1.6 PARKING AREA for Slot Canyon access. 2.8 BORROW PIT - parking area and access 2.0 MOSQUITO FLATS - The RIPARIAN to Powerline Hiking Trail. Several minor FOREST is most accessible here. If you trails also access this area near the want to get out and walk or bird there are cottonwoods or the uplands for birding or BILL WILLIAMS RIVER many wandering trails in this area. The hiking. The geology of the area is quite NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Southwestern Willow Flycatcher has impressive. The high cliffs above you are become an endangered species and the made of layers of volcanic tuffas, lavas, Yellow-billed Cuckoo quite rare because of breccias and basalt, which have talus Auto Tour Route the loss of habitat like you see here. Both slopes at their bases. Volcanic activity species still breed on the Refuge, however. ended about 1 million years ago. The Bill Williams River Road Other species common here but becoming eroded red out-croppings nearer the road rare elsewhere are the Sonoran Yellow and lower down are older, sedimentary Warbler, California Black Rail, Lucy's conglomerates that date to the early Warbler, Crissal Thrasher and Least Bell's Miocene. Vireo. 3.1 Several types of trees can be seen here. 2.2 PARKING to access the MESQUITE The ones close to the road are the native BOSQUE habitat. Desert Mistletow can be Palo Verde, the smaller, needle-leaf trees seen on many of the Honey Mesquite trees. nearer the channel are the exotic Salt The hemes of this parasitic plant are the Cedar (Tamarisk) and the larger, taller primary food source for the Phainopeplas trees are the native Willows and and Northern Mockingbirds, which breed Cottonwoods. in the area, and are common in the winter and spring, as well as many wintering 3.3 GATE - Beyond this gate is a good road Bluebirds. for walking. Past the gate you enter the river's flood plane and are within the trees 2.5 HIKING TRAIL PARKING - The so the birding is usually excellent. The Powerline Road hiking trail is very easy. It road will continue for another 3.5 miles will return to the road about Vi mile on up. until MINERAL WASH, where it will There is a fine, panoramic view from the eventually connect with Shea Road and crest of the forest, the Bill Williams come out south of Parker. In the winter Mountains to the north and the Three months you may encounter several water Buttes Cliffs on the Buckskin Mountains crossings, but the water's location and on the south. You pass through the desert depth is quite variable. uplands (BAJADA) habitat which is characterized by Foothills Palo Verde, 60911 Highway 95 Creosote Bush and White Bursage. Black- Parker, AZ 85344 throated Sparrows, Rock Wrens and several (928)667-4144 species of lizards are often seen. (928) 667-3402 Fax The Bill Williams and the Gila rivers are the only ago can still be found on the Refuge. Almost 350 Mileage Notes two tributaries of the Colorado River below the species of birds, 50 species of mammals and 25 Grand Canyon. The Bill Williams River begins species of reptiles and amphibians are present along .0 Highway 95 and Kiosk about 40 miles east of here where the Big Sandy with 13 species of butterflies now seldom found and the Santa Maria rivers come together. Alamo elsewhere on the Lower Colorado River. .5 MARSH OVERLOOK - To your left you Dam now controls the river since, historically, Depending on the season and time of day, many of have a fine overlook of the marsh forming about every ten years or so, this river flooded these species can be observed along the road, or the delta where the Bill Williams River dramatically with flows sometimes even exceeding better yet, by getting out and walking the nearby meets the Colorado. Dozens of species of those of the Colorado. The native species adapted areas. Many species are sensitive to sound and birds can be found in the marsh including to such events, however, and came to depend on avoid all the noise that people and vehicles make. the endangered Yuma Clapper Rail. them. Others came to winter where it never froze or to stop over on long migrations. The water was As you pass through the Refuge, please remember .5-1 To your left, at the mouths of the washes, always open, the insects were still abundant, and to respect all the wild species of plants and animals you can see Giant Saguaro cacti. The the plants were still green - the first "snowbirds"! you may encounter. This is their home you are Refuge is in an ECOTONE-an area of visiting and you should not pick, pick up, disturb or overlap between two BIOMES. hi this case The fish developed special structures and behaviors try to handle them. Also, PLEASE STAY ALERT! it is the edge between the Sonoran and that let them cope with the floods and spawn on the Rattlesnakes can be active any time of the year, but Mohave deserts. Many Sonoran species rising water. The riparian vegetation came to in the heat of the day, are most likely to be in the like Saguaros and Ironwood trees reach the require the floods to open up new ground, to shade of vegetation or rocks. DON'T STEP limits of their natural ranges near the Bill deposit mud flats and gravel bars so their seedlings WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE! Williams River. would not have to compete for light and nutrients. The "dog hair" stands of young trees made The first three miles of the road are well maintained 1.2 FOREST OVERLOOK - This is a excellent cover and good forage for many insects, dirt and are usually passable by most passenger RIPARIAN forest, which means it is birds and mammals. Trees mature very rapidly in cars. Mileage markers are present. All vehicles adapted to living in the river's flood plane. this land of endless summer and gallery forests 100 and drivers must be licensed for highway use and The broadleaf trees are Goodding's Willow feet tall shaded and cooled the bottomlands, the speed limit is 25 mph. All vehicular traffic and Fremont Cottonwood. Most of the breaking the hot, dry desert winds and creating rich must remain directly on the roadway. Please watch smaller under-story trees are an introduced humus. Along the edges deeper-rooted, longer- out for pedestrians since hikers, hunters, species called Salt Cedar (Tamarisk) an lived trees like mesquites would form bosques and researchers, and birders are common at times. All INVASIVE EXOTIC that is a high fire stabilize the banks. pets must be on a leash. If you have any questions, threat and concentrates salts in the soil, please stop by the Refuge visitor center during which suppresses native seed germination. Here, along the Refuge road, you can still see office hours, ft is located V2 mile south of the It is extremely difficult and expensive to something of what the original forest was like Refuge road on the lake side of Highway 95. control. before dams were built on the Colorado River. The Although NO FIRES and NO CAMPING are Bill Williams flooded in 1993 and 1995, allowing allowed on the Refuge, you are welcome to picnic 1.4 SLOT CANYON - To your left is a slot the forest you will see to become established. The as long as you REMOVE ALL TRASH. canyon that makes a nice little walk unless bio-diversity of the Refuge is further enhanced Remember - take only pictures, leave only it is raining! Canyon wrens and Rock because so many habitats are present, - open water, footprints. wrens are often present here. marsh, riparian forests and desert uplands. Nearly every species that would have been here 200 years