Gila Valley NRCD

The district has seen a lot of growth and development throughout the years, 但 agriculture remains the predominate land use. The majority of ranches in the Gila Valley district include private, state and federal owned land, making Coordinated Resource Management Plans essential. Recurrent drought continues to negatively impact feed and forage production, irrigation water supply, crop production, and soil quality. The recurrent drought conditions have also contri但ed to more frequent wildfires, which have caused severe flooding and erosion within the district.

Farmers in the district must rely on surface water for irrigating their crops. The Arizona Water Rights Settlement has had a huge impact on farming in the district. With strict water allocations, farmers must continually search for ways to produce crops with less water. 传统上, surface flood or furrow irrigation systems have been used, 但 several farms in the district have installed drip irrigation systems for conservation and efficiency.

The majority of ranches in the district are operated using traditional ranching methods, 但, there are a few that are trying to diversify, and are implementing more non-traditional practices. One ranch in the Gila Valley NRCD is focusing on both eco-tourism and sustainable ranching. They run Texas Longhorn Cattle because of their hardiness and ability to adapt to any area. They practice a continuous rotational grazing system and operate entirely on solar and wind powered energy. They are also known for their dude ranch vacations, teambuilding workshops, erosion control workshops, wilderness survival workshops, and cattle driving workshops.