Drought for the west

[marksjeep]

Interesting read. It can get ugly quick if they think compact rights are not being fulfilled. Do a quick read on Bonny Reservoir.

 

[BirdManMike]

Have been cross country skiing a bunch as usual. Snow is better than last year at this time, but still pretty dire in Absaroka-Beartooths and nearby ranges. Lots of winter left, let’s hope it improves.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Predictions have been for a colder and dryer winter around here. Today it's warmer and wetter.
View attachment 205874

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.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

 

[BigHornRam]

Snow followed by rain equals bad ice in the lower elevations. 103% snow pack higher up. Not a bad winter so far.

 

[marshman]

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]

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]

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’)

 

[hank4elk]

Snow depth @ Frisco grade is 4"...................sad.

 

[marksjeep]

Still doing ok in CO, but more would be nice. Especially in the RG and Ark.

 

[BirdManMike]

Ugh.

 

[Southern Elk]

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.

 

[Oak]

Well, it was a good December. This is the Colorado River Basin above Powell.

 

[TheJason]

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.

apple.news

 

[BirdManMike]

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!”.

 

[Oak]

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?

coloradosun.com

 

[BigHornRam]

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?

coloradosun.com

The practice is starting to catch on, but has a ways to go.

Ranching approach yielding more forage on less land | Idaho Farm Bureau

www.idahofb.org

 

[BigHornRam]

This new drip irrigation system is something I would like to look into more. Water conservation needs to start now.

 

[marksjeep]

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

 

[Irrelevant]

This new drip irrigation system is something I would like to look into more. Water conservation needs to start now.

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.