Cattle Ranching in the Colorado River Basin

Cattle ranching has been a dominant agricultural industry in the American Southwest since the late 19th century. The grasslands in the region have made it ideal for livestock grazing, and early Mormon settlers recognized the agricultural potential here as they set up agricultural communities in the late 19th century (Abruzzi, 1995).

Settlers initially sought to grow other commodities, but this proved difficult due to the challenging climate characterized by droughts, heat, frost, flooding, invasive insect infestations, and heavy winds. Thus, up until the early 20th century, the growing seasons were characterized by extremely poor crop harvests or failures.

Private companies such as the  Aztec Cattle Company  soon realized that the land would be much better suited for an industry such as cattle ranching. The Aztec Cattle Company, by the turn of the century, possessed 2,000,000 acres of land for ranching, and their efforts have contributed immensely to the soil and range deterioration. Most ranches housed more cattle than the range could take, which contributed to extreme drought, significantly harmed the grasslands, and thus killed off much of the cattle (Abruzzi, 1995). Declining cattle prices and demand also led to an overabundance of cattle. The effects of this overfarming has had irreversible consequences that have endured even today. Big corporations such as the Aztec Cattle Company also pushed smaller farmers out of the market.

Overgrazing also historically negatively affected the Colorado River, such as the Little Colorado River tributary in Arizona (left). The Little Colorado's quantity and quality of water depends on time of year. The runoff is greatest in the summer because of melted snowpack and summer storms. Regarding river quality, even before frontier settlers moved in, the river was already heavily silted. But in the late 19th century, overgrazing caused soil erosion, less vegetation cover, and therefore more silt in the waterway. In a few years, the water quality had rapidly declined (Abruzzi, 1995). And summer storms caused more sediment to enter the tributary when quality irrigation was most needed.

In this way, even in its early years, cattle ranching had already begun to impose environmental damage on the Colorado River basin.

There is a reciprocal relationship between ranching and the deterioration of the Colorado River basin. Cattle ranching has had negative environmental effects on the Colorado River, and these negative environmental effects have also in turn hurt the ranching industry. Both players are losers in this game.

Finding a potential solution to these problems is complex. In order to better protect the Colorado River, ranchers and the agricultural industry need to use less of it more sustainably. Similarly, in order for ranchers to get back on their feet economically, they again need to rely less on the Colorado River and ranch with the good of the environment in mind. Thus, on surface level, merely using less water can solve both predicaments. However, as we have seen, it is not that simple.

Most ranchers are very aware of the threat that the shrinking Colorado River poses. But not all are so willing to implement conservation efforts. The federal government has begun offering payments for ecosystem services (PES) to ranchers who actively align their ranching endeavors with sustainability (Goldstein, 2013).

Here are a few ideas that ranchers and researchers have for how ranchers can be more environmentally conscious to save both their farms and the Colorado River:

Some ranchers such as Paul Bruchez from Grand County, Colorado have experimented with reducing irrigation to their hay fields and thus reducing their Colorado River usage (Smith, 2020). They want to see if restricting hydration will result in less nutritious hay, and if not, they can continue to feed their cattle while also preserving the river. Even still, ranchers could experiment with other hay grasses that use much less water but still provide all nutrients to the cattle. This is called crop-switching (Snider, 2020).

Over 1200 acres of hay meadows across the Southwestern United States (Smith, 2020) are currently being used in this research.

With this research, ranchers will see how engaging in conservation will affect them economically. Researchers will learn more about the adaptability of the region to climate change and drought. Even politicians are growing involved in this experiment, as they can learn how they can be involved in Colorado River conservation.

For many ranchers, reducing operating costs is the simplest way to avoid the most negative effects of water scarcity (Goldstein, 2013). But this solution only solves the ranchers' financial problems; it does not solve the water scarcity in the Colorado River.

Ranchers can reduce costs in multiple ways. First, they can reduce their marketing costs by using word of mouth, social media, and other means to sell their cattle rather than traditional cattle auctions. Second, they could shift calving season from winter to spring so that cows are born when the range naturally has the nutrients to feed them. Third, they could have their cows eat uncut hay, since forming the hay into bales incurs extra costs. Fourth, they can sell some of their cows or move them to other ranges.

Fallowing is the process of temporarily moving water from hay meadows and corn fields. This is similar to the practice above of altering irrigation practices with hay meadows, but this method would allow ranchers to discover if the hay fields can be sustained naturally without additional irrigation efforts from the ranchers. This way, ranchers would not need to channel as much Colorado River water into their fields. Instead of using the water, ranchers would move the water saved to a pool in Lake Powell (Smith, 2020).

Many ranchers are nervous about this, as it leaves them vulnerable without as many hay fields with which to feed their cattle. Others fear that removing water from the meadows would also raise the price of hay.

Riffles are shallow, rocky parts of rivers with fast, flowing water.

Some ranchers and researchers have considered if they could create artificial riffles near their water pumps to create deeper spots for irrigation. The artificial riffles can raise the water table, bringing groundwater closer to the surface. They allow ranchers to catch more water for irrigation before it sinks into the ground. In this way, ranchers can become less reliant on the Colorado River and better utilize the groundwater right in their backyards.

Cattle ranching and the Colorado River participate in a positive feedback loop.

The cattle ranching industry needs lots of water to operate --> Cattle ranchers use water in the Colorado River basin --> They use up too much of the Colorado River's water --> The Colorado River basin then begins to experience water scarcity --> Cattle ranchers' needs can no longer be met by the Colorado River --> Cattle ranchers are still in need of lots of (more) water

In this way, the ranching industry in the American Southwest simply must become more environmentally conscious if it wants to save both itself and the Colorado River. Some of the above solutions are a great place to start. Some of these conservation projects like fallowing or artificial riffles have been relatively recent endeavors in the region. But over time, if enough ranchers participate, these efforts could conserve so much water. If these methods work, farmers everywhere will learn how to better manage drought and the other dry conditions that will continue to accompany climate change.

As we have seen, the damage from the cattle ranchers on the Colorado River will extend beyond the ranching industry. It hurts fish supplies and will thus harm the fishing industry. It will restrict access to water for the Americans living in the Southwest. And political, business, and environmental leaders must be ready to step up and advocate on behalf of the Colorado River, saving both the river itself and the people, plants, and animals that depend on it.