Grazing Management Archives - West Texas Rangelands

Dry, Warm, Windy, and Fuel.

November 19, 2025 by morgan.treadwell

Drought conditions (D1–D4) increased to 33% of the state, up from 24% four weeks ago; statewide reservoir storage decreased to 73.9% full, down from 75.6% four weeks ago, about 6 percentage points below normal for this time of year.
We are now a La Niña Advisory with a 55% chance of La Niña conditions continuing into the January-March season.
Most of the state is projected to be in drought over the next three months.

Isn’t it ironic that this last summer presented us with more than above average rainfall, yet not only is 33% of Texas in D1-D4 status, but our statewide reservoir storage is currently at 73.9%. This becomes increasingly concerning as we watch La Niña take a firm hold with a 55% chance of La Niña conditions continuing into the January-March season. Not only does this present challenging dormant season grazing management conditions, but wildfire will be at the top of rangeland manager’s concerns.

Bottom line, this winter will suck. Get your game face on, dust off your drought plan, budget your numbers to see how late into winter/early spring your forage base can survive. We will always remain optimistic, but we will also plan and prepare. And with any rangeland management, we will remain adaptive holding strong to the grazing management and soil health principles guiding our practices and decisions. For a comprehensive Wildfire Ready checklist, please click here and for our Preparing the Ranch publication click here.

Much appreciation to Robert Mace for his insight and wisdom in his outlook + water November 3, 2025 article found at: https://texaspluswater.wp.txstate.edu/.

Everything that reflects, is not gold

October 22, 2025 by jaime.sanford

On August 19, 2025, Secretary Rollins said “Our prime farmland should not be wasted and replaced with green new deal subsidized solar panels. It has been disheartening to see our beautiful farmland displaced by solar projects, especially in rural areas that have strong agricultural heritage. One of the largest barriers of entry for new and young farmers is access to land. Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available. We are no longer allowing businesses to use your taxpayer dollars to fund solar projects on prime American farmland, and we will no longer allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in our USDA-funded projects.”

A new journal article from Bacon et al. (2025) recently looked at effects of large-scale solar installations on rangelands, arid landscapes critical for grazing, biodiversity, and carbon storage, disruption of ecosystem services with immediate and long-term consequences. Based on a global assessment of solar park impacts (Hernandez et al., 2019) and new, summarized data from Bacon et al. (2025), we continue to documented, research-based cascading effects on biodiversity, soil, water cycles, and climate regulation, exacerbated by construction, operation, repairs, and eventual panel degradation.

Restoring Rangeland in Sterling County: Combating Compaction with Bamert Seed Company

October 8, 2025 by jaime.sanford

In the arid landscapes of West Texas, where shallow soils and unpredictable rainfall define the rangeland ecosystem, stewardship is key to maintaining productivity and preventing long-term degradation. Sterling County has faced a relentless drought over the past few years, exacerbating challenges for livestock producers. Compounded by disturbances from transmission line work in 2023, which compacted soils and stripped vegetation, one particular site required urgent intervention to stabilize against erosion and potential desertification.

Back in May 2023, the drought spanning about 2.5 years at that point, had already stressed the aboveground plant communities, reducing forage production, species diversity, and ground cover. Belowground, soil health suffered, with diminished water infiltration, stability, and structure. The transmission work further altered the site’s ability to respond to rainfall, threatening infinite impacts on productivity.

Recommended Seed Mix and Reseeding Protocol

In order to begin restoring the compacted and degraded site, we knew we needed to promote rapid germination and establishment of native, perennial grasses. So we focused on a seed-mix of diverse blend of cool- and warm-season grasses, incorporating short, mid, and tall structures for functional variety. Forbs were also included to enhance biodiversity and soil cover. Here’s the full recommended species list:

Category: Grass

Species include:

Common curly mesquite
Buffalograss
Sideoats grama
Little bluestem
Green sprangletop
Blue grama
Hairy grama
White tridens
Sand dropseed
Silver bluestem
Hooded Windmill Grass
Canada Wildrye

Category: Forbs

Species:

Engelmann’s daisy
Orange zexmenia
Bush sunflower

We worked with Brian Hays of Bamert Seed Company (contact: 806-395-3141) to prep the site and prepare the seed mix. Given the disturbance’s intensity and landowner’s commitment to rangeland function and process, frequent monitoring was advised to detect early erosion or invasive species.

Collaborative Research Demonstration: Monitoring Reseeding Impacts

Building on these recommendations, reseeding strategies were implemented in 2024 on the disturbed and compacted rangeland. We’re proud to collaborate with Sterling County Extension Agent Caleb Kott on this as a research demonstration project. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts in stabilizing the site and restoring productivity.

