NEWS FLASH: Drought ends at Ponderosa
- Thread starter M. R. Byrd
- Start date
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Another inch last night. Will check the gauge when I get home. More on the way tomorrow night.
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Had an inch Saturday night/ Sunday morning, then 0.90" late last night and into the wee hours this morning.
That makes 30.05" YTD
I ran into an old friend yesterday that I hadn't seen in a couple years, so it was catch up time. He is up to 36" this year, granted he is in an area usually a little wetter, but still only 40 minutes away(when the roads are dry). He was wondering if we were headed into an extremely wet winter, like the winter of '58-'59. I remember that one well. The Thanksgiving Day '92 blizzard was the start of a wet, snowy and sloppy winter and a record snowfall of 61.3"(July '92-June '93). Also talking about the milo harvests in '68 and '73(recalling those dates to the best of our ability), when cutting was only possible when the ground was hard frozen, sometimes with the milo heads only a little above the snow on the ground. He said the water holes he cut around during this year's wheat harvest are much larger today. Again, the milo fields are the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Well, 46 days until the Kansas opener, for those of you counting. What will the weather conditions be headed into the opener? Will you need a tow truck on your speed dial to pull you out or will it dry out, only time will tell.
That makes 30.05" YTD
I ran into an old friend yesterday that I hadn't seen in a couple years, so it was catch up time. He is up to 36" this year, granted he is in an area usually a little wetter, but still only 40 minutes away(when the roads are dry). He was wondering if we were headed into an extremely wet winter, like the winter of '58-'59. I remember that one well. The Thanksgiving Day '92 blizzard was the start of a wet, snowy and sloppy winter and a record snowfall of 61.3"(July '92-June '93). Also talking about the milo harvests in '68 and '73(recalling those dates to the best of our ability), when cutting was only possible when the ground was hard frozen, sometimes with the milo heads only a little above the snow on the ground. He said the water holes he cut around during this year's wheat harvest are much larger today. Again, the milo fields are the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Well, 46 days until the Kansas opener, for those of you counting. What will the weather conditions be headed into the opener? Will you need a tow truck on your speed dial to pull you out or will it dry out, only time will tell.
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M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
0.80" early this morning. Water puddles everywhere.
30.85" YTD
30.85" YTD
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
1.50 on the nose for the last 2 days.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
From the Cedar Bluff Facebook page:
Cedar Bluff State Park received approximately 2.93” of rain last night!!
Pa’s Pond located at the Cedar Bluff Area Office actually flowed over its spillway for the first time since the expansion of the pond was completed in 2020.
We have been getting a lot of calls and emails asking about the lake level.
Page Creek is flowing again which is a very welcome sight to see!
As of this post, the Smoky Hill River is flowing at 10.5 cfs at the Arnold gauging station and flowing at 11.6 cfs at the Elkader gauging station.
The current lake level is 2121.14’.
Conservation Pool is 2144’.
This means the lake is currently 22.86’ down from what we would consider “full.”
The website below will link you to the current reservoir levels for Cedar Bluff Reservoir.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=06861500&legacy=1
Enjoy the attached pictures and feel free to share your own pictures of the recent rains! Keep it coming and let’s fill Cedar Bluff!!!
Cedar Bluff State Park received approximately 2.93” of rain last night!!
Pa’s Pond located at the Cedar Bluff Area Office actually flowed over its spillway for the first time since the expansion of the pond was completed in 2020.
We have been getting a lot of calls and emails asking about the lake level.
Page Creek is flowing again which is a very welcome sight to see!
As of this post, the Smoky Hill River is flowing at 10.5 cfs at the Arnold gauging station and flowing at 11.6 cfs at the Elkader gauging station.
The current lake level is 2121.14’.
Conservation Pool is 2144’.
This means the lake is currently 22.86’ down from what we would consider “full.”
The website below will link you to the current reservoir levels for Cedar Bluff Reservoir.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=06861500&legacy=1
Enjoy the attached pictures and feel free to share your own pictures of the recent rains! Keep it coming and let’s fill Cedar Bluff!!!
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Monday night the Ponderosa just had some lightning and thunder and a sprinkle. I have heard reports that Edwards County around Kinsley had standing water and also Ford County around Spearville the same. Generally this time of the year it is really slow drying up. I continue to expect wet fields for the Kansas opener. A little corn being picked, both dryland and irrigated, A farmer friend has been picking corn the past two weeks. He said their combines can handle a fair amount of wet ground, but a 60,000 pound grain cart is another issue altogether. I have only seen three milo fields harvested and many milo fields with water holes.
