Water, Conveniences and Contaminants

As I continue my journey back through old images from Mission San Jose in San Antonio, I am struck by this one of a water well.  Here in this country we take clean, readily-available water for granted although it is critical for our survival.

Can you imagine living where the water you drink and use for washing is all hand-dipped from a well?  There are numerous places where that is the case even today.  Often, the water in those open wells is contaminated with debris along with bacteria, insect larva, fecal material and chemicals which leach into it or, fall from above.  Many times, they are the source of disease or, other contaminant-induced illnesses.

In 2009, on a trip to Niger, I saw large community wells that provided the drinking water to many people.  I recall peering into one and seeing quantities of trash -- plastic bags, containers, wood, other debris -- that had blown in from the surrounding streets, yet the people lowered their buckets and drew out the water for consumption.  It is no wonder their mortality rate is high.

The same thing happens in this country, but we aren't usually aware of it.  Roadside trash washes into our streams, rivers and lakes which often serve as reservoirs of drinking water for our cities.  If it wasn't for the decontamination processes of our municipal services -- which includes chemical treatment to kill organisms in the water -- we would be in similar circumstances as the poor in other countries.  Fortunately, we have built infrastructure to cleanse the majority of contaminants from the water before we consume it.

Notice my use of the word "majority" in the previous comment; one thing we fail to completely remove is the micro-plastics -- microscopic pieces of plastic that come from the tons of plastic items we use  on a daily basis.  Those plastics include things like food wraps, straws, drink containers, toys, storage containers, tires and many other things.  Plastics are so pervasive in our lives that we no longer take notice of them.

There are many different kinds of plastic.  They are sometimes rigid, sometimes flexible, some contain dyes while others are clear, they are often combined with other materials such as in footwear.  They are a major component of tires which leave tiny fragments on our roadways as we drive.  Those fragments are washed into ditches and eventually into our waterways.

The consumption of all of those micro-plastics is something being studied by numerous scientists.  As of this time, little is known about the impact they may, or may not have, on our health.  I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly thrilled to know that I am consuming it.

Modern technology is amazing in the the things that make our lives better; sometimes, though, there are unintended consequences that come along for the ride.  I am trying to use fewer plastic objects.  I also am attempting to do as my grandparents and reuse or, re-purpose items more frequently.  There is not only a benefit to the environment, but also an economic benefit.  I wish more people would do the same.

Often it is difficult to connect all the dots between our consumptive behavior and the environment; water is one area that falls into that category.  The next time you grab that plastic wrap, think about where it will end up.  It might be that you are feeding it to your grandchildren....

Who Left Their Trash in the Woods?

The other day I was off down in the woods and ran across this tire.  Finding such things in the otherwise non-trashed environment angers me and it makes me sad.  It was in an area that is often inundated with water after a heavy rain and I suspect washed in from a long way off.  Someone upstream had used the creek or, one of the waterways leading into it, as a dumping ground for their trash.  It may have been carried for miles before being deposited in this isolated place.

We often find other people's trash on our land.  It is usually of the smaller variety such as plastic bottles and drink cans.  Occasionally, though, we find larger items such as refrigerators and ice chests and tires.  I think most of the smaller items come from the roadside ditches that are frequently the receptacle of plastic bottles, drink cups, fast food carryout bags and other sundry items that likely were released into the wild at high speeds as their previous owner traveled one of the county roads.  When the rains come, the trash is washed into the many waterways that eventually lead to the creeks and rivers.

I was in school during the major wave of the environmental movement that swept our nation during the 60's and 70's.  We learned that you shouldn't be a "litterbug."  We were not often taught the reasons why we shouldn't litter, just that it was "bad" to do so.  Perhaps that's where the movement failed.  Most people don't realize that the cup they threw out, which is ostensibly biodegradable, may end up as micro-plastic in their water supply or, the fish they catch in the local lake which serves as the city water source.  Maybe they just don't care.

One of the ways governmental bodies incorporated the anti-littering campaigns of those years into legislative action was to make littering carry stiff fines or, other penalties.  That's great, but do you know anyone who was ever fined for littering?  I'm sure it happens, but it isn't frequent or we would hear about it every day based on the volume of trash I see.

