Truchet, John 1989 Journal 21. Washington Ranch adjacent to Rattlesnake Spring portion of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Eddy Co. New Mexico. Elevation 3550 ft. August 2 on Washington Ranch. Here it is used for agricultural field crop (cotton) irrigation and for filling 4 small ponds, 3 near headquarters of the ranch, the fourth adjacent to NPS property (as shown on map). The Black River on the ranch property supports a less continuous riparian gallery woodland, best in quality E. of the headquarters, with a more discontinuous, mostly isolated trees type of riparian margin to the S. All ponds are rimmed with trees like those found along the river. These include willows (Sounding(?) & weeping), desert cottonwoods, passion olives, cornut, walnut, and in one pond only, Limbardy poplar. A single pine tree about 15' tall was noted by one pond near #9, (it had 2 P. summer tarapages in it.). There are small agricultural fields growing grain at the moment, with a scattering of thistle & wild sunflower. Chihuahuan Desert Transcut grass on the property as well, and it surrounds the area on all sides. I did enough time to set up my nets after exploring the area, but didn't open them owing to the approach of a thunderstorm. I made it back to the car, getting only a bit damped. Another 1-2 minutes and I would have been soaked. I am writing these notes at 15:30, having been confused by by the storm to my vehicle since 12:45. There is a possible ceiling in the darkness beneath this squall line of thunder clouds. I was asked to collect by mist net, but this doesn't look promising, for the next couple hours anyway. The clouds drift this way from the Guadalupe Mountains to the W & SW, and they appear solid in that direction. Well to the E., they appear to break up a bit. Temp 85-90F & humid. Winds variable 10-20 mph near storms. I left the area at 16:45 to shop in Carlsbad and to find SE of