Conservation Practices
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Irrigation Systems Reorganization
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Irrigation Ditch Lining
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Land Leveling and Soil Swap
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Irrigation Sprinkler Systems
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Conservation Cropping Systems
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Conservation Crop Rotation Plans
Primary Resource Concerns
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Conservation of Water
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Food Safety
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Coordination
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Rural and Urban Education
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Air Quality
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Soil Engineering
District Contact Information
District Meeting information
Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month @ 12:00 p.m.
NRCS Board Room, 2197 S. 4th Ave., Suite 104, Yuma, AZ 85364
The next meeting is scheduled for: TBD
Scroll to the bottom of the page to download agenda and minutes
About the District
The Laguna Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD) is located along the Colorado River on Arizona’s western border. The District includes desert shrublands and irrigated lands along the River. Rangelands in the District are mainly government land and generally have low productivity and are mainly used for seasonal grazing when winter rains are good. Consequently, the District’s activities are concentrated on irrigated agriculture, especially vegetables.
Known as the "Winter Vegetable Capital of the World" the farmlands within the Laguna NRCD lives up to that name. The 90,000 irrigated acres in the Yuma, North Gila, and South Gila Valleys contribute to the multi-billion dollar crops of head lettuce, leaf lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, seed crops, herbs, celery, mixed greens, and a multitude of other vegetable crops shipped throughout the world. The alluvial silt, clay, and loam farmlands were formed by both the Colorado and Gila Rivers.
The Laguna NRCD coordinates the application of numerous conservation practices designed to improve water use efficiency, crop yields, and agricultural viability. Important practices include irrigation system reorganization, irrigation ditch lining, land leveling, various types of sprinkler systems, conservation cropping systems, conservation crop rotations, conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and irrigation water management.
Physical Features
- Precipitation: Average of <3″ annually
- Evaporation: Average of 10 ft. annually
- Soils: Deep, Well Drained, .1-1.0″ per hour intake
- Irrigation: Colorado River Water
Land Use/Ownership
- Agricultural: 107,455 acres
- Federal (BLM): 267,356 acres
- Game Refuges: 487,080
- Proving Grounds: 482,580 acres
- Cocopah Reservation: 2,500 acres
Board Members
- Sheryl Cristenson, Chairman
- Steve McCollum, Supervisor
- Brue Easterday, Supervisor
- Orson Bevins, Supervisor
District Highlights
The District also works with their cooperators to ensure the quality and safety of the vegetables they produce. This includes water and soil testing, sanitation of equipment used in the fields, monitoring of workers to make sure all safe harvest practices are followed, and inspection of coolers and packing houses. Even the trucks used to move the products across the country are now being sanitized to prevent contamination. A big concern is contamination by humans or animals, wild and domestic. An information and education program is being carried out in cooperation with grower organizations, the University of Arizona, and local media.
The Laguna District also places a priority on conservation education and support of the Yuma Conservation Garden, a joint project of the Laguna and Yuma NRCDs.
