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<br />~." <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~1ExrCAN CUWC1EN'l'IFIC INFORMA'rION 2 <br /> <br />ECOWG 1" C~.~:.-'{.r M J I, I TY <br /> <br />r,!m:ican Cnt, by virtue of its q1ac1;..1. ori<Jin, J:orms a distinct <br />t:UP09l'dphic unit with rilLhOl: shaq)ly delimited physical boundaries. <br />I t:.s nd t.uro ("18 i! thlnqing cirque provides a dis t.inct floor, or lower . <br />J0vl~1, which cff"l:tively ,;,~pal:ates iL fr.om Schofield Parl< 500 feet <br />below. 'l'he north and south boundaries arc steep ridqes and the <br />western bounda~y lies along the top of Galena Mountain itself. <br /> <br />1'11" entin;! l-lexiciIIl Cut water drainage lies within the basin drawing <br />j,tt; source from snowmelt within the Pr(~scrve Bonndary. R~'lBr, owns <br />Uw wilt...,r ri'lhts - both [or water quali.ty and qUilntity - amI effl.'.ct-. <br />ivc.ly protects Uw aquatic conununities from pollntion due to mining <br />o!-'Llratiol\s, human habiLation, or waLer diversion for human comrnun-. <br />ities at lower altitudes. <br /> <br />i\cc0ss to ~lexicilll Cut lies soluly along an old wagon road entering <br />1'1'0111 ClI<o Park to the south. l3y permission of t1w vlhite Ri.ver <br />National F'01."()st and t.he heirs of the Setz est:Clt(~, IHIfOL personnel <br />have..: t\i\.'led the pr'ocl.;::",SOB of na ture und have arl'anq")lj fallen l:reof.i <br />across the road to eli.minate wheeled veh.icle tx:affic. Foot travel <br />is the only way to enter Mexican CuL - even for RMUL personnel. <br /> <br />North of Mcxiev.n Cut, 400 feet lower in altitude .in North Po It'. Basin, <br />1 ia,; the CommonwcaJ th Placer which is currently (1976) ])o.i.ny devulopnd <br />as a mountain resort. Control of Lhe narrOw [;tl:ip of White River <br />Nt:ltional Forest land which SC~llartltos r-1c:ci.ean CuI:. fJ:"nm tlH;: (~J.aCBr <br />,\11<1 I.hleh acts dS it t1U.i Lahl(! buffUl: zone has !H!')/I qiv')n to HI',lllf, <br />Lhn)ugh ,I Stx:c:i;.lJ U,;o Ponili.t.. .In addition, the \-JhiLe ltivor Nat.ional <br />FOl"(:ls t Supervisor has rellloved Mexicdn eu t from 'JI"azing permit areas <br />lU1d Sh0Cp have not: tHltercd the PL~CSCl:VC since .lYGSI. <br /> <br />'1'he lIla.j.o.l pass.i bla ad von,a e1' fee Ls of nd,nintg, land devl)lopmen t, <br />C)rilzing or excc,<;,<; human visitation from ncighbo.rill'f pJ:oport:i.es <br />pose m,i.l\illlal threats to r-!()xican Cut due to it.s natural topogral?hic <br />isolation and lill\i.tod i'lCCC':';S_ 1'110 bocmd"ries have J.Jecn legally <br />posted since 1968 and only minol' incidents of damage due to trespass <br />have beml exper ienced by HHBL personnel. <br /> <br />Perhaps the <Jre<lt(~SL threat to the oGosyr;tcm stems Crom the activit.in'i <br />of t h~~ l:~~:je,lrcll pL~rsonu~l tlH~1Il:301vcs. In 1973, 1\lexi.can Cut was clo~H)d <br />l)y Rl'lBL's 1'1c:xictll1 Cllt Coordin.::llor to cd J manipulative rcue<:trch. Stlb'~' <br />"i()'juent to 1,)73, activiti...~s have been closely monit:ored by lH~lJJ,'r; <br />J\ll}xir..:an Cut CO/llPllt,t..c'(' and ;1 rOGUVl.~l'Y t.o the or.i<].i.n,:..d. nt,~t(:~ is evidc~nt,. <br />frhe unique:! popul.:ltjon~; of n~()1:uld.(': ~~j,lliHlhlll.c.1or:~ and l:he p.r.imiti.vt! <br />_!..~;_~.~~_~.'::'_~._. aJ"C:~ C:xll~i.1ordinarily Benn'itiv(! to dist:urbtlnee. Many of thf~ <br />otlwr ill?ec 1.'2.', an' barely :;ub:,d,stJn'J at their limit:...; of tolorancc and <br />any form of habitat disruption could be fatal. <br />