Water Archives - West Texas Rangelands

Spring Weather Outlook By Luke Drosche – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension DAR Specialist

March 18, 2026 by kara.matheney

West Texas Rangelands would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Luke Drosche for collaborating with us and providing this weather update for our readers. We thank him for sharing his time, talents, and knowledge with us as a guest contributor. Luke serves with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as a Disaster Assessment and Recovery Specialist.

3-Month Precipitation Outlook:
The first few days of March have brought areas of rain and severe storms to a large portion of the State. Those across the Coastal Plains have enjoyed some much-needed precipitation, while our areas in the Panhandle and out west have continue to be mostly dry with the exception of a few supercell thunderstorms. The month of March should continue to bolster higher rain chances before tapering back off closer to May. The 3-month outlook has shown that a majority of the state is in an “Equal Chances” Category for rain. Meaning that we are most likely to mark near normal on our rain gauges. NOAA has predicated the month of March to be potentially wetter than average for the Northeastern part of the State before marking close to normal through April and May. While the far western and Northwestern areas are forecasted to be drier. This is the time of year we need to make sure we always have a way to receive weather warnings. Severe Weather in Texas is year-round but increases dramatically in the springtime. For anywhere you are in the State of Texas, all modes of Severe weather are possible. It is important to have a plan for you, your family, and your property should severe weather impact you. Know how to communicate, plan to live a few days without power or water, and who to contact if you are affected by severe weather. Keep an eye to the sky.

3-Month Temperature Outlook:
Rinse and Repeat from our winter months is predicted as we remain warmer than average. March has a high likelihood of marking above normal temperature with higher-than-normal temperatures likely through at least May, areas out west have higher potential to be warmer than average. The entire state is under this prediction due to our current La Nina Conditions. These bring warmer temperatures to our area. However, we are seeing a transition out of La Nina into ENSO Neutral Conditions. This transition will happen over the next few months. Later in the year we look to potentially move into an El Nino weather pattern closer to next Fall. We will take this as a hope for more beneficial rain as 19.2 million of us in the State of Texas are in a Drought Designation.

Drought Update:
Extreme Drought Conditions persist in Central and South Texas with nearly the entire state in some dryness/drought category. Panhandle regions remain in Moderate Drought and areas slightly south of there creep into the Severe Drought Designation. Early March’s rain will provide some relief to the Coastal Plains and parts of Central Texas when the next Drought updates come in roughly a month from now. More rainy days are predicted through March and will hopefully continue to improve conditions. The next few months, March, April, and May typically bring weather systems across much of the state. These systems pack a punch with severe storms and high rainfall rates. We always prefer longer, drawn out rainfall events that allow the rainfall to soak into the soil, rather than run off the dry, packed ground. However, once the soil is primed with some moisture from whatever form of rain we get, we benefit more. With the transition predicted us of La Nina and into ENSO Neutral conditions, we are hopeful for some improvement in overall drought conditions across the State. Over many months in recent history, we have been in a La Nina designation, which is what has continued to push our drought conditions. As we transition into Neutral Conditions in the short term, we will see more weather patterns indicative of repeated rainfall come into play. No doubt we will still see long periods of dry weather, but let’s keep a hopeful eye on next fall as we should move into El Nino Conditions.

References and Resources: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/, https://www.drought.gov/states/texas

Prepared Today, Resilient Tomorrow: Making Wildfire Preparedness Part of Rangeland Stewardship

January 28, 2026 by morgan.treadwell

Wildfire risk is a natural part of West Texas rangelands, but preparedness is most effective when it is part of ongoing land stewardship. Managing rangelands with long-term resilience in mind not only protects property and resources, but also supports ecosystem health and sustainable operations.

Integrating Preparedness into Stewardship Practices
Preparedness begins with everyday land management decisions. Practices such as targeted grazing, rotational grazing, and selective vegetation management help reduce fuel loads while maintaining healthy grass and brush cover. These strategies are not one-time solutions—they are ongoing practices that strengthen the landscape over years.

Infrastructure and Access as a Stewardship Tool
Maintaining roads, fence lines, water sources, and access points is a long-term investment in rangeland resilience. Clear access allows for safe movement of equipment and personnel if wildfire conditions arise. Roads and defensible corridors also serve as strategic breaks in fuel, reducing potential fire spread while supporting everyday operations.

