Otero Mesa is a sweeping 1.2 million acre plain — the last fragment of the wild Chihuahan Desert. Potential mining operations threaten this wildland and the wildlife that live there.

Why Otero Mesa

Otero Mesa is a wildland that is home to threatened black-tailed prairie sogs, coyotes, golden eagles and the most genetically pure herd of pronghorn antelope.

This starkly beautiful grassland also has petroglyphs from American Indian tribes. Apache and Tigua artifacts are found throughout Otero Mesa, as well as a famous stagecoach heritage trails.

Threats to Otero Mesa

More than 100 mining and drilling claims threaten this wild plain. If these were to became active mines, the wildlife and culture of the area could be destroyed. Additionally, development in Otero Mesa could pollute the Salt Basin aquifer, fouling the largest untapped water supply in the state.