August 26 Playa Field Day at Tahoka

From Ogallala Commons

Farmers, ranchers, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend a Playa Field Day presented by Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) on Thursday, August 26th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Tahoka City County Library Meeting Room in Tahoka, Texas.

Due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, the room will be set up for social distancing and masks are encouraged.

The field day will cover general information about playa ecosystems as well as playa restoration programs offered through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies and the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative (TXPCI). There will also be a driving tour to see playas restored through these programs that are nearby in Lynn County.

Those attending the event should arrive at the City County Library Meeting Room by 9:15 a.m. for registration (1717 Main Street) in Tahoka, TX, then drive to the back side of the library, and enter through the side door to the Meeting Room.

The opening presentation at 9:45 a.m. will be an overview of playa ecosystems and the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative from Heather Johnson, Migratory Game Bird Specialist: Region I, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Lubbock, TX.

At 10:15 a.m., Manuel De Leon and Matt Dorsett from the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service, will give a presentation via Zoom on how the CP23a and Wetlands Reserve Program have been used to restore playa basins in Lynn County.

At 11:00 a.m. the group will depart for a driving tour to view restored playa properties located in the vicinity of Tahoka.

At 12:15 p.m., the group will return to the Meeting Room for a sandwich lunch.

At 12:50 p.m., Jim Steiert, outdoor writer and playa enthusiast from Hereford, TX, will close the event with brief remarks.

Playas are shallow, rain-fed wetlands throughout the Great Plains. When containing surface water, playas provide crucial habitat for many wildlife that depend on water to survive. When dry, playas also support several other Great Plains wildlife species because they are often the only natural lands in a region dominated by agricultural production.

Playas also recharge water to the underlying aquifer, filter nutrients and chemicals from the surrounding watershed, and add recreational value to the region.

Registration for the event is $15 per person, which includes the cost of lunch, drinks, and snacks.

To register, please email or call to Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director (darryl@ogallalacommons.org) or by phone at 806-945-2255).

The workshop is sponsored by Ogallala Commons and its partners: High Plains Water District, the Dixon Water Foundation, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

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Nov. 18 Ogallala Commons Playa Field Day At Lorenzo

From Ogallala Commons

Farmers, ranchers, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend a Playa Field Day presented by Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) on Wednesday, November 18th from 9:30am-1:30pm in Lorenzo.

The field day will cover general information about playa ecosystems and restoration programs, plus a presentation on improving quail habitat in playa uplands and rangelands. A tour will be taken at an improved playa on property located near Lorenzo.

Doors will open at 9am in the Lorenzo Community Center (407 Van Buren Ave.) with registration.

The opening presentation will be given by OC Education Intern Emil Turpen, followed by an overview of the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative from Dr. Rachel Fern, Statewide Wetland Program Leader, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

At 10:10, Dr. Brad Dabbert, Burnett Foundation Endowed Professor of Quail Ecology at Texas Tech University, will speak on improving quail habitat on playa uplands and rangelands.

After a short break, David Bateman, owner of Playa Lake Farm and Ranch, LP, and Connor Wilmeth of Wilmeth Farms will present on land management practices that balance wildlife and water conservation with agricultural production.

At 11:20am, the group will depart for a Field Trip to a playa property located about 10 minutes from Lorenzo. The tour will be led by David Bateman and Dr. Dabbert.

At 12:30pm, the tour will return to the Lorenzo Community Center for a sandwich lunch. Jim Steiert, outdoor writer and playa enthusiast from Hereford, TX, will close the event with brief remarks after lunch. His book, Playas: Jewels of the Plains (Texas Tech University Press, 1995) can be purchased at the event for $40.

Playas are shallow, rain-fed wetlands throughout the Great Plains. When containing surface water, playas provide crucial habitat for many wildlife that depend on water to survive.

When dry, playas also support several other Great Plains wildlife species because they are often the only natural lands in a region dominated by agricultural production. Playas also recharge water to the underlying aquifer, filter nutrients and chemicals from the surrounding watershed, and add recreational value to the region.

