Facing Drought Together

Key Takeaways

Cutoff Dates Matter
WSR found that stopping irrigation around July 1 provided a good balance between conserving water and maintaining forage yield.

Experimentation Pays Off
Trials with deficit irrigation, split-season watering, and fallowing are building a clearer picture of how operations can stay viable with less water.

Roots Tell the Story
In some cases, reduced irrigation spurred deeper root growth in grasses, strengthening long-term drought resilience.

Peer Learning is Powerful
Producers said that exchanging ideas with neighbors is one of the most effective ways to adapt quickly to water scarcity.

Photo: The entrance to Western States Ranches’ Eckert, Colorado, property. WSR runs a cow/calf operation here and has been working with academics on drought resilience studies.

Farmers and ranchers in the Colorado River Basin have been dealing with intense drought for decades. Sharing how producers are innovating to adapt to the impacts of reduced water isn’t always easy, filtering things through the grapevine takes times, and not everyone can attend every conference – there’s water to move after all. Innovation takes time and experimentation, and often more failure than success, but new ideas and techniques are being developed to help farmers and ranchers weather the impacts of aridification. On Aug. 26, Western Landowners Alliance and Western States Ranches (WSR) combined forces to bring 30 people together for a half-day of learning about what tactics they’ve been experimenting with that could potentially lead to the development of effective measures producers could voluntarily implement to make producers more drought resilient.

With an extended period of drought like the one seen in the western U.S., the challenge of distributing water is becoming more complicated. While WSR has irrigation rights from Surface Creek, a stream that flows down off the Grand Mesa, the creek can run dry when precipitation is insufficient, and the system becomes more reliant on supplementation from reservoir releases.

Experimenting with Irrigation Strategies

“When landowners share openly about what works—and what doesn’t—they help the entire ranching community adapt more quickly.”

Photo: Mike Higuera, WSR’s agricultural operations manager, discusses a drought resilience experiment.

One way to find out is through experimentation. Using the System Conservation Pilot Program, WSR has partnered with CSU Extension’s Perry Cabot to test different irrigation approaches, from split-season watering to complete fallowing. They are carefully monitoring evapotranspiration rates and crop yields under each scenario, comparing normally irrigated fields with those receiving far less water.

The data is already reshaping understanding of what’s possible. Factors such as how long a field has been in perennial grass, when irrigation is cut off, and how grazing rotations are timed all play into outcomes. For example, WSR found that a July 1 irrigation cutoff strikes a workable balance between saving water and producing enough forage. Some trials have reduced yields, while others have spurred stronger root growth and healthier grasses. Each experiment adds to a growing body of knowledge about how to stretch limited water supplies without sacrificing long-term viability.

These experiments are leading to a better understanding of how much water is saved by modifying irrigation techniques, how reduction in water use impacts an operation, and how operations can be more drought resilient. WSR has seen increased root growth for grasses under certain conditions and had less success in other areas, but every trial has resulted in an increase in understanding how to remain economically viable with less water. Understanding these impacts allows them to balance reduced production, water conservation, and economic viability to maintain a healthy operation.

Learning From One Another

Equally important is sharing those lessons. The Field Day highlighted the value of peer-to-peer exchange, giving producers a space to ask candid questions and trade hard-earned insights. Even a surprise rain shower that cut the program short couldn’t dampen the discussion. Attendees left with new ideas to test back home and a sense that they are not alone in confronting the challenges of aridification.

That sense of community may be just as critical as the research itself. When landowners share openly about what works—and what doesn’t—they help the entire ranching community adapt more quickly. Western Landowners Alliance will continue to foster these connections, bringing producers together to test solutions, build resilience, and ensure the West’s working lands remain both economically and ecologically strong.

Drought may be an enduring challenge, but collaboration and innovation are proving to be powerful tools. By learning from one another and experimenting boldly, producers across the Colorado River Basin are showing that resilience is not only possible, but already underway.