Dixon Water Foundation

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RECENT NEWS

Alamito Creek Conservation Initiative Update

May 8, 2025 by Dixon Water Foundation

Alamito Creek Conservation Initiative

The ACCI partnership with Borderlands Research Institute and Rio Grande Joint Venture has recently launched a website.

We’ll be posting videos and more information regarding the work that has been going on this year in the coming months. For now, please visit the ACCI website for more information and resources.

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News

Support Producers Impacted by the Texas Panhandle Wildfires

March 5, 2024 by Dixon Water Foundation

Producers across the Texas Panhandle are experiencing the largest wildfire in Texas History. 

The National Center for Appropriate Technology has had the privilege to work with outstanding farmers and ranchers across this region to regenerate the land, and now they have lost everything to the fires. 

Please donate to any of the organizations below and or others across your networks.  

Animal Supply Points through AgriLife To donate hay, feed, fencing materials, or equipment contact: 

Marcus Preuniger at 806-669-8033 or 325-728-0477
Clyde Carruth Pavilion, 301 Bull Barn Drive, Pampa, TX 79065

Andy Holloway at 806-323-9114
Canadian AH&N Ranch Supply, 100 Hackberry St., Canadian, TX 79014

Hanna Conner at 806-878-4026 or 806-395-7005
Hutchinson County Airport, 1608 Airport Road, Borger, TX 79007

General questions about donations or relief efforts
– please call 806.354.5800 

Other Donations Facebook Group: Panhandle Wildfire Recovery & Resources

Facebook Group: Panhandle Wildfire Recovery & Resources https://www.facebook.com/groups/379423138053394
First Baptist Canadian:http://fbccanadian.org/firehelp/
HF&C Feeds Lubbock:donations at store or via phone 806-866-9801
High Cotton Relief Fund:venmo @HighCottonRelief
Texas Department of Ag STAR Fund:https://www.texasagriculture.gov/Home/Production-Agriculture/Disaster-Assistance/STAR-Fund
Additional Texas AgriLife Resources:https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/2024-panhandle-wildfires/  

If you are in crisis, please see attra.ncat.org/farmer-well-being/ for a list of crisis hotlines and additional resources.This information was compiled and shared by the National Center for Appropriate Technology.

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News

Growing Sustainability: UNT Event shares collaborative ways to shape more resilient communities, businesses

October 30, 2023 by Dixon Water Foundation

The University of North Texas recently hosted a sustainability conference with student presenters and panelists from various industry sectors, including Dixon Water Foundation. Follow this link for a recap of the event:

https://research.unt.edu/news/growing-sustainability-event-shares-collaborative-ways-shape-more-resilient-communities

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: education, ranching, research

New Report Testing Novel Phenology Monitoring Approach to Help Inform Graze Planning

June 22, 2023 by Dixon Water Foundation

In the spring and summer of 2022, Dixon Water Foundation helped sponsor and host a project that utilized novel imaging technology to track prairie plant phenology. Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate, plant and animal life. As phenology relates to plants, it refers to flowering and seeding.

This project, conducted by the Bontanical Research Institute of Texas, explored the use of time-lapse cameras and community science protocols to observe and analyze pollinator abundance and plant phenology within various pastures of Dixon’s Leo Unit in North Texas. By understanding when and where pollinators and resources important to pollinators were on the landscape throughout the year and considering this information when making a grazing plan, ranchers may be able to promote conservation of essential species and native prairie functionality.

See the results of the pilot study in the report linked here.

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: education, field program, grasslands, ranching, research, wildlife

Winter Grassland Bird Tagging in Far West Texas

March 2, 2023 by Dixon Water Foundation

Sunrise at Mimms Ranch. Photo by Josh Lefever
https://www.birdconservancy.org/winter-grassland-bird-tagging-in-far-west-texas/

Check out this recent article from the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies about their work in West Texas at our Marfa ranch.

