Eastern Colorado Braces for Deepening Drought: Range and Drought Clinic Planned
Dr. Casey Matney, CSU Rangeland Extension Specialist, Northeast Colorado
Since May and even earlier for some of our eastern Colorado counties this year, drought has been taking its toll on rangeland. Reasonable soil moisture this spring allowed our cool season grasses to produce some growth, but the lack of rainfall this late spring and summer has severely depressed the warm season grass production, which are the species that produce the most pounds of forage in our area. The lack of soil moisture has even depressed weed growth. Due to this lack of moisture, eastern Colorado counties can expect total rangeland production for this year to be at 50% or less of what it would be in an average year. Some counties hardest-hit by the drought can expect total range production this year to reach only 25% or less of normal.
This week’s National Drought Monitor report and NOAA’s drought briefing for eastern Colorado predict that this drought will continue to deepen through the summer. Current reports show that all of eastern Colorado is suffering from drought. Approximately 60% of eastern Colorado is in exceptional or extreme drought, with the other 40% suffering from severe drought. Assuming we do get some rainfall, NOAA’s estimate is that it would take 9 to 12 inches of rainfall to end our current drought situation.
The deepening drought will mean less range forage this summer and a major shortage this fall and winter in both pasture forage and hay. It also means elevated stress on grazed plants, since growing plants will have to deal with both the stress of the drought as well as the stress of defoliation. In some areas, such as the Heartstrong Fire and Last Chance Fire areas, range plants are also trying to recover from fire. Further, as the drought continues, some surface ponds and waterways are likely to dry up, potentially leaving fewer pastures with available water for animals. Dry vegetation and warm temperatures will cause the fire danger to remain high, as well as the risk of heat stress for livestock.
What can we do to make it through this drought? The solutions for riding out the drought will vary, depending on each producer’s situation. Some of the options for producers include: selling animals, using irrigation where possible, lowering pasture stocking rates, deferring pasture grazing until the fall dormant season, buying feed or finding substitute/alternative cattle feeds, weaning calves early, leasing land, or shipping animals offsite to greener pastures. One thing I would strongly recommend ranchers and livestock producers to consider is attending the first ever Eastern Colorado 2012 Range and Drought Clinic on July 31st in Burlington from 8 am to 5 pm. Speakers at the clinic will provide information on the regional climate outlook, how to manage drought risk on the ranch, drought planning, forage and livestock management during drought, financial considerations in drought risk management, as well as an overview of pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance. Range topics such as basic ruminant nutrition, what drives forage intake in ruminants, nutrition of eastern Colorado grasses, opportunities in the replacement heifer segment of beef production systems, pointers for grazing in wetland/riparian areas, enterprise budgets, mortality composting, swath grazing, and limited irrigation grass forage production will also be discussed. People can attend the clinic in person for a small fee or attend the clinic via webinar for free. The clinic is sponsored by CSU Extension, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and the USDA Risk Management Agency. The fee for attending the clinic in person is $20 per person, $25 per couple, or $5 for a student. Lunch will be provided. To register for the clinic, see the complete agenda, and see the list of speakers visit us on the web at http://range.colostate.edu or call (719) 346-5571 for more details. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.