Range Restoration - Range Seeding
By Dr. Lynn Loomis
During winter 2022, Alamito Foundation board member Casey Wade suggested areas on Alamito Ranch were suitable for ripping and range seeding. These areas had smooth gentle slopes and deep soil with few rock fragments and were near ranch roads. Grass cover within these areas was very sparse. In two areas woody plants had been mechanically grubbed, whereas untreated creosotebush remained in the other two areas.
Planting was planned to mimic the naturally occurring banded vegetation patterns that occur on deep soils that occur in Far West Texas. Contours at 10-inch elevation intervals were extracted with GIS from the 1-m resolution DEM.
In June 2023 with the assistance of Alex Toder (Natural Resources Conservation Service, Marfa), contour lines were marked on the ground with pin flags to guide ripping and planting operations. A bulldozer ripped the soil 18 inches deep along contours to enhance infiltration of water from rain and run-on. Colin Shackelford, Brian Miculka, and Helen Snook (West Texas Native Seed) staff calibrated the Truax range drill. Brian Miculka operated the skid steer to propel the drill. Seeds were planted in two drill passes along the ripped contours. Haygrazer, and native grasses sand dropseed and plains bristlegrass were sown on about 5 acres.
Bulldozer ripping furrows along an elevation contour on Alamito Ranch. Area was reseeded the next day. Photograph was taken June 2023.
Helen Snook and Colin Shackelford calibrating the Truax range drill. Photograph taken June 2023.
Truax range drill propelled by skid steer. Brian Miculka of West Texas Native Seeds planted Haygrazer, sand dropseed, and plains bristlegrass on about five acres. Photograph taken June 2023.It was anticipated that monsoon rains would moisten the soil, stimulate seed germination, and support plant growth. Standing Haygrazer plants were expected to provide shade and soil protection for native grasses to be planted in monsoon 2024. However, the 2023 monsoon did not favor seed germination and plant growth.
When evaluated in September, only scattered patches of Haygrazer plants, about 5 feet tall, were observed. No new plants of sand dropseed and plains bristlegrass were observed. Haygrazer germination and establishment occurred only in the most favorable combination of landform, hydrological, and soil conditions: slightly concave landforms with run-on hydrology and non-gravelly soil. Grass seeds remain in the ground, perhaps to germinate during times with better soil moisture. The four reseeded areas will continue to be monitored in 2024.
Bulldozer rips planted with Haygrazer, sand dropseed, and plains bristlegrass planted in June 2023, photograph taken in September 2023.
Small patch of Haygrazer plants grown during 2023 monsoon. Plants of this size provide good soil cover and locally enhance the environment for range seeding. Photograph was taken in September 2023.Perdiz Creek 2024
Another range restoration project planned for 2024 will reseed about 33 acres west of Perdiz Creek. In this area the soil has gentle slope, good infiltration capacity, dark color (reflecting a legacy of high productivity), and high available water capacity. Seeds will be drilled along 10-inch interval elevation contours (already created). No bulldozer ripping of this soil is anticipated. Grass species adapted to the site will be planted during pre-summer 2024. These include multi-flower false rhodesgrass, green sprangletop, alkali sacaton, whiplash pappusgrass, and plains bristlegrass. Seeds of fourwing saltbush, a valuable shrub for wildlife and livestock, will also be included in the mix.
Should unusual winter rains fall in Far West Texas that generate aquifer filling streamflow, cottonwood and willow poles will be planted along Alamito Creek below the rock dam.