Filed Under: In The Media, News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: education, grasslands, ranching, research, wildlife

Mourning the Loss of Walt Davis

February 3, 2022 by Dixon Water Foundation

We are saddened to announce the loss of our friend, mentor, and Dixon Water Foundation Board Member, Walt Davis.

As we process our thoughts on Walt, please see this recent tribute from the Holistic Management International newsletter.

HMI Mourns the Loss of Walt Davis

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: Holistic Management, ranching

BCarbon Begins Joint Research Project on Soil Carbon Sequestration with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company

February 3, 2022 by Dixon Water Foundation

Project involves 20,000 acres of public and private grasslands.

February 3, 2022

BCarbon and ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) will begin a three-year study of nature-based carbon sequestration potential in association with the King Ranch, the EXELL Cattle Company, the Clark Farm, the Dixon Water Foundation, the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, and the New Mexico State Land Office.

The research will measure variation in carbon sequestration rates between tallgrass, shortgrass, and Texas coastal prairie ecosystems across a variety of climate and soil conditions as well as quantify range management impacts on water and biodiversity. Other key capacity and cost issues will be studied, including new measurement technologies and regional soil carbon analysis infrastructure including data analytics, laboratories, education, and training.

BCarbon is a non-profit carbon credit certification organization based in Houston, Texas that was created in 2020 by a diverse stakeholder group sponsored by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Jim Blackburn, CEO of BCarbon said, “Nature-based systems have the potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprint as well as provide far greater resilience for floods and droughts. This is the kind of real-world collaboration we believe will produce lasting results. And make no mistake about it – we are looking to create lasting results on climate, ecology and economics.”

Robert Hodgen, President and CEO of King Ranch, Inc. stated, “This project aligns with several of our core values including innovation, sustainability and support of rural communities. Our team is excited to collaborate with BCarbon and EMRE in this important project to define the natural carbon sequestration capacity of ranchlands across the country.”

Land Commissioner Jodi Smith with the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands added, “The Department manages over 700,000 surface acres of trust lands to provide funds for public schools and other public institutions. Managing these lands to naturally store more carbon could be important for the future funding of public education in North Dakota, and for meeting the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030; however, we need the research to help us plan more effectively.”

Julie Maitland, Division Director for Agricultural Programs and Resources at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture said, “New Mexico is leading important efforts in climate change. Understanding how soil carbon might offer both climate solutions and important new economic revenue streams to our rural areas is critical to our long-term strategy.”

Will Barnes, Deputy Director of the Surface Resources Division of the New Mexico State Land Office added that, “working with state land agricultural lessees to conduct this kind of world class scientific research is vitally important to the protection of resilient rangelands and rural economies in New Mexico and helps the Commissioner’s efforts to create new diverse revenue streams on behalf of New Mexico public schools, universities and hospitals.”

Robert Potts, President of the Dixon Water Foundation offered, “We have supported our own research into soil carbon in the past. We know it occurs. We are very pleased to have a chance to extend our knowledge to areas like our Marfa, Texas ranching operations in drier climates where soil carbon accumulation will be more challenging.”

Dr. H.C. Clark, Owner of the Clark Farm in Texas, appreciates being part of this research project stating, “I’ve been reading about this potential soil carbon market for several years and am excited to be a part of the development of science-based research to help make better-informed decisions.”

“ExxonMobil’s continued investment in R&D plays an important role in developing breakthrough solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensity across our businesses,” said Vijay Swarup, Vice President of Research and Development at ExxonMobil. “This collaboration with BCarbon is designed to study the nature-based carbon sequestration potential in grasslands in multiple states, with the potential to be deployed on and around ExxonMobil operations.”

The project will be underway as of January 15th , 2022, and research updates will be posted here regularly. For further information, contact Jim Blackburn, CEO and Chairman of the Board for BCarbon, at blackbur@rice.edu.

View full press release here.

