in southern Arizona is now permanently protected. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired the 218-acre Cottonwood Spring property, protecting a rare, year-round water source near the headwaters of Sonoita Creek that helps connect wildlife across a network of protected lands.

“This is a huge conservation win, with many partners to thank,” said Jody Norris, Protection Program director for TNC Arizona. “Protecting Cottonwood Spring means this rare water source will continue to sustain the wildlife that depend on it. TNC is working to protect, connect and restore Arizona’s critical habitats and resources.”

In addition to protecting these lands, the project will advance restoration efforts by supporting the recovery of springs and wet meadow habitats along upper Sonoita Creek in collaboration with local partners.

The acquisition secures permanent protection of a high-flow spring, located between the Patagonia and Santa Rita Mountains, providing critical water to migrating species that travel between these mountain ranges, including the jaguar and ocelot. The spring and surrounding wetland also support a variety of other threatened species, including the Gila topminnow, Huachuca water umbel, Chiricahua leopard frog and Southwestern willow flycatcher, among others. This part of the Sonoita region plays an essential role in sustaining migratory wildlife, native plants and fish that rely on rivers, springs and other freshwater habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supported the project through a funding program focused on protecting habitat for these species.

“The spring and the stream it creates are one of the few remaining year-round water sources that support healthy and stable populations of Gila topminnow in Arizona,” said Aaron Mrotek, Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve manager for TNC Arizona. “Protecting this area is essential to giving this species a fighting chance to survive.”

The Cottonwood Spring acquisition is part of a broader effort to conserve water resources and wildlife habitat in the Sonoita Creek Watershed and expands TNC’s nearby Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. In 1966, TNC established the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve just a few miles from the Cottonwood Spring. The preserve safeguards rare Fremont cottonwood-willow forests, wetlands and grasslands in an otherwise arid landscape.

The preserve supports remarkable biodiversity, providing year-round water and habitat for more than 300 bird species as well as diverse wildlife. Today, Patagonia-Sonita Creek Preserve serves as a vital wildlife corridor and a hub for conservation, research and community engagement. The Cottonwood Spring acquisition was funded in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and the U.S. Army.

While the property enhances wildlife and water connectivity within the preserve, it will be carefully managed to prioritize conservation, with public access available by permission only.