Early California Rains Give Mariposa County Rancher Hope as Rangelands Partially Recover

Late autumn and early winter storms that moved through the state have spurred greener pastures, improving grazing conditions on California rangelands, but ranchers say more rainfall is needed for them to begin rebuilding their herds. "As far as grass growth, this is as good of a feed year as we've ever had this early in the season," said Placer County cattle rancher Joe Fischer. "This early grass growth and early root establishment will really set us up to have a phenomenal feed year come spring if these rains continue." But he said he also prepared for additional drought by reducing the herd he manages by 20 percent last winter and leaving more residual feed on the ground in order to promote better grass growth this season. Mild temperatures have also aided grass growth, Fischer said, but they don't bode well for a healthy snowpack—sensors measure the Sierra Nevada snowpack at about half of average—and that will affect water supply for this summer where he has irrigated pasture. In addition, many springs are not yet flowing the way they should be, he added, noting that a lack of drinking water on one ranch prevented him from placing any cattle there in early fall, even though it had plenty of residual dry feed. "I'm still fearful that we aren't out of the woods yet when it comes to drought in California," he said...more