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The Dust Bowl Why Are We Here

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The Dust Bowl 'Why Are We Here' Mike Sporcic. State Agronomist NM. USDA NRCS ... The Dust Bowl and drought devastated some farm families in the early 1930's, ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Dust Bowl Why Are We Here


1
The Dust BowlWhy Are We Here
  • Mike Sporcic
  • State Agronomist NM
  • USDA NRCS

2
Not Far From Home
3
  • Bismark, ND

4
  • Liberal, KS April 14, 1935

5
  • A black blizzard over Prowers Co. CO. 1937

6
  • Black Sunday April 14, 1935. The dust storm that
    turned day into night. Many believed the world
    was coming to an end. Dodge City, KS

7
  • A black blizzard over Prowers Co., CO 1937

8
  • June 4, 1937, at Goodwell, OK

9
  • Dust storm approaching Stratford, TX April 18,
    1935

10
  • Dust storm approaching Stratford, TX April 18,
    1935

11
  • Approaching dust storm at Powers Co., CO Storm
    lasted from 415 PM to 700 PM

12
  • A black blizzard over Prower Co., CO 1937

13
  • Dust storm at Sheridan Lake, CO

14
  • A dust cloud approaching a small town in OK

15
Fleeing a dust storm
  • Farmer Arthur Coble and sons walking in the face
    of the dust storm. April, 1936

16
  • Dust is too much for this farmers son in
    Cimarron County, OK 1936

17
  • Sometimes it was deep.

18
  • Garden City, KS at 515 PM (note the street
    lights photo 1) and compare to photo 2. Photo 2
    was just 15 min. later after the dust blotted out
    the sun.

Photo 2
Photo 1
19
  • Dust storm approaching Elkhart, KS
  • May, 1937

20
  • Red Cross volunteers wearing dust masks. Liberal,
    KS

21
  • The Dust Bowl and drought devastated some farm
    families in the early 1930s, such as this 32
    year old mother of seven. Migrant Mother 1936

22
Areas of Concern for Wind Erosion
23
Wind Erosion Continues
  • As recently as the spring of 1996 wind erosion
    severely damaged ag land throughout the Great
    Plains.
  • On Cropland, about 172 million acres are eroded
    by wind and water at twice the soil loss
    tolerance rate.
  • Wind erosion is about 40 of this loss, and can
    increase markedly in drought years.

24
Wind Erosion, the Problem
  • Wind erosion is the dominate problem on about 74
    million acres and moderately severely on on 5
    million acres.
  • NRI data shows a 0.8 of a ton/ac improvement from
    1982 to 1994 mostly from CRP.

25
Wind Takes the Best
  • Wind erosion removes the lighter, less dense soil
    constituents such as OM, clays, and silts.
  • It has been estimated that it causes annual yield
    reductions of 339,000 bu of Wheat and 543,000 bu
    of sorghum on 1.2 million acres of sandy soil in
    SW KS. Somewhat masked by technology.
  • It damages seedlings.

26
Wind Erosion Gets in the Air
  • Suspension becomes part of the atmospheric dust
    load.
  • It can cause health issues as PM-10 and PM 2.5.
  • NM has a non-attainment over Las Cruces.
  • It routinely causes Interstate 10 to be closed,
    hopefully before someone is killed.
  • Some states use EQIP to reduce sediment load in
    borrow ditches and on roads.

27
KS Rainfall 1895-2002
Dry Years
Dry Years
28
New Mexico Rainfall 1895-2002
Dry Years
29
Rainfall 1935
30
Rainfall 1936
31
Rainfall 1937
32
Rainfall 1951
33
Rainfall 1956
34
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35
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36
Major Things that Effect Wind Erosion
  • Crop Rotation, high residue crops vs low residue
    row crops. Alfalfa system erode less.
  • Tillage practices, Heavy tillage like plows vs
    No-till or non-inversion tillage like sweeps.
  • Surface Roughness, Ridging and Clodiness reduce
    erosion and trap moving soil particles.
  • Cover Crops, Used for cover when low residue
    crops are grown.
  • Amount of Grazing, Eastern NM systems have heavy
    grazing in them.
  • Annual Rainfall, dry cropland will blow on dry
    years, even with good mgt.
  • Timing of tillage, Land heavy tilled soon after
    harvest will erode more that delaying tillage
    closer to seeding time.
  • Irrigation, wet soil blows less.
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