Bill Shaw

Bill is Professor Emeritus of Wildlife and Fisheries Science at The University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment. He is an internationally respected wildlife biologist and has worked on a host of conservation studies in Southern Arizona. …

Karen Riggs

Karen is a civil engineer and represents the third generation of her ranching family. She is raising a family of Future Farmers of America.  Karen is employed by Cochise County as the county engineer.

Les Corey

Most recently serving as Executive Director for the Arizona Wilderness Coalition and previously Chief Development Officer and Chief Field Operations Officer for National Audubon Society, Les has been a conservation leader for over 35 years. Prior to these positions, Les was …

Desert Water

Return to Land & Water Conservation Desert water—our streams and rivers, springs, groundwater, ponds and pools—allows both human and natural communities to survive in the arid Southwest. The working landscapes that span our watersheds are part of an intricate system …

The Hydrologic Cycle

Return to Land & Water Conservation Key to the Desert Rivers Program’s success is engaging ranchers and farmers as stewards of the water on their land. Through small acts they can directly impact the health of the whole hydrologic system. …

Desert Rivers Program

Back to For Landowners. Having worked with agricultural producers for over 40 years, Arizona Land and Water Trust understands the critical role that farmers and ranchers play in the stewardship of our desert waters. Leveraging funding from private and public …

Cochie Canyon II

Adding to 290 acres protected back in 2008 in partnership with the Trust, an additional 27 acres in Cochie Canyon located in the Tortolita Mountains was purchased by Pima County in 2015 as part of its Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. …

Sandhill Farm

Each winter, along Southern Arizona’s Whitewater Draw, approximately 20 miles southeast of Tombstone, thousands of sandhill cranes arrive at Sandhill Farm to feed, loaf and prepare to migrate. In partnership with landowners Blanton and Betty Belk and utilizing U.S. Fish …

Circle Z Ranch

As the oldest continuously operating dude ranch in Arizona, the Trust partnered with the ranch owners to protect 3,200 acres and a 2-mile stretch of Sonoita Creek that flows through the property. The creek includes sections of perennial flow, a …

Sands Ranch

As the most significant grasslands habitat acquisition in Pima County’s history, protection of the Sands Ranch, in partnership with the Trust, permanently protects this longtime working ranch. The project also secures a critical link between the Las Cienegas National Conservation …