As I listen to the various "solutions" to what is now being called the "climate crisis," I hear proposals to penalize those who contribute to the issue.  Fifty years after littering fines were instituted, we still have a littering problem.  I wonder just how well the proposed penalties will work in curbing behavior that contributes to the anthropocentric view of global warming?  In my opinion, the real solution is to educate rather than to regulate.  Behavior changes when understanding of the consequences is clear.

I think there is no doubt that many behaviors of mankind are abusive of the planet.  One of the most egregious is the paving over of productive land as urban and suburban sprawl gobbles the countryside.  If our legislative bodies want to do something that will help, maybe they should look at population growth patterns in view of flooding issues, the loss of productive agricultural lands and the exploding infrastructure necessary to accommodate low-density housing.

[Aside] I follow an individual on Twitter who has ties to the United Nations Committee on Climate Change.  He daily posts photos of the beautiful places he visits around Europe.  His jet travel alone contributes more in a year to releasing sequestered carbon into the atmosphere than most people will contribute in a lifetime.  Yet, he does get to see some beautiful places that most of us will never have the opportunity to see.  Should I envy him? or, should I condemn him as a hypocrite?  I choose to do neither.  I just hope he someday might see that the image he portrays in his posts is not the one he asks in the behavior of others.  Sometime I would love to have the opportunity to show him the world in which I live.

I am a strong proponent of the free market.  I don't like regulation or, legislation, therefore, I would suggest that behavior be based on incentives through the market with things like tax credits which are currently used for conservation easements.  We need to ask if there are ways to incorporate similar strategies in directing growth so that the environmental impacts are minimized.  As we do so, we need to keep in mind the potential negative economic impacts that such incentives may carry.  If initiatives penalize some current landowners while rewarding others, the result will be increased corruption.  Perhaps it would be possible to use a tax structure that would reward developers for including green spaces and flood mitigation strategies within a development and penalizing them for not doing so.  Those penalties could then be used as offsets to those landowners who own sensitive areas that would be penalized if developed.  What is needed is a reward system that would encourage the preservation of the sensitive area.

I'm just trying to reason through possible mechanisms to drive good behavior through the market rather than strictly through a penalty system that likely won't work anyway.  There are lots of people out there with much more experience and training in this area than I will ever have; I hope they will step to the forefront and bring a common sense approach that will prevent the likes of a "Green New Deal" from taking hold.

Working Grasses

Maintaining a strong stand of grasses is critical to sustainability.  Rotational grazing allows periods of rest that give the grasses time to deepen their roots and to produce seed.  This area of our pasture is primarily Dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum) which some folks see as an invasive species.  Our cattle love it.  You do have to be careful because of the potential of a smut infecting the grass which causes problems.

I, of course, chose one of the cleanest, best-looking areas of the pasture for this photograph.  It's too bad all of the pasture doesn't look like this!  The rains this year have been helpful as well.

This pasture has had no fertilizer and no herbicide or, pesticide application since we have owned the place.  The soil here is alluvial and is sometimes covered with silt-laden water that pushes out of the nearby creeks.  The silt is captured by the grasses and the water running off of the land is cleaner than the water that runs onto it!  I wish the folks upstream from me used better management techniques for their land, but then we wouldn't get the benefit of their soil migrating onto ours.

There is a tremendous amount of "carbon capture" in this grass which is then cycled through the cattle.  The Dallisgrass in this meadow will produce 3 to 4 tons of hay per acre each year while maintaining this type of stand, anchoring the soil and capturing all that carbon while it filters the water passing over it.  That's a lot of work!

The meadow also offers food for a number of wildlife species.  Early in the morning, or just before sunset, we often see deer grazing in the meadow.  Our game cameras capture them at all hours of the night as well.  Without the open meadows of healthy grasses, wildlife populations would be significantly diminished.  Deep in a dense forest there is often a lack of food sources for wildlife.  With the variety of both grasslands and forests, the number of food species increases dramatically.  The "edge" where the transition between forest and grassland occurs is crucial to wildlife and frequently where they will be found -- close to food, yet within easy distance to cover.

