Bosque del Apache
| Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
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Snow geese at Bosque del Apache
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| Location | Socorro County, New Mexico, United States |
| Nearest city | San Antonio, NM |
| Coordinates | 33°52′9″N 106°50′34.6″W / 33.86917°N 106.842944°WCoordinates: 33°52′9″N 106°50′34.6″W / 33.86917°N 106.842944°W |
| Area | 57,331 acres (232.01 km2) |
| Established | 1939 |
| Visitors | 160,000 (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Website | Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge |
The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (/ˈboʊskɛ dɛl əˈpætʃiː/ BOHS-ke del ə-PACH-ee) is located in southern New Mexico. It was founded in 1939 and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a favorite spot to watch the migration of the Sandhill cranes in the fall. The reserve is open year-round and provides safe harbor for its varied wildlife.
The name of the refuge means "woods of the Apache" in Spanish, named for the Apache tribes that once camped in the forests along the Rio Grande.
The heart of the refuge comprises approximately 3,800 acres (15 km2) of Rio Grande floodplain and 9,100 acres (37 km2) of irrigated farms and wetlands. In addition to this, the refuge contains 44,300 acres (179 km2) of arid grasslands and foothills of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains. About 30,000 acres (120 km2) of this is designated as wilderness. A twelve-mile-long (19 km) loop road divided by a cutoff into a "Farm Loop" and "Marsh Loop" allows automobile drivers excellent views of wetland wildlife and raptors, and there are several short (1.5 to 10 miles) walking trails. The road affords good views of the fields where crops are grown for the benefit of the birds under cooperative agreements with farmers. Adjacent to the Visitor's Center, a desert plant garden is maintained.
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Wikipedia