Arivaca Creek is a small valley stream in southern

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, that is approximately long from its origin in Arivaca Valley to its confluence with the

Brawley Wash Brawley Wash is an ephemeral stream, tributary to the Santa Cruz River, located in Pima County. Its source is in the Altar Valley between the Sierrita and Coyote Mountains at , at the confluence of the Altar and Alambre washes along Arizona ...

stream system. As a seasonal stream, Arivaca Creek is perennial for only about two miles most years and experiences its greatest stream-flow during winter and the summer Monsoon season. Most of Arivaca Creek and the riparian corridor it supports is protected as part of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (Buenos Aires NWR). A rare swamp-like desert

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

area called Arivaca Cienega is located in the upper reaches of the creek and makes up the easternmost part of the Buenos Aires NWR. Both areas are open to the public for hiking, bird watching and other outdoor recreational activities. The small community of Arivaca, Arizona, is located along the banks of the creek, in between the Arivaca Cienega just east of town and the Arivaca Creek trailhead to the west. File:Trail Sign Arivaca Creek Arizona 2015.JPG, Sign at the Arivaca Creek traihead. File:Arivaca Creek Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Arizona 2015.JPG, Arivaca Creek, near the ruins of the historic Wilbur Ranch House. File:Lizard Arivaca Creek Trail Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge 2015.JPG, Lizard along the trail.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Pima County, Arizona Rivers of Arizona Birdwatching sites in the United States Protected areas of Pima County, Arizona Protected areas of the Sonoran Desert

See also

References