NEWS FLASH: Drought ends at Ponderosa

The water will be way too high on my spot. But, maybe there's been enough rain for some sheet water in the wheat stubble.
 
In my recent travels around the area counties, I continue to see the most beautiful milo fields I have ever seen and next to those fields are prepared fields ready for winter wheat to go in toward the end of September or early October. What I also see is lots of ponding water in those soon to be wheat field and occasionally ponds of water in the milo fields. At this time of the year the fields dry out slower and there may be some harvest delays. For years farmers have turned their tires around on the their combines so they have traction to back out of a wet spot in the field. I remember a wet fall/winter, maybe in the late 50's or early 60's when the farmers couldn't get in the field to cut the milo. At the Ponderosa, cutting waited for hard frozen ground, sometimes even with snow drifts in the field. It was a slow and prolonged harvest finally ending in March. It will be interesting to see how this year's milo harvest will go. The milo certainly will be ready, but there may be harvest delays.
There is not a lot of sunflowers and cotton in the area, but the fields I have seen of them look really good also.
An unusual year for sure.
 
Interesting.
I see Salina is negative, but all the milo I have seen in Saline County looks great. I have only seen one poor milo field and it was in Ellsworth County, but it wasn't a moisture issue as other fields in the area were perfect.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2025-09-02 121558.png
    Screenshot 2025-09-02 121558.png
    466.6 KB · Views: 21
Last edited:
Two of the places I want to fill up the most, Cedar Bluff and Cheyenne Bottoms, seem to be the part in the Red Sea!

We have been a swamp here in Montgomery/Chautauqua Counties all growing season long (as opposed to the very dry conditions of the last few years).

I will say, the Tallgrass Prairie finally looks like the Tallgrass Prairie again this year. Even where the cattle and buffalo have been grazing, the bluestem is taller than they are in many places. It’s amazing how thick and lush the prairie can grow when you give it water.
 
Two of the places I want to fill up the most, Cedar Bluff and Cheyenne Bottoms, seem to be the part in the Red Sea!

We have been a swamp here in Montgomery/Chautauqua Counties all growing season long (as opposed to the very dry conditions of the last few years).

I will say, the Tallgrass Prairie finally looks like the Tallgrass Prairie again this year. Even where the cattle and buffalo have been grazing, the bluestem is taller than they are in many places. It’s amazing how thick and lush the prairie can grow when you give it water.
Actually Cheyenne Bottoms has water. But Cedar Bluff is almost 23 foot low. Even Wilson was down from what it was mid-summer, I was there yesterday.
 
Back
Top