A new study out of the University of Arizona measures the scale and economic output of tribal agriculture in Arizona — and it’s big. University of Arizona professor and Hopi dry farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson co-authored the study. It found American Indians operate 62% of farms in the state and manage more than 80% of the state’s total agricultural land — to the tune of 20 million acres. But, as Kotutwa Johnson told The Show, it’s a seriously under-researched area. … [Johnson:] I don’t think people really understand the agricultural imprint and footprint that we have here in Arizona and have since almost like to say time immemorial. We’ve got canal infrastructure that was basically built upon existing Hohokam agriculture that was done before the state was even founded and the country was founded.

Other tribal water news:

• Public Policy Institute of California: Blog: The essential role of tribes in regional water management