Now, if we just didn't have the feral hogs that roam the area and tear up the meadow....

Cows, Cities, Water and Wildlife

We have a few cows that like to go swimming.  They don't stay in the water very long, but nearly every afternoon at about the same time they walk into the water and hang out for awhile.  This was taken yesterday as we were checking cattle, which we do every day.

When I saw this, my mind overlayed a scene from the movie "Apocalypse Now" when the guy rose up out of the swampy water.  It also made me think of the character John Clark of Tom Clancy novel fame when in "Rainbow Six" he goes into Vietnam on a rescue mission and spends a great deal of time in a similar situation of using the water as cover and then rising up out of it.  Of course, the most obvious mental comparison is to an alligator, or crocodile, sitting motionless in the water with just the top of their head showing as they lurk in hope of unwary prey.

Many people claim that black-hided cattle don't do well in a hot humid environment such as we have in our part of Texas.  You can tell from the photo that this lady is, ahem, well-insulated.  Yes, she takes a dip in the pond to cool off, but she seems to do quite well at maintaining a beyond respectable body weight.  In reality, only about 10% of our cows regularly enter a pond to cool off -- even on the hottest days.  I think that number would be similar for almost any breed of cattle in our climate.

We provide separate, clean drinking water for our cattle.  We have water tanks available that are plumbed to the rural water system so the cattle always have fresh, cool water available to drink.  We also have plenty of areas where there are shade trees deliberately left standing in the pasture in order to provide a place in which the animals can rest.

Those trees also provide roosting and nesting sites for birds.  The ponds provide a home for fish and turtles and a place for wildlife to find water during periods of drought when water is difficult to find.  A lot of people don't realize that many of the water resources for wildlife across the country are there because of cattle ranchers who build the ponds and other small reservoirs to provide water to their stock.  The added benefit is to the wildlife such as waterfowl who are often seen on those stock ponds.

Depending on the time of year, we often see ducks and geese migrating through.  The stock ponds make "safe stops" for those waterfowl -- sort of like a "bed and breakfast" with a meal and place to rest.

 The ponds also help to control erosion.  When there is heavy rain, they provide a "check" to the rushing waters that would eventually eat away the land and leave deep gullies and washes.  Instead, there are grassy waterways which filter the water which goes first into the pond and then as it becomes full, pass over a spillway and continue further down a grass-covered waterway to the next pond.  It prevents the full force of the waters from rushing into streams and rivers and helps to reduce the flooding by slowing runoff.

Flooding is becoming worse because we have so much development with housing and concrete and paved roads.  The water doesn't percolate into the soil, but instead runs off.  On ranch land the story is different as described above.  Not only is the speed of flow reduced, but the water is filtered by the grasses and therefore much cleaner when it enters the streams which often flow into large reservoirs which then are used to provide drinking water to the cities.

Yeah, I'm rambling a bit this morning.  It's a long way from "Apocalypse Now" to city water supplies -- or, maybe not.  I fear that the amount and availability of sufficient drinking water for exploding populations may be the largest single potentially apocalyptic situation we face.  We see flooding in the east and drought in the west.  People are blaming it on climate change yet, we hear lots of rhetoric and hand-wringing and little understanding or, action.  By action, I'm thinking in reference to how cities are growing and spreading and adding to the problems while the ranchers who do the things like controlling erosion and encouraging grasses to cover the ground, which by-the-way also have a cooling effect, are being blamed.  The thinking is absolutely upside down.  That's par for the course, though; it is the people who are exploiting the situation that push the messaging which inspires panic in order to profit from others -- much like "war profiteers" who did the same during the various conflicts that periodically occur around the globe.  I suppose, in a way, that completes the circle from a cow in a pond to "Apocalypse Now."  Well, sort of....

A "Snappy" Traveler

Yesterday as I was out checking cattle I came across this old boy making his way across the pasture.  We had good rains a few days ago and there is lots of water so, he wasn't far from the next pool.  I'm sure he was out exploring, shopping for a new neighborhood.  This is a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).  They are found pretty much everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains.  This one probably weighed around 12-15 lbs but they can get much larger.

