As drought worsens, Oklahoma ranchers look to the state for relief
Oklahoma ranchers are prematurely selling off cattle herds, the price for shipping in hay has tripled in some cases and dry ponds are a common site on farms across the state as a worsening drought is being described as a crisis by many in the agriculture industry.
“It’s dire, the drought has taken a toll,” said Clay Burtrum, who has a herd of about 500 cattle in Stillwater. “Right now the big need is water. We need more water, whether it be hauling it in or putting in more tanks.”
As the frequency of extreme weather — like droughts — increases across Oklahoma, farmers and ranchers are increasingly looking to the state for both emergency assistance and long-range plans for how to deal with dry conditions that are becoming more common.
The state Legislature allocated $3 million for drought relief this year, and a special three-person commission is in the process of determining how to spend those funds.
More:Drought leads Oklahoma City to draw water from Canton Lake for first time since 2013
“I know that won’t come close to (meeting) the needs we know that exist right now,” said Blayne Arthur, the state’s secretary of agriculture who is also chair of the state’s emergency drought commission.
At a recent meeting, the commission heard from various representatives of state agriculture organizations who said ranchers need help to build new water pumps, haul in water and access hay for cattle herds.
The lack of water and feed has forced many ranchers to begin selling off some of their animals, which already has reduced the state’s cattle population by about 12%, said Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
"We are probably going to see more (sell-offs) as many producers don’t have enough hay for the cows they currently have,” Kelsey said. “In December and January, we may very well see another large selloff of cows in Oklahoma.”
Extreme weather, including heat and droughts, are becoming more common
It's nothing new for Oklahoma farmers to deal with extreme weather and tough conditions, but many in the agriculture industry say the last few years have been unlike anything experienced in a generation.
"Oklahoma has always had crazy weather, we have some of the craziest weather on the planet," said Scott Blubaugh, president of American Farmers & Ranchers. "But I have been farming all my life, I’m 57 years old, and I can tell you from first-hand experience, the weather has changed. We know we have climate change, we know weather patterns are changing, and these severe weather events are coming closer and closer together and now you get 50-year droughts every 10 years."
More:Record-breaking drought worsens crop harvest for Oklahoma farmers
Weather officials say Oklahoma’s current drought is the worst in at least 10 years, with some parts of the state experiencing drought conditions for more than a year.
Scientists say droughts are becoming more frequent in the United States, partly a product of manmade climate change, which has increased the Earth’s temperature.
Oklahoma has experienced an increase in extreme heat as days exceeding 100 degrees are expected to nearly double in some parts of the state within 30 years, according to a national climate study by First Street Foundation.
Blubaugh said state lawmakers originally funded the emergency drought relief fund with $3 million in the mid-1990s, but it hadn't been funded again since this year.
"I will give an attaboy to our state legislators that they put funding back into that program because they saw this coming," Blubaugh said.
Blubaugh said he would like to see the state create a long-term drought plan, which should include additional funding.
But some lawmakers are leery about the idea of spending more state funds and say ranchers might need to reevaluate their future operations.
"Farmers and ranchers need to look at their operation and ask, 'Do I need to be running 80 cows on 100 acres? Maybe I need to be running 70 instead," said Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener.
More: For Stitt, climate change is less threat and more business opportunity
West attended a meeting of the emergency drought commission last week, where discussion included assisting ranchers to build new water supply lines or drill wells. The three-person committee said any assistance likely would cover the majority of the cost, with ranchers responsible for anywhere from 40% to 10%.
The larger the share ranchers pay, the more individual ranchers the state can help. But West worried that the larger the burden on ranchers, the fewer who would be able to participate.
"I’m not saying 90/10 is the ideal split, but 60/40 would be tough for many," West said. "If you require some to come up with 40% of the cost, you are going to help some, those who can afford it, but those who can't afford the 40%, you are putting them out of business.”
Agriculture officials see a need for long-term planning
While the drought has created an immediate need for relief, many say the state also should be mindful of finding long-term solutions to a warmer and drier future.
Agriculture officials told the drought commission that now would be a good time to help farmers and ranchers clean out dry ponds. While it won’t bring immediate relief, it could help ponds be more productive in the future.
Many also said helping ranchers find new ways to power water pumps could be helpful, including using solar panels instead of costly electrical lines.
“The electrification of wells is something we have to be looking at,” said Shawn Lepard, with Panhandle Irrigators.
Arthur, the state's agriculture secretary, said she hoped to see the commission meet again within the next week and finalize how they will spend the $3 million.
"I hope as we look at relieving the immediate pressure, we are thoughtful about helping long-term," Arthur said.
But for many ranchers, the current drought likely will end their operations, especially if they sell off their entire herd.
"Some are not going to have the financial ability to buy back cows when this drought is over, and others are at the age in their lives where they won’t be willing to go back into the field," said Blubaugh, whose own milo crop is down 95% this year. "I’m fearful that we are going to lose a lot of our state’s small- and medium-size ranchers in this drought that will never be back."
Oklahoma state government reporting is supported in part by a grant from the Kirkpatrick Foundation. To support work like this, consider purchasing a digital subscription to the Oklahoman today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma drought is a crisis for many ranchers
