Spring Rains Bring Water, Superb Plant Growth and Potential Fuel for Summer Range Fires

With spring rains coming in late April and early May this year we should be pleased that more water has landed in Elmore County. Drought conditions are still in the D1/D2 status throughout the county, with limited irrigation water available this year as well as unfilled reservoirs to date. Precipitation in combination with cooler spring temperatures have led to expansive annual vegetative growth with grasses knee high throughout Elmore County, including the invasive cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum.

Cool season grasses, the majority of those being invasive and/or native here in Elmore County, thrive in cooler temperatures – up to 85°F, but especially between 50-60°F. It may seem slightly chilly to humans, but photosynthesis is operating at maximum capacity while respiration is minimally occurring at the cellular level.

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