Planet Ranch Conservation Area – Bill Williams River Planet Ranch is located approximately 20 miles east of Parker, Arizona, immediately upstream and adjacent to the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge. The Bill Williams River flows west from Alamo Lake through the ranch and into Lake Havasu, recharging the Bill Williams River valley with thousands of acre- feet of water each year. The Planet Ranch Conservation Area (PRCA) encompasses 3,418 acres of the original Planet Ranch which was roughly 8,400 acres in size. In December 2015, the Lower Colorado River Multi-species Program (LCR MSCP) acquired a lease for the Planet Ranch Conservation Area for $8,300,000. The land (3,418 acres) and water rights (5,549 acre-feet) were donated to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. A conservation plan is under development to balance water needs for LCR MSCP habitat, while minimizing the risks of impacting riparian, marsh and mesquite habitat at the refuge downstream. The intent of this acquisition was to secure the river corridor as a conservation area that provides (1) continued ecological releases from Alamo Dam for riparian establishment and management along the Bill Williams River from Alamo Dam to Lake Havasu; (2) creation of isolated backwaters (refugia) for endangered native fish species, specifically razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and bonytail chub (Gila elegans); (3) planting of cottonwood-willow; and (4) passive restoration of riparian habitat within the existing cottonwoo-willow stands. The ranch west of the river crossing (approximately 660 acres) would be managed for wildlife and native fish species covered under the LCR MSCP. The land east of the river crossing road, including the active agricultural fields (approximately 2,758 acres), will be managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department for uses compatible with the purposes of the LCR MSCP.
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Planet Ranch Conservation Area – Bill Williams River Planet Ranch is located approximately 20 miles east of Parker, Arizona, immediately upstream and adjacent to the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge. The Bill Williams River flows west from Alamo Lake through the ranch and into Lake Havasu, recharging the Bill Williams River valley with thousands of acre-feet of water each year. The Planet Ranch Conservation Area (PRCA) encompasses 3,418 acres of the original Planet Ranch which was roughly 8,400 acres in size. In December 2015, the Lower Colorado River Multi-species Program (LCR MSCP) acquired a lease for the Planet Ranch Conservation Area for $8,300,000. The land (3,418 acres) and water rights (5,549 acre-feet) were donated to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. A conservation plan is under development to balance water needs for LCR MSCP habitat, while minimizing the risks of impacting riparian, marsh and mesquite habitat at the refuge downstream. The intent of this acquisition was to secure the river corridor as a conservation area that provides (1) continued ecological releases from Alamo Dam for riparian establishment and management along the Bill Williams River from Alamo Dam to Lake Havasu; (2) creation of isolated backwaters (refugia) for endangered native fish species, specifically razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and bonytail chub (Gila elegans); (3) planting of cottonwood-willow; and (4) passive restoration of riparian habitat within the existing cottonwoo-willow stands. The ranch west of the river crossing (approximately 660 acres) would be managed for wildlife and native fish species covered under the LCR MSCP. The land east of the river crossing road, including the active agricultural fields (approximately 2,758 acres), will be managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department for uses compatible with the purposes of the LCR MSCP.
The entrance gates to Planet Ranch have been re-opened to the public after 32 years of closure and provide a travel corridor between La Paz and Mohave counties. Portions of the road are privately owned. Please remain on the existing roadway surfaces as your pass through the property. For more information and documentation about this activity, visit the LCR MSCP website at: www.lcrmscp.gov.
Revised December 2017
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