Registration for the event is $15 per person (which includes the cost of lunch, drinks, and snacks). To register, please email or call to Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director (darryl@ogallalacommons.org or by phone at 806-945-2255).

The workshop is sponsored by Ogallala Commons and its partners: High Plains Water District, the Dixon Water Foundation, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Those attending are asked to wear masks during this time of rising COVID-19 cases, plus clothing, footwear, and a hat suitable for the field tour.

Nov. 14 Ogallala Commons Playa Field Day at Crosbyton

Approximately 20 persons – including landowners, Master Naturalists, and teachers – attended the Nov. 14 Crosby County Playa Basin Field Day in Crosbyton.

 The meeting featured an overview of playa basins in the Southern High Plains region, a presentation about waterfowl and fall migration patterns, and an update on the Playa Basin Restoration Program sponsored by the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative.

 “Playa basins are the most important place for birds on the Southern Great Plains,” said Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld of Nazareth, executive director of Ogallala Commons. “Each year, thousands of birds make their way along the Central Flyway, where they eat and rest at up to 60,000-80,000 playa basins along the route.”

 Birkenfeld said Ogallala Commons sponsors playa field days for adults and playa festivals for students to increase knowledge of the importance of playa basins and their restoration.

 Texas Master Naturalist Jim Steiert of Hereford agrees.

 “Playa basins are truly the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of the plant world. They do not get the respect they deserve. The Central Flyway is the second most important migration and wintering area for waterfowl and other migratory birds.  There is increasing evidence that playa basins in this area are the most valuable habitat for these birds,” he said.

 Steiert said migratory birds are attracted to “habitats created by plant communities responding to a changing environment.” In essence, the birds travel to those areas with abundant food and water.  He noted that migrating Sandhill cranes appeared in the Hereford area on October 3 – about two weeks earlier than normal.

 “Playas are the keystone of the Great Plains ecosystem. They are the stone that holds it all together. It is sort of like playing Jenga.  Everything is fine until you remove the piece that causes the tower to fall,” Steiert said.

 He encouraged the group to take care of playas on their property and near their communities.

 “Playas are the sources of recharge for groundwater stored in the Ogallala Aquifer. It is important to have grass barriers around the playas to remove silt, which improves the quality of the water that may ultimately make its way back into the aquifer,” Steiert said.

 Another way to improve the playas is through a voluntary restoration program, sponsored by the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative.

 “There are about 23,037 playa basins in Texas.  Of these, 4,080 are functional, 5,631 are functional and at risk in the next 20-30 years, and 13,326 are non-functional.  A loss of buffer area, land development, and modification of the basins have all taken their toll on playas,” said Don Kahl with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

 He told the group about the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative (TPCI), which is a partner-driven effort to restore playas in the Texas Panhandle.

 Years ago, it was a common practice to dig pits or trenches into the bottom of playa basins.  Irrigation tailwater and/or rainfall collected in these pits.  Lake pumps transported the water to the head of the field for reuse.

 “Many of these pits and trenches are no longer needed and can be easily restored. Once the pit is backfilled, rainwater and runoff can again reach the entire playa basin, including the large cracks in the dry playa floor. This is essential for recharge to occur. It also allows plants and insects to flourish—which provides food for migrating birds and other wildlife,” he said.

 Kahl said landowners participating in the program incur no costs associated with restoring a playa.

 “We coordinate and conduct all the work.  To compensate for any inconvenience, there is an $80 per playa basin acre payment upon completion of the restoration,” he said.

 Playa restoration efforts are currently concentrated in Armstrong, Castro, Crosby, Floyd, Hale, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, and Swisher Counties. 

 The program has resulted in 489 playa basin acres restored to date.

 In addition to restoration efforts, Kahl said other conservation practices could be included in the program.

“This could include installing grass buffers around farmed playas, silt removal, and incentivizing leaving grass buffers around playas in expired Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land,” he said.

 A tour of a restored playa, located three miles east of Cone, TX, concluded the Field Day.

 Precinct One Director Dan Seale and Information/Education Supervisor Carmon McCain represented HPWD at the field day.

 Additional information is available at ogallalacommons.org and PlayasWorkForTexans.com