He was fairly calm as I moved around him taking his photograph -- almost as if he was posing.  He was obviously wary, but I suspect he was "King" of the last waterhole in which he lived and felt like he could take on anyone or, anything. 

When I was a kid we sometimes would get to go fishing in a farm pond on one of several places near where my Dad was raised.  There were lots of turtles, including this bad boy's bigger cousin, the Alligator Snapping Turtle.  They could be vicious.  They showed little fear either and would open their vice-like jaws wide while hissing at you.  They put plenty of fear in this kid who was told if one bit me they wouldn't let go until it thundered.

When I look at the photos I am reminded of the creatures in Jurassic Park the movie and its sequels.  The Snapping Turtle truly looks like a dinosaur with its protective shell and spiny tail.  Just imagine a larger version of it coming after you.

Turtle eggs were a prized source of food for many of the tribes native to the southeastern United States.  The adults were the primary ingredient in turtle soup.  They are not threatened or, endangered but, if you like turtle soup, be aware that since they often inhabit stagnant pools and will eat virtually anything -- plant or, animal -- they tend to concentrate any toxins that may be in the water and eating too much turtle might not be a particularly healthy endeavor for that reason.

As any of you who read this Blog on a regular basis have probably figured out by now, I enjoy the outdoors and the wild plants and animals found there.  Unlike many who think agriculture and wild places can't co-exist, I believe they are complementary.  We need to re-think some farming practices such as mono-cropping, but for the most part, nature is resilient and when we do things correctly in food production, wildlife abounds alongside our domesticated animals.  The grass you see that turtle making his way across is food for the cattle and also acts as a filter for the water running into a nearby creek.  The runoff from this pasture is virtually clear water whereas forested areas nearby, which have little ground cover, produce muddied water full of soil and debris.  Ranching is good for the land if for no other reason than that cover of grass which cleans and purifies the water before it goes into the reservoirs from which we obtain our drinking water.  Besides, who wouldn't prefer a steak to turtle soup?

Big Tracks

No matter where you go in this old world, people have been there ahead of you.  I think that's why history appeals to me as much as it does -- I want to know what they saw before I got there.

Several times each year I pass through the small community of Saint Jo, Texas.  It lies on U.S. Highway 82 to the Northwest of Fort Worth.  It is one of those places that tend to slide right by as you travel by automobile across the country.  It was once a very important community.

It was founded in 1849 by Prince Singletary who entered the area in a fruitless search for gold.  He found it to be an ideal place to settle near the head of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.  It grew in importance as various military expeditions crossing the area discovered it as an excellent camping spot.  Later, it was considered to be a crucial way point on the cattle drives as they headed north.  It was one of the last places to obtain supplies before heading across the Red River into Indian Territory.

Only in the imagination can you see signs of the old cattle trails.  The land forms suggest the likely path the cattle were driven on their long journey north.  Of course "the trail" wasn't what we might envision when we hear the word, it was spread out and varied somewhat in course depending on which herd was passing through.  The cattle had to forage for the grass as they walked, so each herd's path would diverge slightly in search of grazing.  The common points of convergence would be water sources and river crossings which constricted their flow to specific points.

Saint Jo is still in the heart of cattle country although it is not far from the thriving cities of Fort Worth and Dallas as well as smaller, but quickly growing communities in the surrounding area.  Some day it will likely be swallowed by suburbs that seem to expand in an endless quest for more land on which to build houses and industry.

I'm sure the citizens of Saint Jo would initially disagree, but there is value in preserving our heritage in places like this.  There is even greater value in conserving the precious resources that made this an important point on the early trails crossing the area.  At the head of an important watershed crossing the eastern portion of the state, it is critical that natural land forms and plant communities be maintained to protect quality for those downstream who are dependent upon it as a source of clean water.  The real issue however, isn't currently the land use around Saint Jo, it is the land use further downstream where urban and suburban development have engulfed the river and surrounding watershed with concrete and asphalt which causes frequent and severe flooding in the event of heavy rainfall.