Monitoring Conditions Over Time
Ongoing observation of vegetation, fuel, and weather trends is central to long-term preparedness. Tools like the Jornada Rangeland Analysis Platform provide historical and current data on vegetation growth and drought patterns. Combining this data with on-the-ground monitoring helps landowners make adaptive decisions, such as adjusting grazing or vegetation treatments, in a way that supports both land health and wildfire preparedness.

Preparedness as a Continuous Practice
Long-term wildfire preparedness is not about expecting a fire every year. It is about creating a resilient, well-managed landscape that can better withstand unpredictable events. Maintaining native grasses, managing fuel continuity, and planning infrastructure improvements over time ensures the land remains productive and safer under a variety of conditions.

Building Resilient Rangelands
By treating preparedness as part of overall stewardship, landowners reinforce their long-term investment in rangeland health. The combined effect of fuel management, infrastructure planning, monitoring, and adaptive management reduces potential wildfire impact while sustaining the ecological and economic productivity of West Texas rangelands.

Roads, Buffers, and Water: Preparing Your Ranch for Wildfire

January 14, 2026 by morgan.treadwell

Wildfire is one of several natural disturbances that can affect West Texas rangelands under certain conditions. While wildfire does not occur every year or on every property, periods of dry weather, low humidity, and strong winds can increase risk. January provides a useful time to evaluate infrastructure and address potential vulnerabilities ahead of higher-risk periods.

Infrastructure influences both wildfire prevention and response. Roads, fences, water sources, and access points affect how fire may move across a landscape and how landowners or responders may access an area if a wildfire occurs. Maintaining these systems can reduce potential impacts and improve safety.

Roads and Access Points

Well-maintained roads improve access for routine management and can be important if emergency access is needed. Roads also create breaks in vegetation that may slow fire spread under certain conditions. Keeping roads passable and managing vegetation along road edges helps maintain these benefits.

Fence Lines and Corridors

Fence lines, pipelines, and utility corridors often accumulate grasses and debris. These areas can create continuous fuel pathways if ignited. Managing vegetation along these corridors helps reduce fuel continuity and may limit fire movement between pastures.

Water Availability

Water infrastructure can support wildfire response if needed. Stock tanks, ponds, and troughs should be accessible and free of excessive vegetation. Clearly identifying water access points ahead of time improves readiness without assuming they will be needed.

Structures and High-Use Areas

Barns, sheds, working pens, and equipment areas are commonly used spaces where ignition sources may be present during dry and windy conditions. Reducing fine fuels around these areas helps lower the chance that a fire could spread to structures. Maintaining open space around buildings also improves visibility and access.

Planning and Timing

Infrastructure preparation is most effective when addressed well before high-risk conditions develop. Reviewing access routes, identifying areas with heavy fuel accumulation, and making gradual improvements allows flexibility in management decisions.

Wildfire is not guaranteed, but preparation supports resilience. Maintaining functional infrastructure improves overall land management and ensures that, if wildfire conditions develop, landowners are better positioned to respond safely and effectively.

Visit our site to learn more about wildfire risk.

Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) Dashboard

March 12, 2025 by jaime.sanford

The Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) Dashboard, developed by the USDA U.S. Forest Service is an easy-to-use, FREE, online tool that helps producers see how changes in land use, climate, and water use might affect rivers, water supply, and rangeland’s ability to grow herbaceous plants and maintain ecosystem services. It uses weather and land data to determine water flow and plant growth, so users can understand various management strategy impacts and make smart choices about managing rangeland and watersheds.

Save for a Rainy Day: Navigating Wildlife Water Needs in a Changing Climate

March 5, 2025 by jaime.sanford

Dr. Jacob Dykes and colleagues have recently published a factsheet exploring the diversity of wildlife using free water sources in arid environments in Far West Texas. As we know in that neck of the world, access to water is crucial. As extreme climatic events and variability intensify spurring flash droughts, dry spells, and extended drought conditions, the availability and predictability of water sources is becoming increasingly unpredictable and that much more of a priority.