A functioning water cycle can move a grazing operation to be much less vulnerable during an ongoing drought, to the point that what many will call a severe drought might be considered only a ‘dry spell’ that will work itself out over time by those managers that have put the planning, initiation and observation (Management) into developing an effective grazing program.

A sound grazing program that encourages a solid turf of healthy deep-rooted grasses and forbs is the beginning of storing the limited rain and snow fall for use of the plants and placing the remaining water in storage for future use. When that healthy well covered rangeland is in place, even small rain events of as little as .25” can make a difference in maintaining grazing for livestock and health of the rangeland. (Some have observed that heavy dew can be a positive moisture event.) Bare ground is not an option as limited rainfall will be quickly lost to evaporation, sunlight and wind will take its toll in short order. Not to mention the tragic loss of topsoil from erosion that is a valuable part of making the water cycle work as it should.  Healthy soil can absorb heavy rain much faster than can be imagined, thus reducing runoff and storing the water in the soil for use of the plants well after the rain event. Water in healthy soils having a vibrant population of microbiomes-insects-nematodes-earthworms and valued humus provided by the plant growth, can move within soil, not just to lower elevations but laterally even uphill through let’s call it osmosis or capillary motion. If the absorbed water becomes too great to be retained in the soil structure, then it can begin to move down into the aquifer restoring the much-needed water for the pumping of our many needs for use. This untechnical description of the water cycle may sound too good to be true, but it works as many managers have personally witnessed and it just might be the only way future generations can enjoy the opportunity to live on the land and have something to drink and maintain a happy healthy lifestyle.

The recent extremely heavy rainfall across much of the West Texas area was an awesome event that refilled many of the reservoirs of the area but in large was not the utilization of an effective water cycle. It was merely a flood event that provided little long-term benefit to the rangeland or the aquifers beneath our feet.

The recent rains provided the first water for these two pictured tanks in 6 years. With the beginnings of reestablishing an effective water cycle, note that the water is clear looking like spring water which it is not. Runoff water only, but no dirt-soil as the solid turf allowed no erosion. Granted with the dense cover it takes a considerably larger rainfall event to produce running water. An effective water cycle is for the long term, but well worth the wait.