3 Canyons Land Restoration Project (AZ)

Cochise County, Arizona, desires to use actively managed livestock to restore perennial grasses on 480 acres of former farmland located within the San Pedro River uplands, less than one mile from the river. Stormwater runoff accumulates and transports E. coli laden sediment loads to the San Pedro River from and through the currently continuously-grazed project area and causes localized flooding of roads and properties during large rainfall events. The County contracted with WEST to research, design, scope, and perform construction administration and monitoring of land management and range improvement practices on the project site. WEST has proposed management-intensive grazing along with other land management practices to capture, cleanse, and reduce stormwater runoff.

The site offers good visibility and location as a learning laboratory and setting for demonstration tours for local ranchers and land managers. The County is to install infrastructure improvements for fencing, watering, handling, and monitoring for an approximate project timeline of 5 years.