Restoring Arizona’s Colorado River Basin Conservation Area Program
In this program, spanning approximately 35,000 acres of rangeland and forest in the Colorado River Basin, we’re working directly with producers to bring back healthy native plant communities and strengthen working lands. With over $24 million in NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program funding (read the PRESS RELEASE), this landscape-level effort is focused on real, practical improvements that support both the land and the people who rely on it.
Producers know firsthand how tough it’s getting out there—drought, declining wildlife habitat, and pressure on our soils and rangelands. This program is here to help you face these challenges head-on. By putting proven, on-the-ground practices to work—like brush management, new or improved water developments, strategic fencing, and strategic grazing management—we can boost range health, support wildlife, and protect your operation for the long haul.
Our Goal
The goal is simple. Get conservation dollars on the ground where they make a real difference!
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Project Purpose
Landscape-level factors influence the functionality and potential of productive land (i.e., sustainable agriculture), wildlife habitat, migration corridors, and the sustainability of big game populations and other native wildlife. Such factors include the need for wildlife-friendly fencing, improved grasslands/rangelands, woodland and woody species encroachment management, and distribution of reliable water resources. Through the CRBC Program, project partners are working directly with producers and other land managers to enhance land productivity and habitat at scale by implementing landscape magnitude rangeland restoration, selective tree removal in overstocked woodland, water distribution, enhanced fencing, and species connectivity. This program seeks to increase the amount of quality habitat for wildlife and livestock, thus increasing forage, cover, and movement throughout Arizona.
Eligible Practices
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Water Developments
BMPs: 533, 516, 614, 636, 642, 645
Strategic placement of water developments allows for better dispersal of wildlife and livestock while limiting their use in sensitive riparian areas. This will reduce grazing/use intensity and soil compaction, allowing for healthier uplands and improved water quality in riparian areas.
Water developments include Pumping Plant (533) (solar conversions; supports 528), Livestock Pipeline (516) (supports 528), Watering Facility (614) (storage and troughs; supports 528), Water Harvesting Catchment (636) (supports 528), and Water Well (642) (supports 528).
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Fencing
BMP: 382
Installing wildlife-friendly fencing will allow for better habitat connectivity and increased genetic diversity. Fencing supports livestock rotation and may also be used to limit livestock from riparian areas to prevent habitat and water quality degradation.
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Brush Management
BMPs: 314, 384, 643
Brush management is used to maintain or re-establish native perennial plant communities to restore carbon stocks while also increasing resilience to disturbances, such as wildfire, that would result in even greater carbon losses. The practice can also support critical habitat for wildlife, improve wildlife corridors/connectivity, enhance resilience to severe weather events, protect soils, and improve water quality and hydrology.
Additional practices to support the primary practice of brush management include Woody Residue Treatment (384) (brush piles/piles for burning) and Restoration of Rare or Declining Habitat (643) (one-rock dams, riparian monitoring, declining habitat monitoring).
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Prescribed Grazing
BMP: 528
Prescribed grazing can vastly improve habitat and feed conditions. By resting pastures, overused areas are allowed to become productive with desirable forage species.