The best solution to those issues is to ensure the land continues to be used for grazing which is the ideal way to maintain grasses and tree belts to mitigate rapid runoff and provide natural filters for water entering the system.  Saint Jo was important for the cowboys heading north because it provided relief and supplies from the trail.  It is important today because it is at the heart of a way of life that protects millions of people downstream.  The ranchers that come to the The Lazy Heart Grill or, the Stonewall Saloon seen in the photo above, probably aren't aware of how important their operations are to preserving the quality of life for the myriad people who live down state.

Exploding Populations and Food Production

I generally take information coming out of the United Nations with a great deal of skepticism simply because there is so much of it that is politicized, but their projections for world population growth, whether high, low or dead-on, should be taken seriously.  Barring some major worldwide disaster of unprecedented proportions, the population on the planet will grow.

Feeding that population will create challenges.

In today's world there are strange forces at work when it comes to food production.  1)  You have animal rights activists who believe we should completely eliminate animal proteins of any kind from our diet.  2)  There are environmental pressures -- some believe all agriculture is bad for the environment.  3)  There are trendy movements toward "organic" or "all natural" that affect productivity.  4)  There is the "eat local" movement.  5)  There is the "fresh" movement that would eliminate preservatives.  6)  There are various diets that eliminate certain food groups.  7)  There is competition for the resources to grow it -- land and water.

I'm sure I've missed a few of the anti-food-as-we-know-it pressures, but you get the picture.

My point is that in spite of the need to feed a rapidly growing population, there are pressures that negatively impact agriculture.  Add to that the normal periodic effects of massive weather events such as flooding in the U.S. this year which has delayed corn planting, or the droughts and fires followed by flooding which have hit Australia recently and the ability to feed the planet's population becomes increasingly questionable.

What is the solution?  New technologies that help us to do more with less -- just as U.S. agriculture has done for years -- in new and creative ways.

We need meat protein production for several reasons.  Animals are efficient converters of plants, that are unusable by humans, into excellent foods is the primary one.  Livestock, especially cattle, are also an effective way to manage some environments such as prairies and deserts -- if properly handled.

Vegetables are a different issue.  Locally grown has tremendous merit due to spoilage in transportation.  Transportation is also another problem -- the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere is transportation.  Growing vegetables locally would eliminate some of that.  They also lend themselves to industrial-type greenhouse conditions which are effective ways to grow them with a low spacial footprint which helps to solve issues of seasonality.

One of the greater concerns that I have is that of food waste.  In the U.S. it is a real problem.  Previous generations had lower food waste because they utilized the "scraps" and leftovers by feeding them to swine or their dogs -- which by-the-way had "jobs" such as "burglar alarm" and guardian of the domestic stock against predators.  How much potential human food is made into pet food?

Probably the biggest issue that will impact our ability to produce the necessary food to feed the burgeoning world population is water.  Competition between industry, cities and agriculture for this single limited resource will become fierce.  Efficiently utilizing it to meet the various competing needs is a problem we need to accept and begin now to implement plans that will meet the future needs.  With an expected increase of the world population of about 60% over today's numbers to a projected 11.2 billion people by 2050, we need to face the reality that water is going to be a growing issue.  That's only about 30 years away -- the blink of an eye when you really think about it.

Clean Water Needed

Yesterday we had an interesting discussion with a couple of friends about differences between cultures.  They have lived in numerous places and he traveled a large part of the world with the military.  Our experiences are much more limited, but we have been to a couple of other countries.

As we talked, one of the things that came up was the issue of water when traveling to other places.  We take water for granted.  In this country we are blessed with water systems that are sanitary and for the most part the water is free of harmful chemicals and parasites.  We can drink water directly from the kitchen faucet without concern that we will become violently ill.

We take water for granted because it is abundantly supplied and clean.  We use it without thought or, fear.  That is not the case elsewhere.

One of the reasons the life expectancy in many countries is low is due to the heavy parasite load that most people are carrying.  Many of those parasites are contracted through drinking water, or from eating food items that have been washed in that water.

