The historical range of the ferruginous pygmy-owl included areas of southern Arizona, southern Texas extending south along both coasts in Mexico, through Central America into the southernmost population in Argentina. However, over the past 150 years urban and agricultural expansion within the United States has reduced its population to a few isolated pockets of uncertain stability.

Most of the owls until just the last couple of years have been found in residential areas in northwest Tucson. It take a lot of cooperation on the parts of private residents to help get the work done. These are incredible little birds that fill an interesting role in the environment since they are more diurnal versus nocturnal. Our objective is to gather as much information as fast as possible to feed into the process to make this County plan based on the best available science that we have.

Pima County contracted with Arizona Game and Fish Department to conduct telemetry analysis and gather information that would lead to effective conservation and recovery initiatives for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl. During 1997, banded birds were monitored. Beginning in 1998 and during 1999, pygmy-owls were radio-marked with backpack transmitters and followed on foot or by vehicle.

The Augusta Resources Corporation proposes to construct the Rosemont Mine project in the northern Santa Rita Mountains. This report is a reconnaissance analysis of the conceptual flow and water balance in the area. The conceptual flow model for the area is based on topography, geology and precipitation and identifies the likely flow paths in the watershed and aquifer system. The water balance includes estimates of recharge to and groundwater flow from the area; there is no evapotranspiration discharge from the regional groundwater.