The Poachie Range is a moderate length mountain range and massif in southeast Mohave County , Arizona , and the extreme southwest corner of Yavapai County ; the range also abuts the northeast corner of La Paz County . The Poachie Range massif is bordered by the south-flowing Big Sandy River on its west, and the west-flowing Santa Maria River on its south; both rivers converge at the Poachie Range's southwest at Alamo Lake in Alamo Lake State Park .
20-684: From Alamo Lake, the (short) Bill Williams River flows due west for 35 mi to meet the Colorado River . The Bill Williams River is the de facto border between the Mojave Desert north and northwest; the Sonoran Desert is south and southeast. Across the south-flowing Colorado River to the west, is the massif of the Whipple Mountains at the northeast of the Sonoran Desert subsection named
40-680: A region in western Arizona and southeast Southern California , with the Colorado River flowing south through the western part of the belt. The fold-and-thrust-belt region contains numerous plains, valleys, and mountain ranges, about 30 landforms in all. The Buckskin Mountains also extend west into a section abutting the Colorado River. Buckskin Mountain State Park borders the south of the Bill Williams River. The southeast section of
60-760: Is "Black Peak," at 1,594 feet (486 m) to the South East. It is known to locals as "P Mountain" due to the large white "P" painted on its west side by the nearby town of Parker . The major mountain ranges that are thrusted northwesterly in the Maria fold and thrust belt region are, from north to south: Some of the thirty landforms in the fold-and-thrust-belt listed in a circular path around these three ranges are: 1. NE, Alamo Lake State Park , NE Buckskin Mtns; 2. Access roads from U.S. Route 93 , northwest, dirt, and southwest, Arizona State Route 71 terminating at Aguila, Arizona , at
80-612: Is a 46.3-mile-long (74.5 km) river in west-central Arizona where it, along with one of its tributaries, the Santa Maria River , form the boundary between Mohave County to the north and La Paz County to the south. It is a major drainage westwards into the Colorado River of the Lower Colorado River Valley south of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead , and the drainage basin covers portions of northwest, and west-central Arizona. The equivalent drainage system paralleling
100-502: Is a major fishing and recreation region on the river. The confluence of the Bill Williams River with the Colorado River is just north of Parker Dam and the entire riparian environment has state parks and wilderness areas: Buckskin Mountain State Park , Cattail Cove State Park , and the Gibraltar Mountain , Swansea , and Cactus Plain wilderness areas. The river is named after mountain man Bill Williams . Fish species in
120-606: Is at the northwest foothills, about 10 mi from U.S. Route 93 . The east and southeast of the range contains People's Canyon, about 5 mi long, and the west-flowing Santa Maria River ; to the southeast the river borders the northwest of the smaller range, the Black Mountains . The highpoint of the range is Arrastra Mountain, 4,807 feet (1,465 m), located at 34°18′45″N 113°18′48″W / 34.31252°N 113.31325°W / 34.31252; -113.31325 ( Arrastra Mountain ) . Arrastra Mountain
140-935: Is at the range center, 3 mi northeast of the 'range ridgeline' and 4 mi southwest of U.S. Route 93 in Arizona (the Joshua Tree Highway ). The Arrastra Mountain Wilderness comprises almost 100% of the Poachie Range. Both the Big Sandy and Santa Maria Rivers are mostly contained in the wilderness, as well as People's Canyon in the east. The entire northeast of the range is accessed from U.S. Route 93 , from Wikieup, Arizona and Nothing, Arizona . Arrastra Mountain Poachie Range Bill Williams River The Bill Williams River
160-536: Is frequented by at least 335 species of birds. The city of Scottsdale, Arizona , formerly owned a ranch on the river and planned to export water from it. However, in 2006, Scottsdale sold the ranch & surroundings to the Phelps Dodge mining company, which operated it as a nature reserve, under a government program for companies to restore habitat in one area to balance environmental damage caused elsewhere. The Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge protects
180-658: Is the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness , with Gibraltar Mountain , at 1,566 feet (477 m). The entire north perimeter of the range is the Bill Williams River. Buckskin Mountain State Park is at its confluence in the northwest at the Colorado River. Abutting the Bill Williams in the center is the Swansea Wilderness ; the northeast contains the Rawhide Mountains Wilderness on both sides of