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Picked up a half inch last night. 31.35" YTD
This last dry spell allowed the fields to dry some and corn harvest has been proceeding full bore. Wheat is planted. Last hay cutting put up with no rain on it. A little milo is ready to harvest. Bucks getting active. A few pheasants around ( a disappointing number in my opinion for the prime conditions). Decent quail number. Unreal cottontail numbers. CRP is tall, not tall enough to hide a rider on horseback, but now a midget on a shetland pony would be a different story. Keep a good eye on those bird dogs and youth hunters that could be hidden in this jungle. Cover is awesome. Overall, all is good. Praise the Lord!
This last dry spell allowed the fields to dry some and corn harvest has been proceeding full bore. Wheat is planted. Last hay cutting put up with no rain on it. A little milo is ready to harvest. Bucks getting active. A few pheasants around ( a disappointing number in my opinion for the prime conditions). Decent quail number. Unreal cottontail numbers. CRP is tall, not tall enough to hide a rider on horseback, but now a midget on a shetland pony would be a different story. Keep a good eye on those bird dogs and youth hunters that could be hidden in this jungle. Cover is awesome. Overall, all is good. Praise the Lord!
Mason Brubaker
Member
I’m so happy to hear Kansas got some good rain this year. With regards to the low numbers, I think that next year will show the benefits from this year. not much cover available for nesting this spring, at least that I saw. But no emergency haying and grazing means that there will be ample early nesting cover coming into next spring. I’m really hopeful!
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
After I dumped the rain gauge this morning, it started raining again, just a slow steady gentle rain, pretty much all day. Picked up another 0.55" bringing YTD 31.90"
Was a good day to spend in the shop and house and watch a little football.
Was a good day to spend in the shop and house and watch a little football.
Quailnerd
Well-known member
I was in northern Oklahoma last 2 days and man it’s wet. Slow moving storm just came in waves, wheat should shoot out of the ground, no birds spotted but not a surprise due to conditions
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Quick shower in the wee hours this morning. 0.15" YTD 32.05"
Hard freeze coming tonight.
Hard freeze coming tonight.
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Added 1.10" in the last 24 hours bringing YTD to 33.15"
After that hard freeze which prompted milo harvest to begin and unusually warm weather, milo harvest was in full swing. All across this area combines were everywhere and those inverted cone piles of milo were getting huge and all those colors of various varieties making oversized sand art right before our eyes and the trucks were lined up at the elevators waiting to unload. The harvest was a bin buster and I know of one farmer going on Facebook wanting to hire trucks and drivers because their own trucks couldn't begin to keep up with their combines in the field. Those of you that experienced standing milo on opening weekend will now see huge fields of dense milo stubble. You will still experience the extremely tall and dense CRP grass like you have likely never seen before. It will take a heavy snow to lay some of this 6+foot big bluestem over. Rifle deer is December 3-14 this year. Hunter orange is always a good idea when bird hunting and required when deer hunting during rifle deer, but believe me, this year it is hard to see what is out there in this tall CRP. Be safe please- wear hunter orange both vest and cap, put hunter orange on your bird dogs, know your target, know what might be behind your target.
After that hard freeze which prompted milo harvest to begin and unusually warm weather, milo harvest was in full swing. All across this area combines were everywhere and those inverted cone piles of milo were getting huge and all those colors of various varieties making oversized sand art right before our eyes and the trucks were lined up at the elevators waiting to unload. The harvest was a bin buster and I know of one farmer going on Facebook wanting to hire trucks and drivers because their own trucks couldn't begin to keep up with their combines in the field. Those of you that experienced standing milo on opening weekend will now see huge fields of dense milo stubble. You will still experience the extremely tall and dense CRP grass like you have likely never seen before. It will take a heavy snow to lay some of this 6+foot big bluestem over. Rifle deer is December 3-14 this year. Hunter orange is always a good idea when bird hunting and required when deer hunting during rifle deer, but believe me, this year it is hard to see what is out there in this tall CRP. Be safe please- wear hunter orange both vest and cap, put hunter orange on your bird dogs, know your target, know what might be behind your target.