AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
I like "warmer and wetter"...last week I got another pair of cross country skis and it started raining in Ronan, MT.
Nice hiking conditions, with deep snows up in the mountains.
Drought for the west
- Thread starter rick19Kilo
- Start date
Nice hiking conditions, with deep snows up in the mountains.
AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
BigHornRam
Well-known member
Snow followed by rain equals bad ice in the lower elevations. 103% snow pack higher up. Not a bad winter so far.
marshman
Well-known member
I've been wondering how things are progressing this winter "Inland". Rainfall here on the coast is 130 percent of normal right now. 7" of rain in the last 15 days.
BirdManMike
Well-known member
Upper Yellowstone says 90%. It feels about that when I am out. Not great, not terrible, certainly better than last year at this time where the last weekend of January I hiked - not snowshoed or skied - past Elk a mile or so up East Rosebud (didnt make it to Rimrock).
MarvB
Well-known member
Unfortunately everything has been skirting us to the north… lions share in WA and Canada. The mts have snow but the water contents not that great and lower elevations still are way behind (we live at about 3900’) 
marksjeep
Well-known member
Still doing ok in CO, but more would be nice. Especially in the RG and Ark.
BirdManMike
Well-known member
Ugh.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
Seems like here in SW MT we are getting frequent snows, but only an inch or two at a time. We need a major storm to roll through and drop a couple feet in the high county.
El Jason
Well-known member
The drought in the western U.S. could last until 2030 — National Geographic
After a brutally hot and dry 2021, the region is now in the worst "megadrought" in 1,200 years. Climate change is to blame.
BirdManMike
Well-known member
At this point, I’ve come to terms with the thought I am going to be filling my lungs with smoke June thru October again this year. It’s dire.
Thinking about starting to smoke cigarettes. Out of spite. Shake my fist at the burning mountainside and shout, “you can’t beat me, fire, I already smoke!”.
Thinking about starting to smoke cigarettes. Out of spite. Shake my fist at the burning mountainside and shout, “you can’t beat me, fire, I already smoke!”.
Interesting, tangential story about a local farmer.
coloradosun.com
One Colorado farmer is going against the grain to use less water. It's working.
Regenerative agriculture could help Colorado save water as its supplies dwindle amid a megadrought. But will the industry embrace it?
coloradosun.com
BigHornRam
Well-known member
The practice is starting to catch on, but has a ways to go.Interesting, tangential story about a local farmer.
One Colorado farmer is going against the grain to use less water. It's working.
Regenerative agriculture could help Colorado save water as its supplies dwindle amid a megadrought. But will the industry embrace it?
BigHornRam
Well-known member
This new drip irrigation system is something I would like to look into more. Water conservation needs to start now.
marksjeep
Well-known member
That's nice to see around here. There have also been several center-pivots installed around here recently on previously flood irrigated fields. That's not something you usually see in this valley. Multiple benefits there, reduced water application, reduced fertilizer leeching, reduced salt and selenium inputs to the Colorado via return flows.
Clay Newcomb had a couple of podcasts a few months back discussing regenerative farming and soil health. Decent listens.
https://www.themeateater.com/listen...-the-earth-civilization-humans-and-whitetails
https://www.themeateater.com/listen...vy-pilots-mr-peabodys-coal-train-and-why-dirt
Clay Newcomb had a couple of podcasts a few months back discussing regenerative farming and soil health. Decent listens.
https://www.themeateater.com/listen...-the-earth-civilization-humans-and-whitetails
https://www.themeateater.com/listen...vy-pilots-mr-peabodys-coal-train-and-why-dirt
Irrelevant
Well-known member
I'd bet that most of their claims are horseshit.
1. I bet you need one of the barrels at the start of every row
2. Very little if any flow control
3. No ability to remotely control flows
4. You probably have to replace the entire distribution line when it does plug up with sediment.
We work with a ton of drip irrigators for both berries and grapes and no one is relying on filterless gravity drip. Is it better than flood? Sure, but that's like the least efficient form of irrigation.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
I'm skeptical about every new mouse trap that comes along. Definitely would want to research it completely before investing in it.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
I see Red Lodge Mountain got 50" this past week. That should help a bunch. Shoshone basin is at 85% and could use some more.
