Seasons – September 2020

“It never failed that during the dry years people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.” – John Steinbeck, East of Eden

I think of this quote often, as it sums up the western attitude about rainfall and drought. I used to think this was a statement about individuals, but it’s really an observation about our collective memory. As a society, we may forget but prudent producers and the landowners we work with are very much in tune with the unpredictable and indeterminate nature of rainfall and drought in Texas. And in what may be a sign of another often discussed climatological and spiritual phenomenon about a certain place freezing over, Aggies and Longhorns found common ground in agreeing that droughts are likely to get much worse later this century.

Drought is defined in several ways, but the simplest definition is a period when rainfall is less than 75% of the long-term average. There are other factors to consider, such as evaporation and soil moisture, which tell us more about how much water is available to plants and wildlife for growth. The Texas Water Development Board uses six different drought indices to try to account for these various factors and the U.S. Drought Monitor uses several indices and other criteria including expert observations and measured impacts of drought.

This summer has been very dry across much of the state, but strong spring and early summer rains have kept much of the state out of drought designation up until the last few weeks, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. At the beginning of August, only 33% of the state was in moderate drought or worse. As of August 25th, that has risen to almost 60% of the state, mostly west of the Brazos River.

So right now, it’s bad, but it has certainly been worse, and fall rains or tropical storms may get us out. We know drought will continue to wax and wane, and we can expect the waxing to get a lot worse over the next 80 years in our part of the world. Since it is hot and dry and we have a little time to think right now, how should that inform our actions?

Considerations for Good Land Stewardship During Hot & Dry Seasons

In the near term, good land stewardship can continue to mitigate for normal fluctuations in rainfall and moderate drought conditions. Producers under a rotational or flash-grazing program will see the benefits during these dry times. Light to moderate grazing can make some grasses more drought-tolerant while heavy grazing during and after a drought reduces grass production. Ungrazed or infrequently grazed grasses develop deep root systems that allow access to water resources that heavily grazed plants cannot reach while adding organic matter to the soil that holds water like a sponge. Planning for the bad years, rather than the “average” or good years, will help ensure that you don’t run out of forage for livestock or wildlife and cause longer-term damage to your land during tough times.

The flora and fauna of Texas are built to deal with drought and the general semi-arid conditions of the area. Native grasses and forbs fare much better than introduced pasture grasses and crops in dry times. Wildlife populations in good health and with good habitat will adjust to changing conditions quite well.

For our part, managing for plant diversity is essential. A diverse habitat has a good mixture of various species of grasses, forbs (weeds), and browse (woody) plants, some of which fare better in dry conditions. In a healthy plant community, many of the plants will be at various stages of growth, which adds another element of diversity. Vegetation improves the water cycle by increasing water infiltration into the soil and reducing surface runoff. The diversity of vegetation increases the availability of food and cover for wildlife species. A greater diversity of range plants results in more food available for wildlife during different seasons of the year. The volume and diversity of plant leaf material and roots protect the soil from erosion. The decomposition of vegetation also helps restore nutrients and minerals to the soil to sustain plant life. Periodic disturbances such as fire, soil disturbance, livestock grazing, and mowing (and even drought) can maintain a diverse plant community, simulating conditions under which plants and animals evolved in Texas.

Water conservation practices, like using stored rainwater instead of groundwater and covering troughs and concrete tanks to reduce evaporation can add up, too. It will be essential that urban and suburban areas do their part as well. I tend to agree with those of you who are bothered about farmers not being able to irrigate crops while suburban lawns get watered twice a week.

Looking Towards the Future

With good land stewardship, the land’s long-term health is improved and its values are conserved for future generations to utilize as a source of income, recreation, for aesthetic enjoyment, and to help cushion some of the expected impacts from future megadroughts. More open-space land means more and cleaner water for Texas, too. Your actions now to protect and improve your land will pay dividends in the future.

In the long term, we will almost certainly be faced with conditions outside our collective experience. On top of less water from the sky and more evaporating from our reservoirs, we’ll have a lot more people in Texas over the next 50 years. One thousand years isn’t long in the evolutionary history of our wildlife, but they had a lot more space and habitat to choose from up until the last couple of centuries, so many species will be challenged to find suitable habitat and resources, just as we will, as things get even hotter and drier.

Here’s to the first fall cold front and a warm bowl of venison stew…

Wildlife Management Activity Reminder: Supplemental Food