Evolution A Story of Flexibility – by Jeff Goebel, NM
Resolving the Mesa Flooding A New Approach
Overland Flow – Fall 2017 Tour – July 5, 2018
Highline Ditch – 25 miles of water
Fall 2017 – Mechenbier Orchards • Lost 100 trees • $1.2 million damage
Interstate 25 cleanup – Fall 2017 Two NM DOT employees hit by passing cars while attempting to create safe conditions Notice the plugged culverts
Interstate 25 clean up after the July 5, 2018 Storm The Freeway is above the highline ditch, concentrating flows
Flooded home – Fall 2017 • 90-year old couple forced to move out of their adobe home due to damage
Third Storm Event in a Year • Belen Main Street – July 5, 2018
Belen Business District Flood 1000 homes damaged & several businesses closed
My Weather Station July 5, 2018 Storm
My Farm Rainfall Records Average Rainfall: 7.5”
Overland Flow Management – Planned grazing learning site
Grazing management demonstration • Purpose: to increase litter & vegetative cover to sharply reduce overland flows • Form VSWCD Committee • Talk with producer & NRCS • Raise funding (FA < $10k) • install 25-pasture design • Implement Planned grazing • Use Native hay • Create regional demonstration area
Managing Water on Roads Outcome: County training their equipment operators
Develop NM Healthy Soil Policy Awareness Technical Assistance Financial Assistance
NM Healthy Soil Act Core team: Robb Hirsch, Isabelle Jenniches, Jeff Goebel, Christina Allday- Bondy Advisors: Debbie Hughes (NMACD) and NMDA And many others helping in design…
Figure 3. 2004-2010 Figure 4. 2011-2015 Non-federal rangeland where all three Rangeland health attributes show at least moderate departure from reference conditions Source: NRCS Natural Resource Inventory https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/nra/nri
Wind Erosion on Cropland
Wind Erosion – NM vs National Average Impact of Management
Five Principles That Define Healthy Soil (1) Keep soil covered (2) Minimize soil disturbance (3) Maintain a living root (4) Maximize biodiversity (5) Integrate animals
Other core premises Land Managers are only ones who “touch” the earth Support land managers’ success in creating healthy soil A Systems Approach Voluntary Knowledge – limiting beliefs Social & Individual Issues System support
Limiting Belief Systems The current state of the land The current level of land management The ability to do better – the notion of “possibility” Old dogs… “early adopters” Fencing – 19 th century technology What is overgrazing? Does long-term rest improve the land? Can we make water more available?
Other Systemic Issues Social & Individual Issues need to be addressed: Peer pressure Fears (Real & Imagined) Sense of empowerment Whole system needs to shift Some of these supporting areas include: Education Markets Financial – solar wealth / internal Rules & Regulations
Belief Systems: Overgrazing? Too much time! Is it caused by too many animals? Animal numbers simply exacerbate the overgrazing problem. Or too much time that animals are exposed to the plants? Grass plants need short grazing periods AND adequate recovery after grazing!
Chaco Canyon NM northeastern boundary 75+ years of no grazing on left side of fence / overgrazing and overstocking on right side
Belief Systems: The impacts of long-term rest Early European explorers John Audubon: 100,000 bison herds and healthy lands / riparian areas California: 500,000 Tule elk, Russians describing the coastal hills being “black” with animals NM: herds of 10,000 pronghorn & large bands of big horn sheep 60 million bison, 120 million “prairie” elk, 60 million deer, 40 million pronghorn
One rancher bought a 7,000-acre ranch in 2004 Used planned grazing with 25 pastures 130 days rest - Average 5 days grazing He reports that: Water infiltration rates : increased 33% Static water levels in the wells: increased 1-2 feet Headquarters well flow : increased from ¼ GPM to 1.5 GPM Stocking rate: 2004: 58 acres per AU 2017: 25 acres per AU Severe drought of 2018: 29 acres per AU
Four Ranch Study Planned Grazing, Season-long, Non-grazed Total soil carbon is 30% higher on planned grazing vs season-long Soil carbon increase higher on planned grazing vs non grazing Planned grazing has 2X water infiltration rate vs season- long or non-grazed lands
Other studies; as cover increases, water infiltration increases 10% vegetative/litter cover equals 73% runoff rate 37% cover equals a 14% runoff rate 60-75% cover equals only a 2% runoff rate 1% soil carbon increase, soil retains 20-27,000 gallons / acre Research indicates soil moisture goes up, so does localized rainfall The question is, what do we need to do to transform the lands of New Mexico to get positive increases in soil moisture?
As for Economic Benefit? ➢ NM rancher increased income seven fold over 14 years ➢ His stocking rate doubled . Management grew him a “second” ranch! ➢ Four ranches in TX & HI, which resulted in a net annual $2 million improvement , while significantly improving quality of life & ecological conditions ➢ Gregg Simonds cut his winter feed costs by 80% in Utah & Wyoming. Since winter feed makes up 50% of the typical northern ranch budget, dramatic increase in profitability
Where can we get more water locally? Most folks focus on diminishing snow pack, marginalized dams & water allocation What is the largest freshwater reservoir in New Mexico? The Soil! Additional opportunities: Sediment loading of dams Elephant Butte Dam & impact on Rio Grande Compact Rio Puerco is highest sediment loaded river in US “ Pink Snow ,” affects snow packs Addresses carbon sequestration and climate resiliency
Where does “ pink snow ” come from? Soil deterioration on Navajo Nation and other lands
Two Potential Projects Rio Puerco “Three Rivers”
Modeling A Regenerative Ranch 1) what do we need to do to transform the lands of New Mexico to get positive increases in soil moisture and overall ranch health? 2) what do we need to do to spread this work throughout New Mexico as the work is in the best interests of land managers & citizens alike?
Mechenbier Ranch Let’s do it! To help the traditional ranching community move to “modified” regenerative ranches with low input costs, higher returns & healthier ecological regenerative conditions
Implementation of Regenerative Ranching Developing a baseline & planning and implementing a grazing management program to regenerate the soil health in this area Include social, economic & ecological needs & opportunities Establishing photo points, rangeland transects, soil carbon & infiltration measurements Holistic goal setting with family & core staff Involvement of federal, state & other partners Biological Planning Appropriate implementation of five land altering tools: Planned Grazing Herd Effect Living Organisms Fire Technology consistent with values
Learning Site Development & Implementation Enhance the creativity for the ranch Introduce these concepts to neighbors, professionals, decision-makers & other interested parties Disseminate the learning for the purpose of adoption of these concepts on a broad & accelerated basis
Learning Site Development & Implementation Neighborhood meetings Regional trainings HMI courses Conflict Resolution through Consensus Building Other successful methodologies Direct Assistance and Coaching Summer Tour & Regenerative Summit Ongoing Speaker Program
Other Project Potentials Rio Puerco Basin Restoration Three Rivers Restoration Project Navajo Nation – AZ San Juan Valley - CO Statewide – Four Ranches Central NM SE NM NE NM Northern NM
Two Potential Projects Rio Puerco “Three Rivers”
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” R. Buckminster Fuller
The Evolution – so far… Resolving the Mesa Flooding Develop NM Healthy Soil Policy Modeling A Regenerative Ranch Let’s do something bold ! Hugh Hammond Bennett Let’s have “ real ” change! Let’s make taking care of the soil the norm !
Questions? Jeff Goebel www.aboutlistening.com goebel@aboutlistening.com (541) 610-7084
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