Historical Marker Society of America

Black Gap, a natural cleft in the basalt ridge northeast of the Sierra del Carmen the headquarters site of the Black Gap Wildlife Mangement Area.

Established in 1948, the "Gap" contains approximately 100,000 acres representative of the rugged big country - the typical arid, mountainous southwest. Owned by the people of Texas and operated by the Game and Fish Commission, the area is the scene of research and developmental work dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wildlife species indigenous to the region. Mule deer, deer, Javelina, Prong-horned Antelope and Scaled Quail are among the principal game species managed. Work is in process to restore the bighorn sheep which, by the 1960's were all but eliminated from Texas. Scientific land use practices, designed to increases the yield of natural food for wildlife, have been instituted by the Commission, water impoundment, diversion dams and "push ups" seeded with native vegetation. Research findings, through demonstrations and educational extension programs conducted on this federal-state cooperative project, are available to the surrounding landowners and others who are interested. Game surpluses produced on the Black Gap are harvested periodically by hunters under a controlled public hunt program.