Land ownership, including the percentage of ownership in each category, is shown for the Dripping Springs Wash Basin in Figure 3.6-2.   Principal features include a significant amount of tribal lands and scattered state owned, Bureau of Land Management and private lands.  A description of land ownership data sources and methods is found in Volume 1, Appendix A.  More detailed information on protected areas is found in Section 3.0.4. Land ownership categories are discussed below in the order from largest to smallest percentage in the basin.

Indian Reservations

• 57.8% of the land is under ownership of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

• Primary land use is grazing.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

• 22.0% of land is federally owned and managed by the Safford Field Office of the BLM.

• BLM land is located primarily in the northern portion of the basin and is interspersed with state owned and private lands.

• Primary land uses are grazing and mining.

State Trust

• 11.5% of land in this basin is held in trust for public schools.

• The majority of the state owned land, including a sizable contiguous parcel, is in the northwestern portion of the basin.

• Primary land use is grazing.

Private

• 7.4% of land is private.

• Private land is scattered in small parcels throughout the basin with a number of in-holdings within the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

• Primary land uses are mining, domestic and grazing.

National Forest

• 1.3% of land is federally owned and managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS). 
• The portion of national forest in this basin is in the Tonto National Forest, Globe Ranger District.
• Primary land uses are grazing and recreation.

Click to view Figure 3.6-2 Dripping Springs Wash Basin Land Ownership

Arizona Water Atlas Home

Southeastern Arizona Planning Area Home