Our monitoring uses on-the-ground monitoring applying point intercept cover transects to assess vegetation establishment and ground cover changes over time. Talk to Caleb for more information on his Research Demonstration report! Complementing this fieldwork, we leverage data from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) to track biomass production and analyze long-term trends. This dual approach helps quantify how reseeding mitigates erosion risks and combats desertification in vulnerable West Texas soils.

Insights from Historical and Current Production Data

RAP data provides a clear picture of the site’s challenges and progress. Over the long-term period from 1986 to 2025, the average annual production is 1,100 lbs/acre. In this figure, a distinct drop in production in 2023 occurred, and the second disturbance occurred shortly after from the transmission line construction.

For 2025 specifically, cumulative production through mid-September stands at 572 lbs/acre, which is about 63.13% of the long-term average for that date (906 lbs/acre). Here’s a snapshot of the 16-day incremental production trends for 2025:

These figures underscore the ongoing recovery needs, but early data from our reseeding demonstration suggests positive shifts in cover and stability—insights we’ll continue to share as monitoring progresses.

Looking Ahead: Sustainable Rangeland Management

Projects like this highlight the resilience of West Texas rangelands when proactive measures are taken. By addressing soil erosion head-on and restoring native vegetation, we’re not just aiding one producer but contributing to broader efforts against desertification in drought-prone regions. If you’re facing similar challenges, reach out to your local County Extension agent for tailored advice. And definitely have a conversation with our friends at Bamert Seed Company. They are instrumental at putting all these pieces of the restoration puzzle together, especially on shallow soils of semi-arid rangelands. Together, we can ensure these vital ecosystems thrive for generations.

Native Perennial Grasses: Powerhouses Belowground

October 1, 2025 by jaime.sanford

When we think of rangelands, it’s easy to focus on the grasses we see aboveground, the leaves, stems, and seedheads obvious in the West Texas wind. But the real powerhouse of grass growth and survival lies beneath the soil. Our publication, Understanding Native Perennial Grass Growth, highlights how native perennial grasses rely on underground bud banks to regrow after grazing, fire, or drought.

Five Characteristics of a Rangeland Steward

September 3, 2025 by jaime.sanford

What a privilege to be asked by West Texas Rangelands to write a short article about “Five Characteristics of a Rangeland Steward!” My range career started in the seventh grade when I participated in my first 4-H Rangeland Evaluation Contest in Junction, Texas. However, I didn’t learn about rangeland stewardship until I was a junior in high school while attending the Texas Section Youth Range Workshop. Since the inception of YRW, the rangeland stewardship component has been a fundamental component. So important that we start and finish each day with STEWARDSHIP. The following five characteristics of a rangeland steward are in no particular order for I feel that the whole is greater than the parts.

Grazing and Carbon: Finding the Balance

August 13, 2025 by jaime.sanford

When we think of livestock grazing, we often focus on the immediate impact on rangelands. But grazing can directly influence (good or bad) long-term organic material and carbon stored in soil. 2024 research published in Nature Climate Change highlights the critical role that grazing plays by analyzing global carbon stocks dynamics from 1,473 samples from across the world.

Escaped Prescribed Fire Patterns

May 28, 2025 by jaime.sanford

Prescribed fires are a necessary process for rangeland management, helping to reduce fuel loads, restore ecosystems, and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More importantly, the estimated escape rate across the U.S. is quite low, at 0.16% (2022). A recent study by Li et al. (2025) sheds light on the spatial and temporal patterns of escape prescribed fires, offering crucial insights for rangeland managers and fire professionals.

Grazing Against the Flames: Using Targeted Grazing to Combat Wildfires

April 9, 2025 by jaime.sanford

Wildfires are an escalating global crisis, marked by increasing size, frequency, suppression costs, and devastating losses. In the search for effective mitigation strategies, targeted grazing has emerged as a promising technique, strategically employing livestock to manage vegetation and diminish wildfire risks.

Prickly Pear and the South American Cactus Moth

March 19, 2025 by jaime.sanford

Texas is known for its rugged landscapes and iconic, opportunistic, and problematic prickly pear. While these plants readily provide headaches to the grazing manager, oftentimes pear also serves as food and habitat for wildlife and is a native species on Texas rangelands. However, the South American Cactus Moth has been found and confirmed in five Texas counties.

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

December 18, 2024 by jaime.sanford

As stewards, let’s all just take a Christmas moment reflection and a deep breath of blue grama. Did you know that blue grama is the most common plant found throughout the mixed prairie? Even more impressively, blue grama possesses the most general distribution thriving as far north as Canada and as far south as Mexico.