San Miguel County
2,529 acres
2012
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Miramonte Natural Area is located within the Dan Noble State Wildlife Area at Miramonte Reservoir in San Miguel County. The area is renowned for its excellent recreational opportunities and remarkably biologically diverse habitats. The area includes several exposures of Mancos shale around the edges of the reservoir, as well as sage upland habitat and a series of seeps that occur on the western edge of the property.
Physaria pulvinata (G1/S1) is found on several of the Mancos shale exposures and
Puccinellia parrishii (G2/S1) is associated with the seeps that occur on the property. Given that this population is one of only three currently known in the world, it is of essential importance for the preservation of this new species. Miramonte also contains some of the best habitat for Gunnison sage grouse outside of the Gunnison Basin, and is a known lekking site. This state candidate species is an indicator of both healthy wetland and sagebrush communities.