CAPLA Duo Honored with Historic Preservation Award for Quitobaquito Cultural Landscape Report
Quitobaquito landscape, within Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona, is a vital site for indigenous peoples and endangered species.
Teresa DeKoker
Gina Chorover, a senior lecturer in Planning and Landscape Architecture and faculty chair of the Heritage Conservation certificate program, and Teresa DeKoker, an alumna of the Master of Landscape Architecture program, were recognized for their comprehensive analysis of the Quitobaquito landscape within Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument with a Tucson - Pima County Historical Commission Historic Preservation Award in May.
Quitobaquito is a unique and ecologically significant area located within Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southwestern Arizona, near the U.S.-Mexico border. A spring-fed oasis, it is one of the few perennial water sources in the arid Sonoran Desert with endangered fish and reptiles and abundant wildlife. The NPS has managed the site since the federal government acquired it in the 1950s.
Quitobaquito is also an important site for indigenous peoples for at least 10,000 years. The Hia-Ced O’odham and Tohono O’odham have historical and cultural ties to the area, using it for water, food, and medicinal resources. The area also has several traditional trails, burial grounds, and archaeological sites.
Despite its cultural significance, Quitobaquito is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, the United Nations declared Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument a Biosphere Reserve in 1976, and Congress designated 97 percent of Organ Pipe, including Quitobaquito, as a wilderness area.
From left, Teresa DeKoker '23, MLA and Gina Chorover, senior lecturer in Planning and Landscape Architecture and faculty chair of the Heritage Conservation Certificate Program received a Historic Preservation Award from the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission during an award ceremony at San Pedro Chapel in May.
Chorover and DeKoker worked on the project for three years, conducting field work at Quitobaquito and camping in the area to record data and their observations. Their efforts were encapsulated in a Cultural Landscape Report that serves as a management plan for the park. The plan includes a history of the site, documentation of the physical features, an explanation as to the importance and a plan for treatment of the site as a traditional cultural landscape. The project came to CAPLA through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) which is a partnership between the National Park Service (NPS) and universities.
“We are thankful that the significance of a traditional cultural landscape such as Quitobaquito was recognized by the members of the Tucson - Pima County Historical Commission,” Chorover said. “Quitobaquito’s landscape is a challenge to manage due to the competing values of the park service, tribes, and homeland security. Our report offers possible approaches to manage this unique site.”
Among some of the challenges include the endangered species like the Quitobaquito pupfish and the Sonoyta mud turtle that reside in the Quitobaquito pond, and the impact of border wall construction located a few hundred yards from the site and Department of Homeland Security operations.
The Tucson - Pima County Historical Commission is one of the oldest citizen advisory commissions in Tucson. Written into City of Tucson Code in 1972. Pima County adopted a similar ordinance in 1974, and from that point on the commission included representatives from Pima County and from South Tucson as well as from the City of Tucson. Members of the Commission are appointed by City of Tucson Mayor and Council and by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
The Historic Preservation Award celebrates individuals, businesses, groups, and organizations that have significantly contributed to the preservation, conservation, or interpretation of local history and architecture. These awards are generally given to individuals and projects whose contribution has a community-wide impact.
