Dust Bowl and USDA - NRCS. Kim Wright USDA-NRCS Program Liaison Bryan, Texas

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1 Dust Bowl and USDA - NRCS Kim Wright USDA-NRCS Program Liaison Bryan, Texas

2 Who is the NRCS? The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a Federal agency that works in partnership with the American people to conserve and sustain our natural resources.

3 What significant event do you think greatly contributed to the creation of the NRCS?

4 In 1933, Congress appropriated $5 million for erosion control and named Hugh Hammond Bennett as chief. National Weather Service lists Dust Bowl as one of the top 10 weather events of 20 th century.

5 Not Far From Home

6 The land and water were suffering. Up and down hill farming was standard, yields were failing because of poor fertility, loss of water holding capacity, drought, and poor land management practices.

7 Cattle grazed in woodlots and in steep terrain. They just grazed higher and higher up the hillsides. Rains ran like water off a tin roof, causing gullies and flash floods. Gullies were so big you could lose a team of horses and wagon.

8 In fact all over the country, gullies, floods, dust storms and droughts were driving people off the farm. Can you think of anything else that happened during the 1930 s that contributed to the dust bowl?

Black Sunday April 14, 1935. The dust storm that turned day into night.

9 Black Sunday April 14, The dust storm that turned day into night. Many believed the world was coming to an end. Dodge City, KS These dust storms could lift soil 2-3 miles in the air and carry it miles.

10 A black blizzard over Prowers Co., CO 1937

11 June 4, 1937, at Goodwell, OK

12 Dust storm approaching Stratford, TX April 18, 1935

13 Approaching dust storm at Powers Co., CO Storm lasted from 4:15 PM to 7:00 PM

14 A dust cloud approaching a small town in OK

15 Dust Storm in Amarillo, TX

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

17 Cimarron County, OK 1936 Dust pneumonia from breathing dust and malnutrition. Even livestock died not only from lack of grass but from mud balls forming in their stomachs from eating grass covered in dirt.

18 Sometimes it was deep.

19 Garden City, KS at 5:15 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 1 Photo 2

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

22 Hugh Hammond Bennett had spent 20 years investigating soils in every state in the nation. He began a national crusade to stop the coming apocalypse that had fed the decline of other great civilizations. He wrote a booklet called The Menace of Soil Erosion to draw attention to the problem.

24 Key to adoption of conservation was technical assistance.

25 Who We Are... We work with customers to help them reduce erosion, protect wildlife, promote good land use, and to preserve the Nation s natural resources.

26 What does the NRCS do? Provide technical assistance in... natural resource planning design & engineering implementation of techniques used to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and protect natural resources developing conservation plans

27 Who does NRCS help? Farmers & Ranchers Local units of government Community groups Schools ALL Private landowners who need natural resource help!

28 Conservation Practices on Cropland Terraces Grassed waterways Contour farming Buffers

29 Conservation Practices on Grazing Lands Prescribed Grazing Fence Ponds/troughs Nutrient Management Pasture planting

30 Conservation Practices on Wildlife Land Buffers Prescribed burning Food plots Disking

31 Conservation Practices on Forest Land Tree planting Selective thinning Prescribed burning Firebreak

32 Other Conservation Practices Poultry litter application Waste storage barns Windbreak Planting legumes/cool season crops Brush management Water pipelines And the list goes on

33 The most important part of our agency is developing conservation plans. A tool to help landowners accomplish their objectives and protect the natural resources, A record of the landowner decisions, and The landowner makes all the decisions!

34 Careers in NRCS Soil Conservationist Wildlife Biologist Rangeland Management Specialist Engineer Soil Scientist Soil Conservation Technician Agronomist Specialized positions Program Liaison, Archaeologist, Geologist, Ag Economist, Environmental Specialist, Cartographer

35 Do you think the Dust Bowl could happen again?

36 Equal Opportunity "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Natural Resources Conservation Service Helping people, help the land Presented To: THE PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, NATURAL FOOD HEALTH, INC. INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP December 14 th, 2012 - Greensboro, GA Presented