Filed Under: News & Events, Press Releases, Recent News Tagged With: carbon sequestration, grasslands, research, soil

Dixon Water Foundation’s Mimms Unit becomes host to first Motus station in the Chihuahuan Desert

January 28, 2022 by Dixon Water Foundation

In Mid-December, 2021, Dixon Water Foundation’s Mimms Unit ranch in the Marfa Grasslands became the first location in the Chihuahuan Desert to host a Motus wildlife tracking station. Motus is an international network of tracking stations that will document when radio-tagged migratory wildlife species come within the range of the a deployed station. This range is typically around 15-20km (9-12 miles). The station utilizes several radio antennas that coincide with widely used radio collar technologies, as well as a solar powered logger that catches observation data which is uploaded over a cellular network.

The Mimms Unit was selected as a host site due to the presence of over-wintering grassland birds that are the focus of several studies researching habitat requirements and causes of population declines for species of concern. Many birds spend their breeding seasons in the Northern Great Plains and migrate south to the Chihuahuan Desert for the winter. The goal of this station is to record the presence of radio-tagged birds to help answer questions about when and where birds spend various portions of their life cycle.

Dixon staff worked with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to locate a site for the new station and chose to repurpose an out-of-service utility pole on a hillside overlooking large pastures.

Researchers and the public alike can learn more about Motus at their website, motus.org

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies technicians talk to seasonal survey teams about the newly deployed Mimms Unit Motus station, December 2021.

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: grasslands, Mimms Unit, research, wildlife

2020 West Texas Drought Plan

December 22, 2020 by Dixon Water Foundation

This year, 2020, has brought abnormally low rainfall to West Texas. This video details our West Texas ranching drought response and offers a general update on our operations during this past summer and fall.

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News Tagged With: cattle, drought, drought management, livestock, watershed health, west texas

Management During Drought

October 8, 2020 by Dixon Water Foundation

Much of West Texas has been experiencing a drought in 2020. Our Mimms Unit is located in Marfa, Texas, in the Trans-Pecos region of the state, which has been hit hard by these drought conditions.

Map provided by the United States Drought Monitor

The drought has caused us to come up with a management plan as to not over-stress our livestock or the range. There is much to consider when ranching in drought conditions.

Walt Davis is a fifth generation rancher, author, and is on the ranch committee and board of directors for Dixon Water Foundation. He authored the piece posted below, which addresses drought management, and is particularly relevant for our Mimms Unit ranch at this time:

Drought – by Walt Davis

     Droughts are a regular occurrence for most ranching operations since ranches tend to be located in areas of natural grassland and one of the formative factors for grasslands is erratic moisture availability. The frequency and severity of droughts varies according to location and this information is a prime factor in formulating management plans. If drought is recognized as a normal occurrence, then plans can be made to reduce its impact upon the operation and upon the soil-plant-animal complex on which the operation depends. The following is a quick sketch of what occurs (in, more or less, chronological order) during and after drought and to point out management strategies that are useful in alleviating its’ effects.

In the short term:

The rate of forage growth slows.

Stock water quantity and /or quality drops.

Animal production is reduced either by lower animal numbers or by poor performance of the same numbers. The competitive advantage shifts to non-forage and low- quality forage plants as a higher percentage of the quality forage is consumed.

In the mid term:

Both mineral cycling and energy flow through the system began to slow. This puts additional pressure on quality forage species since they tend to require better growing conditions. Weaker individual plants of these species began to die due to overgrazing.

Unless numbers are reduced, animal performance declines as poor nutrition stresses animals and causes them to be more susceptible to parasites and disease. Mortality rates increase in weaker animals.

Surface cover, both living plant and litter declines, which damages the water cycle by reducing water infiltration and by increasing evaporation. Potential for soil erosion by water runoff increases.

Temperatures at and near the soil surface become more extreme due to the loss of insulation effects of turf and litter. Biological activity slows in this critical area further reducing both energy flow and the mineral cycle.

