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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 41 / Thursday, March 4, 2021 / Proposed Rules The property is now owned by Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation and is managed as a regional park Friends of Agua Caliente 2020, entire. Restoration of one of the ponds Pond 1 began in 2019, and was completed in 2020 Pima County 2020, entire. This pond is maintained by pumped groundwater, but soil sealant was used to reduce seepage and conserve water. As part of the restoration, select palm trees Phoenix spp. and invasive cattails Typha spp.
were removed to encourage growth of native species, and a small wetland on the northwest side of Pond 1 was created Pima County 2020, entire.
Experimental reintroductions of Arizona eryngo began in 2017, using plants grown in a nursery with seeds collected from La Cebadilla Fonseca 2018, entire; Stromberg et al. 2019, pp.
5, 10. The initial reintroduction effort in 2017 of 20 plants had limited success due to javelina Tayassu tajacu damage, as well as placement of the plants at sites where they experienced water stress Fonseca 2018, entire. The second effort in 2018 of 15 plants had improved success, but a number of plants were eaten by gophers Thomomys bottae Li 2019, p. 6 or died of other causes. More recent reintroductions have resulted in the establishment of additional plants, including in the small wetland and wildlife island of Pond 1; however, efforts have not yet resulted in the establishment of a self-sustaining Arizona eryngo population.
La Cebadilla, Arizona, United States ExtantArizona eryngo occurs in the La Cebadilla Cienega adjacent to the Tanque Verde Wash east of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, within the Santa Cruz River basin Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 5. The cienega is located on lands owned by La Cebadilla Estates and the Pima County Regional Flood Control District; the majority of plants occur on the privately owned portion of the cienega. In 2019, Arizona eryngo was documented in a number of colonies with a total spatial extent of 0.4 hectares 1.11 acres Li 2020a, p. 1. Some colony boundaries are defined by the presence of bulrush and tree canopy Li 2019, p. 1.
The Arizona eryngo population at La Cebadilla is estimated to be about 30,000 aggregatesgroups of clones, which are genetically identical individuals that result from vegetative reproduction Li 2020b, p. 1. Each clone has a unique basal stem, and multiple clones can form a clustered aggregate that resembles an individual plant Li 2020a, p. 2. While this is the largest of the four extant populations,
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the plants occur in a very confined space.
The homeowners association of La Cebadilla Estates manages the cienega the portion not owned by the Pima County Regional Flood Control District and nearby La Cebadilla Lake also referred to as a pond, to the west of the cienega. The homeowners association has enacted covenants that prevent development of the cienega or sale to private developers La Cebadilla Estates 2005, entire. The spring is located on the western edge of the cienega and a concrete spring box diverts some water to sustain the lake Fonseca 2019, p. 2;
Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 5.
Lewis Springs, Arizona, United States ExtantArizona eryngo occurs in the Lewis Springs Cienega just to the east of the San Pedro River in Cochise County, within the San Pedro River Basin Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 5. The cienega is located within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area SPRNCA managed by the Bureau of Land Management BLM. The San Pedro riparian area, containing about 64
km 40 mi of the upper San Pedro River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area in 1988.
The primary purpose for the designation is to conserve, protect, and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the Southwest.
The Lewis Springs Complex currently has five groundwater outflows and is comprised of multiple elongated wetlands generally oriented northwestsoutheast along a slope, totaling 1.2
hectares 3 acres Radke 2013, entire;
Simms 2019, entire; Stromberg et al.
2019, p. 6; Li 2020a, p. 2. As of September 2019, four of the eight wetlands support Arizona eryngo Simms 2019, entire. Within these four wetlands, Arizona eryngo occurs in six colonies with discrete boundaries, the spatial extent of which was about 0.04
hectares 0.1 acres in 2019 Li 2020a, p.
1. The population has had recent estimates of over 1,000 plants Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 6; Li 2020a, p.
1; Li 2020b, p. 1.
BLM has conducted some removal of the nonnative Johnsongrass Sorghum halepense at Lewis Springs and is planning for additional removal of the species. BLM is also planning experimental removal of the native upland plant baccharis Baccharis spp.
at Lewis Springs, as well as establishment of additional populations and/or subpopulations of Arizona eryngo at suitable sites within Lewis Springs and the SPRNCA.

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Rancho Agua Caliente, Sonora, Mexico ExtantArizona eryngo occurs in the Agua Caliente Cienega on the privately owned Rancho Agua Caliente east of Esqueda in the municipality of Nacozari de Garca Sanchez Escalante et al. 2019, p. 16; Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 7. Rancho Agua Caliente is an active cattle ranch. Based on aerial photographs, the cienega appears to be about 5 hectares 12.3 acres Stromberg et al. 2019, p. 7; however, it may only be about 1.5 hectares 3.7 acres Sanchez Escalante 2019, pers. comm..
This cienega is the only known site for Arizona eryngo in Sonora. In 2018, hundreds of Arizona eryngo, including juveniles, occurred along the marsh near the spring within a nearly 1-hectare 2.5-acres area Sanchez Escalante et al.
2019, p. 16; Sanchez Escalante 2019, pers. comm.. The estimated area occupied by Arizona eryngo is larger than the other sites, while the population estimate is quite low, thus indicating the population is more sparse or patchy than La Cebadilla or Lewis Springs. Based on photography of the site, it appears that Rancho Agua Caliente currently supports areas with a range of soil moisture from standing water to dry soils and open sun conditions.
Ojo Vareleno, Chihuahua, Mexico ExtantArizona eryngo occurs at a privately owned hot springs spa, El Ojo Vareleno, located northwest of the municipality of Casas Grandes in Chihuahua Sanchez Escalante et al.
2019, p. 9; Stromberg et al. 2019, pp. 6
7. The site is within the San Miguel River Basin at the base of the Piedras Verdes Mountains Stromberg et al.
2019, p. 6. The extent of the cienega is currently about 1 hectare 2.5 acres and supports about 56 adult plants Sanchez Escalante et al. 2019, p. 17 that occupy an area of about 0.075 hectares 0.2
acres Sanchez Escalante 2019, pers.
comm.. No juveniles were documented.
Based on photography of the site, it appears that Ojo Vareleno currently supports areas with a range of soil moisture from standing water to dry soils and sunlight conditions from open sun to highly shaded. The nonnative giant reed Arundo donax invasion at the site is creating conditions with high amounts of shade and little to no space for other plants.
Springflow is collected in concrete spa ponds Sanchez Escalante et al. 2019, p.
28, which likely affects the natural hydrology of the site.

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