The Willcox Basin is a medium-size, 1,911 square mile basin in the center of the planning area.  Geographic features and principal communities are shown on Figure 3.14-1.  The basin is characterized by a large valley surrounded by a series of medium-high to high-elevation mountain ranges.  Vegetation is primarily semi-desert grassland with smaller areas of madrean evergreen woodland and Rocky Mountain and madrean montane conifer forest. (see Figure 3.0-9)  Riparian vegetation includes conifer oak and mixed broadleaf on Turkey Creek and conifer oak on Rucker Canyon.

Principal geographic features shown on Figure 3.14-1 include:

• Ash Creek in the northern portion of the basin

• Turkey Creek east of Sunizona and Pinery Creek east of Chiricahua National Monument

• Rucker Canyon in the southern portion of the basin

• Sulphur Springs Valley running north-south through the center of the basin

• Willcox Playa south of Willcox, the lowest point in the basin at 4,100 feet

• Winchester Mountains on the northwestern, Dragoon Mountains on the central western, Swisshelm Mountains on the southwestern and the Pinaleño Mountains on the northeast boundaries of the basin

• Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains to the east and southeast of Willcox, with the highest point in the basin, Buena Vista Peak at 8,823 feet

Click to view Figure 3.14-1 Willcox Basin

Geographic Features

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