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lines of dug up soil in rangelands

  • Craig Conley

    • Case Study

    Restoring Rangelands in Northern New Mexico with Keyline Design

    Many factors, including drought, heavy livestock grazing, and mono-crop agriculture, have decreased the infiltration rate of the coarse-loamy soils prevalent in Northern New Mexico. Keyline design uses the natural ridges and contours of a property’s topography to slow, spread, and sink rainwater. 

    Location New Mexico
    Year
    2024

    Details

    Hazards
    Drought
    Extreme Heat
    Assets
    Agriculture and Food Supply
    Sources
    USFWS—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Read the Full Case Study

    Funding & Building Capacity

    This project was funded by the New Mexico Healthy Soil Program and Seeding Regenerative Agriculture.

    Organizations

    USFWS—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    Relevant Options

    Encourage soil management and planting and growing techniques that improve soil and plant health in response to climate change. As extreme heat becomes more common, encourage farmers and ranchers to plant drought tolerant and native trees for livestock. Encourage farmers to update farm technologies to account for seasonal changes and reduce fertilizer and water use. For example, farmers can increase the efficiency of irrigation; make use of weather and

    Steps to Resilience

    Get Started
    Understand Exposure
    Assess Vulnerability & Risk
    Investigate Options
    Prioritize & Plan
    Take Action
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