GROWING A RIVER

by Cathy Ramsey, Contributing Author for Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

Paddling down a river is my favorite way to spend time near my home in Central Texas. The grassy hills and rocky, undulating terrain make for gushing springs and clear rivers offering up a seemingly endless succession of gentle rapids, stepping you down the stream one after another. The cool currents guide you through the countryside, rich with birdsong, wandering wildlife, and rustling breezes. What could possibly mar such a scene?

How about drought.

Dry periods are also a part of nature here, and while dreams of drifting down a full and lazy river may come to a screeching halt, they're prime time to prepare your land to take full advantage of every drop when the rains return. One key preparation is reestablishing native grasses.

Grasses are exceptional at building soil and aiding water infiltration, and can be managed to resupply our groundwater. The ideal time to seed our native warm season grasses is March and April. If you have bare areas or non-native pastures you want to convert back to native grasslands, now is the time to act.

Much of Central Texas was historically a mixed grass prairie, shorter on the ridge tops, mid-height on the slopes, and tallest in the bottom lands. Prairies absorb more water than they use, which resulted in huge aquifer reserves producing plentiful springs and abundant rivers. Since Texas became a state, farming, overgrazing, and development have changed things considerably. Less than .1% of this native prairie remains intact, and our springs and aquifers are diminishing at an alarming rate. We have already lost over a third of our historic springs, and more go dry all the time.

Reestablishing native grasses is an important step in water conservation, stream and river restoration, and the rewards become apparent in a relatively short time.

Reestablishing native grasses
Yard areas can be planted with shorter natives such as buffalo grass and blue gramma, and bordered with beds or swales of taller grasses to catch any runoff coming from the shorter yard. In areas of heavy deer traffic, taller bunch grasses such as big muhly and switchgrass can stand in for shrubs which deer can't seem to resist. Reseeding even a portion of your property can help reintroduce native seed stock which will spread with time. Choose a mix appropriate to your soil, and start with the early successional grasses which establish quickly, including blue and sideoats gramma, silver bluestem, green sprangletop, and bristle grass. Climax grasses such as little bluestem, switch, and indiangrass can be seeded simultaneously, but may take a bit longer to become established, particularly in dry years. Finally, throw in some Texas cupgrass seed, a beautiful and almost evergreen grass endemic to our area, which has the added bonus of being a favorite of painted buntings.

Once established, it's important to let the native grasses maintain their natural height. Mowing too frequently will prevent the bunch grasses from seeding, and eventually leave them vulnerable to competition from fast growing non-natives such as King Ranch bluestem and bermuda, which spread by both rhizome and seed. While occasional grazing or mowing at the highest setting possible is appropriate and beneficial, as described below, native prairie grasses maintained at their natural height have a network of roots extending deep and wide, loosening the soil to create a sponge-like layer. The taller the grass, the deeper the roots, and the better the possibility of infiltration with each rain, no matter how fast and hard it comes down. Some of these grasses have roots in excess of 17 feet deep! These taller grasses catch and hold water droplets along their stems, allowing absorption to continue after the rain has ended, and increasing overall intake into the soil. They also shade the soil, reducing evaporation and reflected heat, and act as filters, reducing pollution. Water that has filtered through the soil is not only purified, it's also cooled. When it's released through spring flow, rather than running over land as runoff, the temperature of our streams is stabilized, and our swimming holes stay clear, chilly, and inviting.

Know when to mow
Mowing once a year, generally in mid-February in most years, and perhaps again in early July during a wet year, is sufficient. Leaving alternate portions alone for a two year stretch will allow biennial forbs to become established, and provide cover and nesting structure for wildlife. In direct contrast to the benefits of grasses left at their natural height as described, above, short grass grows short roots, shrinking the active layer of life in the soil and reducing the ability of the soil to absorb water. Without the shading of taller foliage, the ground dries out faster and becomes hard, making the next rain less likely to be absorbed. The grass becomes dry and brittle, increasing fire danger. Considering that many of our natives, especially little bluestem, put on strong growth and begin seed production during the dry season of July and August, short mowing at that time places non-natives at the advantage. Moreover, the new growth present on the natives contains moisture brought up from deep in the soil and is less likely to burn than short, dry grass. If the grass is closely cropped at this time, more soil is exposed, and more heat is reflected. A tall meadow is noticeably cooler during the heat of the year; walk a path through one and feel for yourself! Lastly, too-frequent mowing increases compaction due to the weight of heavy equipment, further stifling root expansion and aeration. Runoff increases, erosion increases, and stream quality suffers.

If you're a fan of beautiful rivers, remember them when planning your landscape and managing your land. A big stand of native grass is not only a pleasure to view, swaying gently in the breeze, but is water in the bank and savings for the future.

Reestablishing native grasses is an important step in water conservation, stream and river restoration, and the rewards become apparent in a relatively short time. Photo by Lee Kothmann.

LAND MANAGEMENT FROM THE GROUND UP: TAKE A LOOK AROUND AND PLAY BY THE RULES WHEN PLANTING

by Beyrl Armstong, Co-founder, Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

In considering which plants are appropriate to be planted or removed from a property there are some hard and fast rules that must be followed. These rules are not devised by someone sitting behind a desk thinking of ways to complicate your lives. They have been established over thousands of years through natural selection. Plants live best where they have evolved. When we, with our ability to disobey the rules, start choosing from the broad palette that is available to us today we need to consider the rules of nature.

Soil Types
Most plants grow in soil. The type and depth of soil, its porosity, water retention capabilities as well as mineral and chemical makeup are crucial in choosing the right types of plants to put in the ground. The soils in the Hill Country are, by and large, shallow, tight (clayish), alkaline soils that only support very specifically adapted plants. In contrast, the soils north and west of Bastrop, only a few miles from Austin, are sandy, well drained and acidic, thereby supporting a population of loblolly pines.

I know of landowners who, having moved here from the Rockies, planted acidic sandy soil loving pines in the shallow alkaline clay of northern Blanco County. The pines all died, despite heroic efforts made to fertilize them. Had the landowners simply looked around the property they would have noticed that no pines were growing anywhere in the area. Wildlife Management Plans prepared by Plateau include a map and description of the soils found on a property and a list of plants that are appropriate for the area. These can be very valuable in planning and implementing brush and woodland management.

Weather
Some plants love the heat and flourish on hot dry hill sides; other plants are better suited for cool, shady creek sides. Freezing weather kills certain plants to the ground while "chilling hours" are required for other plants to flourish. Before going to the expense and effort of planting perennial plants, it is important to, once again, look around and see what is there. This is a good indication if plants will flourish in the specific environment that you are trying to enhance.

The Landowner's Notebook that accompanies each Plateau Wildlife Management Plan contains a recommended list of plants, which includes information on sun tolerance and climate that is appropriate for each species listed.

Water Needs
A plant's ability to deal with drought or, conversely, with moist soils, is also an important factor in determining its appropriateness in a specific portion of a property. Cedar (Ashe juniper) does not tolerate moist soils, Cedar Elms do. Lantana, agarito, and Texas persimmon are very drought tolerant plants, that's why they are found in abundance throughout the Hill Country. Big muhly grass and bushy bluestem will only grow in moist soil, that's why you often find them down slope from a pond or along shallow drainages. Observing the plants that are present in an area targeted for planting will help a landowner determine the water availability of the site. Using this information, in combination with the soil type and sun availability, Plateau clients can consult the plant list provided in the Landowner Notebook and make informed decisions on what and where to plant on their property.

Plants live best where they have evolved. Photo by Lee Kothmann.