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[AgriLife Extension] Brush control no help for water supplies, lake sedimentation

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Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Bradford Wilcox, 979-458-1899, [email protected]
Dr. Matthew Berg, 979-450-9671, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Brush control has many benefits, including restoration of wildlife habitat and potentially improved livestock grazing, but water supply enhancement should not necessarily be considered one of them.

That’s the conclusion of a new Texas A&M AgriLife Research study published in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, which looked at 85 years of data and investigated impacts of dramatic landscape change on rangeland water resources in Central Texas.

The study found no change in stream flows despite striking changes in brush cover and 80 percent reduction in cropland area, said Dr. Matthew Berg, who was an AgriLife Research postdoctoral research associate in the Texas A&M University ecosystem science and management department and is now with Artesian Insights in Houston.

The study was completed under the direction of Dr. Bradford Wilcox, AgriLife Research ecohydrologist in the department of ecosystem science and management. Collaboration was received from the Texas A&M department of geology and geophysics as well as The Water Institute of the Gulf and Tulane University department of earth and environmental sciences, both in Louisiana.

Wilcox said the study findings challenge simplistic assumptions about streamflow and sediment yield in dynamic rangelands.

“Determining the role of these landscapes in meeting growing water resource demands requires a creative approach,” he said. “Matt’s study determined land managers might need to reconsider some of their practices.

“His findings are important because they show an integration of multiple techniques with historical information will enable a more complete understanding of rangeland processes and lead to more informed water planning,” Wilcox said.

Berg said part of the problem is previous research has been based on models or small-scale studies that have trouble scaling up to contexts that matter for state water planning.

“We know some regions in the state include brush control as a key water supply strategy, theorizing that woody plant species use more water than grasses,” Berg said. “But they will likely be disappointed.

“Any ‘new’ water earmarked for future use is water we already have. It is already in the system anyway, not additional supplies. If that is counted toward future needs, someone is missing out.”

Berg said there is also a potential for a double-whammy. Not only will there be a lack of increase in water supplies but there will be a loss of reservoir volume due to erosion and sedimentation from the brush control projects.

“Our study found that lake-filling sediment deposited much faster before 1963, when agricultural conservation practices were largely absent and brush clearing was more widespread,” he said. “We even found there has been a tiny uptick in stream flows since the 1970s despite a 100 percent increase in brush cover.”

Berg said surprisingly they found drought had very little impact on lake sedimentation rates in recent decades; it generally was in direct correlation to the amount of brush clearing and improper agricultural practices from previous decades.

Dependable land stewardship solutions for water supplies should focus on management practices that keep water in place, reduce erosion and remobilize sediments that threaten storage in reservoirs, Wilcox said.

The complete study can be found at http://bit.ly/29sopwP under the title “Contrasting watershed-scale trends in runoff and sediment yield complicate rangeland water resources planning.”

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Find more stories, photos, videos and audio at http://today.agrilife.org

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Farm & Ranch

Managing Show Cattle Through The Winter

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By Heather Welper

Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.

The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.

When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Farm & Ranch

Double M Ranch & Rescue

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By Hannah Claxton, Editor

As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.

Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.

“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.

McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Farm & Ranch

Acorn Toxicity

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By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH

With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.

If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.

Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

brown acorns on autumn leaves, close up
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