Low humidity at and near the soil surface reduces the establishment of quality forage seedlings and gives competitive advantage to seedlings of non-forage species. This low humidity at the soil surface also reduces the populations of all types of beneficial organisms from spiders and earthworms to beneficial nematodes, bacteria, and fungi. Loss of these organisms sets the stage for later explosive growth of pest organism populations.

Stock water becomes a major problem.

As forage quality and quantity both decline, poisonous plants that would normally not be consumed by livestock become more dangerous. Also poisoning can occur from drought stressed plants that accumulate nitrates due to slow growth or by the formation of prussic acid in certain plants.

If a large area is affected, livestock prices will decline as producers reduce animal numbers.

Long-term effects:

Bare ground increases and long-lived plants such as trees and brush take up most of the available soil moisture. Forage production becomes minimal.

Livestock production is greatly reduced, and wildlife populations suffer.

Soil erosion by wind increases and any rainfall causes erosion.

Biodiversity decreases and populations of beneficial plants and animals are reduced. If the drought is long enough or severe enough, entire species of plants and animals are lost to the local environment.

Effects after drought breaks:

Populations of pest organisms explode. Weeds, grasshoppers, armyworms, fire ants and other species that thrive in a simplified local environment can build large populations very rapidly when moisture returns. These population explosions extend the deleterious effects of the drought by preventing the recovery of populations of beneficial plants and animals.

Soil erosion can be severe if large areas of bare ground have formed. Water infiltration will be below normal until soil cover is reestablished. Floods from excessive runoff may occur even though soil moisture is still below normal.

Succession will have been pushed back by the damage to the mineral cycles, water cycle and energy flow. The extent to which biological succession is repressed is greatly affected by our management practices during the drought. Long-term range deterioration is caused more by our management practices during drought than by the drought.

Planning for drought:

      Realize that drought is normal and will occur sooner or later. The frequency with which drought occurs depends upon the location of the area and upon its degree of ecological health. Know the historical frequency of drought for your area and plan accordingly. The effects of dry weather are in direct proportion to the health of the range. Degraded range suffers sooner and more severely than does healthy range. Know the condition of your country and do all that is feasible to improve your range while conditions are good.

     If you operate in a drought prone area, the first order of business should be to make realistic financial plans to cope with the drought that is surely coming. If your operation is  such that you are not building a surplus reserve, you would be wise to change the operation. By the same token, you should prepare mentally for the coming drought. The stress and helpless feeling that come from not being in control of your operation, can literally be life threatening. If you know a drought is coming, it can be planned for and not become a mental or financial disaster.

     Plan the mix of enterprises to the likely frequency and severity of drought. Set up a mix of livestock that allows stocking rate to vary with a minimum of disturbance to the overall operation of the ranch. This mix might range from 10 % stockers and 90% registered cows in an area little subject to drought; to stocker goats purchased only in the years that it rains on country subject to frequent and severe drought. Get ready to lighten the load on your range at short notice and with minimal financial damage. Plan to reduce stock numbers before it becomes absolutely necessary. Once growth stops, the sooner numbers are reduced the more animals can be saved.

     Know the realistic carrying capacity of your country and the results of over stocking.

     Subdivide your country so that time control management becomes feasible. This subdivision can normally be more than paid for with increased production and decreased costs. Design, implement and continually update a grazing plan for each unit on the ranch. Build a time reserve for drought into the plan. When drought occurs, combine herds wherever possible to increase the number of paddocks available to each herd. This makes longer recovery periods possible without increasing the length of the graze periods. As growth slows during a drought, recovery periods must be lengthened if damage to the vegetation is to be minimized. Keeping graze periods short is the key to good animal performance.

     Develop water in excess of what you expect to need. One or two weak water points can disrupt the entire grazing plan, bring about unnecessary damage to range through overuse, and cause poor animal performance.