In my limited travels to other countries, I was given advice to never drink the water, never eat fresh fruit or, vegetables washed in the water, and never rinse my toothbrush with tap water.  Always drink only bottled water and use it even for wetting my toothbrush prior to brushing my teeth.  Also, it is necessary to make certain the bottle of water had an intact seal before opening it.

This issue was truly brought home to me in Niger where I observed young women drawing water from a community well in the center of a village.  Upon looking into the well I observed trash and even dead rodents in the water.  It is a wonder to me how any of them live so long.

There are many opportunities for "doing good" in this world.  They surround us if we would only look and observe.  One of them is helping to provide clean drinking water to those in need.  There are a number of organizations devoted to that purpose.  If you really want to make a difference in the lives of others, it is a good place to start.  Seek out one of these groups and help them financially, or better yet, take a trip with them to help provide a good source of clean water to people in need.

We are all created in God's image.  We are all called to help our fellow man.  Quit admiring yourself in the mirror and look around.  If you know of a reputable organization, please post their contact information in the comments.

Trust, Water and Government

Storms once again rumbled across the Southern Plains today. They have brought much in the way of promise but delivered little to my little corner of the world. The rains to the east have been a blessing to others.

This morning our pastor used rain in an illustration. I wish that I had made notes because now I struggle to remember it. I do recall that if a rancher receives a 1 inch rainfall on a section of land (1 square mile or 640 acres), he would receive a total of about 17,378,560 gallons of water. If you owned a home on 1 acre of land, 1 inch of rain would equal about 27,154 gallons of water.

Now, I don't know about you, but I know that my water bill each month -- especially in the summer -- can be significant. I am fortunate that I live in the country and have well water which basically costs the electricity to pump it and the amortized investment in the well and pump along with the average annual repair bill. It is still less than the cost of city water.

I live in an area with about 18 inches of average annual rainfall. I have 4 acres of land. That calculates to 1,955,088 gallons of water that I receive each year on my small acreage. I live approximately 550 miles from the Gulf of Mexico -- the nearest ocean. Our rainfall is typically a function of moisture from the Gulf meeting a cold front coming in from the north.

The average cost of tap water in the U.S. is approximately $1.50/1000 gallons. My expected annual rainfall of 1,955,088 gallons of water would cost me around $2,932 if delivered from my tap at the U.S. average cost. If you considered the fact that the water likely came from the Gulf of Mexico and was purified along the way, you would need to add the cost of a filtration system, a desalinization plant and transportation costs. I won't begin to guess what all of that would cost. The transportation alone is enormous.

The thing that interests me most though, is that God does all of that for free. I wonder then why it is that we trust our government for all of the wonderful services that we enjoy and pay exorbitant prices for them when God can do such amazing things for free....

Maybe instead of putting our trust in the government we should put it in God.

Forcast is Smog over L.A.

The smog will certainly thicken (heh, heh)!

LA residents told to cut showers as drought deepens

Wed Jun 6, 2007 5:20PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles residents were urged on Wednesday to take shorter showers, reduce lawn sprinklers and stop throwing trash in toilets in a bid to cut water usage by 10 percent in the driest year on record.
With downtown Los Angeles seeing a record low of 4 inches
of rain since July 2006 -- less than a quarter of normal -- and with a hot, dry summer ahead, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city needed "to change course and conserve water to steer clear of this perfect storm."
It is the driest year since rainfall records began 130 years ago....(complete article here)

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This is only going to become more and more common -- not because of global warming (a natural phenomenon) -- but because of the population pressure on arid regions. We as a country might want to consider some form of national planning and zoning (I know, that's very anti-capitalistic) to control 1) urban sprawl into prime agricultural areas, 2) environmental pressures -- we already see this on where concentrated livestock facilities can locate and it should be an important consideration in locating many industries, and 3) pressure on water supplies. We could avert a lot of future headaches and heartaches for our children with a little planning now. Sadly, we can't let our government lead such an effort. They are notoriously short-sighted -- just look at Social Security and the potential disaster our children and grand children face with that!