Ecological relationships of Playa lakes in the Southern Great Plains
1941
Parker, J.M. | Whitfield, C.J.
As a result of study and observation during the past several years, it appears possible to increase the economic value of these playa lakes through the use of soil conservation practices such as terracing and contour furrowing. In 1937, the soil on the lake bottom on the Amarillo Experiment Station was blowing. A rather large area on the north and west was furrowed on the general contour. This emergency listing stopped the blowing and by the end of the growing season of 1939, nearly all the furrows and ridges in zones 2 and 3 were practically completely covered with buffalo grass. The presence of Buchloe greatly increases the change of securing a permanent grass cover, as it is a stoloniferous perennial that spreads rapidly both vegetatively and by seed. It responds very readily to an increased moisture supply, developing a dense vegetative carpet in depressions and other low areas over the High Plains. Contour tillage and terracing of cultivated lands around large lakes would appear, therefore, not only to be of value in holding the moisture where it falls and, keeping it out of the lakes, but would also give buffalo grass a change to spread. On the Amarillo Experiment Station, contour tillage and increased residues are being used to hold the water on the cultivated land, while much of the pasture land around the lake has been conytour furrowed in order to keep the water out of the lake bottom. The application of these practices should increase considerably the carrying capacity of these lake pastures in the High Plains.
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