200-542: The Colorado Desert of southern California and bordered by the Colorado River. The entire region south of the Poachie Range, and its two mountain ranges bordered westwards, the Rawhide and Bill Williams Mountain , and bordered on the Bill Williams River northern bank — is the Maria fold and thrust belt . The thrust belt is a geographic and geologic region at the convergence of these neighboring mountain ranges, rivers,
220-465: The Alamo Lake, as well as other plains and valleys. The Poachie Range is approximately 30 mi long slightly trending northwest by southeast, with no central ridgeline. Instead the range is made up of a central canyon draining southwest. The west-northwest contains a small canyon, and various peaks, three peaks west of the south-flowing Big Sandy River. Signal, Arizona with only unimproved road access
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#1732877255496240-511: The Bill Williams river include largemouth bass , yellow bullhead , green sunfish , bluegill , carp , mosquitofish , red shiner , razorback sucker , and others. The lowland leopard frog , North American river otter , beaver , muskrat , Arizona toad , and spiny-spotted turtle are among the major aquatic vertebrates found in or near the water. Plants in the riparian zones include several kinds of willows as well as bulrushes , and saltcedar . The Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge near Parker
260-630: The Buckskin Mountains are part of a three-mountain range thrust-faulted system, with the Harcuvar and Harquahala Mountains . The highest peak in the section is Battleship Peak, 2,569 feet (783 m), at the southwest end, and directly northeast of Bouse in the Ranegras Plain , and the Bouse Wash Drainage. The west end of the mountains abut the north–south Colorado River . Located here
280-472: The Buckskin Mountains extending into a western section at the confluence of the Colorado and Bill Williams Rivers. Buckskin Mountain State Park is located here. 7. The Bill Williams River downstream from Alamo Lake State Park is the northern border of the three ranges, as well as the de facto border of fold-and-thrust-belt. The river is also a dividing line between the Mojave Desert north and northwest, and
300-577: The east–west lower reaches of the Bill Williams is the Gila River , which flows east-to-west across central Arizona, joining the Colorado River in the southwest at Yuma . The confluence of the Bill Williams River with the Colorado is north of Parker , and south of Lake Havasu City . To the north of the river are the Artillery Mountains , the Rawhide Mountains and Bill Williams Mountain . To
320-491: The lower course of the river, to its mouth at Lake Havasu reservoir. The Sonoran Desert rare riparian habitat of Bill Williams River NWR draws a variety of Neotropical migratory birds , from Central and South America en route to their breeding grounds in the north. It has one of the last stands of the natural Cottonwood-Willow Forests plant community along the lower Colorado River, with Fremont's cottonwood ( Populus fremontii ) and Goodding's willow ( Salix gooddingii )
340-904: The northeast of the Harquahala's; 3. Southeast of the Harquahalas, three mountain ranges, and the Hassayampa and Harquahala Plains-( Harquahala Valley ); 4. The southwest and west perimeter of the three ranges is the Bouse Wash Drainage ; the drainage is in the Ranegras Plain, but two small ranges, and the Bouse Hills abut the perimeter as well; 5. The northwest abuts the Cactus Plain and the Cactus Plain Wilderness ; 6. The northwest also has
360-554: The primary tree species. Buckskin Mountains The Buckskin Mountains is a mountain range in La Paz County , Arizona , United States. The range lies just east of the north–south Colorado River , and borders south of the east–west, west-flowing Bill Williams River . The range is part of a three-range sequence of mildly arc-shaped ranges, and two intermountain valleys in the Maria fold and thrust belt ,
380-508: The river. The northeast of the range borders Alamo Lake State Park -( Alamo Lake ), which also borders the Rawhide Mountains on the lake's northwest. Another peak in the central-west, away from the range's east–west centerline, at the south is Planet Peak , at 3,141 feet (957 m). Planet Peak is directly adjacent at the northeast of the Cactus Plain and the East Cactus Plain Wilderness . The most easily identifiable Peak
400-587: The south lie the Buckskin Mountains . The old mining camp of Swansea (now a ghost town ) lies in the Buckskin Mountains about 3.7 miles (6.0 km) south of the river. The two tributaries that form the Bill Williams are the Big Sandy River and the Santa Maria River. Alamo Lake , a flood control reservoir, lies just west of the confluence of the two tributaries. The reservoir and state park
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