     Understand that the long-lasting damage of a drought comes from a loss of biodiversity and a regression of biological succession. Began building biological capital, which is high biodiversity plus the long- term effects of having high biodiversity. This is the factor that gives stability as well as productivity to range. Manage to push biological succession forward and biodiversity will increase. Improving the mineral cycles, the water cycle and the amount of energy flow through the system is the key to stability and productivity.

     Learn the normal weather patterns of your area and be alert for early signs of drought. Know in what time period the forage you depend upon is grown. If moisture is low or ineffective going into the period of peak growth, some degree of drought is almost certain.

     Understand the relationships between animals, plants, and soil in a rangeland situation. In times of drought, animals will suffer permanent damage before the vegetation is permanently damaged. Most permanent drought damage to the vegetation and the soil of a range comes about because animals are held on an area long after the  ability of the land to feed them is gone. Droughts have come and gone for eons without destroying the range. Before man brought increased water supplies and feed, when drought became serious the animals either moved or died. By feeding animals on drought-stricken range, we compound the damage many times over by destroying soil cover and thus the soil. Animals recover from stress faster than range forage and range forage recovers much faster than does soil. It is very possible to save the herd and lose the ranch.

       Know the difference between feeding for supplementation and feeding for substitution. Supplementing low quality forage with protein or minerals can be a valuable tool. Substitution feeding of animals seldom makes economic or ecological sense. If the decision is made to use substitution feeding, put the animals into drylot to prevent damage to the range. Livestock can be replaced much more quickly then damage to the range can be repaired.

Management after the drought:

     Expect a plague of weeds along with grasshoppers, armyworms or whatever pest organisms are common to your area. These population explosions come about because of the reduced amount of life in the area due to the drought. Be careful that your response to the situation does not increase the problem. Weeds are natures’ way to respond quickly to bare ground. If there is nothing growing but weeds and you kill the weeds, you still have no forage, but you do have bare ground. Pest organism explosions occur because of a lack of biodiversity. Be careful that your response doesn’t further reduce biodiversity and make the problem worse.

     Do not be in a hurry to re-establish the old number of herds. Keep your stock density high after the drought breaks unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. High stock density is a powerful tool for improving mineral cycle, water cycle and energy flow and thus moving biological succession forward. It is also the most effective tool to deal with the plagues of pest organisms as it addresses the root cause of these plagues, which is low biological activity.

     If you do not have a monitoring program in place, use the end of the drought as a starting point and began monitoring the health of your range. With good management, improvement will be rapid after good conditions return and this will offer an excellent opportunity to learn how the range heals itself given the chance. Set up permanent photo points and began a formal monitoring process addressing the whole soil-plant-animal complex.

     Our management determines the health of our grazing lands. If our practices promote healthy ecological processes: good water cycles, rapid mineral cycling and strong energy flow; biological succession will advance, and our ranges will become both more productive and more stable. Our management during drought is particularly critical since the ecological processes are under stress so that the effects of management mistakes are magnified. Natural grasslands are extremely stable due to their complexity and to the health (read high organic content) of their soils. These grasslands evolved with drought over eons of time. When nature was managing the show, if drought became severe, the grazing animals either left or died. Charles Goodnight writes of riding across the Llano Estacado in the early 1870’s and not being out of sight of drought killed buffalo for two days. The drought ended and the prairie came back just as it had hundreds of times before. Drought does not destroy grassland, our management during drought destroys grassland. If we are going to operate in drought prone areas, we would be wise to study natures’ means of range management. Some of nature’s most valuable tools are; keeping stock density high, matching the demands for forage to the production of forage especially during drought, matching recovery time to growing conditions and never leaving animals on the range when it has lost its’ ability to produce the feed they need. Do these things in an economically feasible way and your operation has a head start in the race for success.

Walt Davis © 1998

Filed Under: News & Events, Recent News, Uncategorized Tagged With: Holistic Management, ranching, regenerative, regenerative management

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The Dixon Water Foundation promotes healthy watersheds through sustainable land management to ensure that future generations have the water resources they need.

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