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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 38 • January 15, 2022
WATER continued from page 1 been issuing water usage permits which “infringe upon” the 3,740 gallons per second amount of water Nebraska is entitled to during the nonirrigation season. He is concerned water flow to Nebraska may drastically decrease if water isn’t directly diverted from the river. Diverting water for ag and consumption The compact allows Nebraska to construct and operate canals on Colorado’s land in order to transfer water to Nebraska. Nebraska can purchase land from Colorado landowners along the South Platte River or use eminent domain to secure the land.
Nebraska began to build a canal system before WWI, near Julesburg, Colo., and the abandoned project still exists. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said it’s time for Nebraska to finish something that has needed to be completed for a long time. Colorado released a report this month projecting a 42 to 70 percent growth of population living within the river basin between 2015 and 2050. Peterson acknowledged Colorado’s current water shortages and projects saying, “It’s imperative that we finish this element and then go forward in exercising further rights
For more information on current snowpack, view the water supply report at wrds.uwyo.edu/.
under the contract.” He said the compact is Nebraska’s vital legal right. According to Ricketts, Nebraska is the largest irrigated state in the country, with nine million irrigated acres. He believes agriculture in Nebraska will suffer without diverting the water. Aside from agriculture, there may be a shortage of drinking water, which will not only affect cities near the river, but large cities like Lincoln and Omaha as well. Ricketts said it’s time for Nebraska to take action. “Nebraska has a long history of working to preserve, protect, manage and steward our water resources,” Ricketts said. “Water is incredibly important to us.” Kaitlyn Root is an editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
Wyoming water supply outlook According to the Wyoming Basin and Water Supply Outlook Report for January 2022, snowpack or snow water equivalents (SWE) is 91 percent of median with a basin high of 121 percent in the Little Snake and Upper Bear River Basins and a basin low of 51 percent in the South Platte River Basin. At this time last year, the state median was 77 percent, and in 2019 it was 109 percent. During December, basin precipitation was 135 percent of median with a basin high of 180 percent to 185 percent in the Laramie and Lower Green River Basins, respectively, and a basin low of 75 percent in the Tongue River Basin. Water year precipitation is 115 percent of median. Natural Resources Conservation District Hydrologist Jim Fahey says it’s too early to tell what summer irrigation and water supplies might look like, but the data is promising. “So far, it looks much better than last year at this time, but we still need to see what happens with moisture this spring,” he said.
Although precipitation levels across Wyoming were above normal October through December, reservoir storages are down from last year. Across Wyoming, reservoirs are currently averaging 67 percent of capacity, down from last year’s 78 percent of capacity. The reservoir storages for late December were 87 percent of median, down from last year’s 101 percent. The Wind River Basin had the highest average reservoir storage at 105 percent and a storage low of 25 percent in the Snake River Basin. Snowmelt runoff stream flow volumes are projected to be above median at 105 percent with the highest across the Little Snake and Upper Bear Basins at 130 to 140 percent and the lowest across the Powder and Cheyenne drainages at 75 percent of median. The data shows an overall good start to the year, but spring moisture will be needed before predicting water supplies for summer irrigation.
Tips for creating successful AI program shared
Jennifer Reyes-Burr 5104 Hwy 34 • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-1530 • 307-331-1530 (cell) mrangusranch@gmail.com
KMR Angus • Keith Russell
21419 WCR 13 • Johnstown, CO 80534 970-587-2534 • 970-371-7819 (cell) kmrangus@gmail.com
MR Angus • Juan Reyes
98 Olson Rd • Wheatland, WY 82201 307-322-4848 • 307-331-1568 (cell)
WWW.MRANGUSRANCH.COM
Dan Busch of Select Sires Inc., discusses several management practices producers need to consider in order to have a successful artificial insemination (AI) season. Busch shares his knowledge in several different areas, including equation of reproduction, cattle facilities, pregnancy weights and body conditions, growth promoting reproductive tract implants and scores, in addition to several other considerations. Equation of reproduction Busch explains reproduction is a systems approach. Several factors which may affect the overall success of the synchronization within AI programs include estrus response, inseminator efficiency, herd fertility and semen fertility. Busch provides several examples and discusses each synchronization factor. In one he shares, if estrus response is 100 percent and multiplied by an inseminator efficiency of 90 percent, herd fertility at 90 percent and semen fertility at 90 percent, this will equal an overall success rate of 73 percent. If inseminator efficiency drops below 50 percent, this will greatly affect the overall success score, he adds. “Producers can see a pretty drastic reduction in the overall success rate if any of these factors are affected,” Busch says. Cattle facilities Busch notes it is important to consider cattle facilities during the AI process. Producers should be able to gather cattle in a reasonable and efficient timeframe, keep cattle calm and work them consistently, he shares. “It can make life a lot
easier if there are facilities to get this task accomplished,” he says. “If operations don’t have anything specific to AI, there are a few tweaks, additions or changes here and there, which can be really beneficial as far as the flow of cattle through the facility.” Producers can look at obtaining portable corrals, alley ways, chutes or an AI barn, Busch notes. “A lot of these are investments either farmers or ranchers make or investments that companies have invested in to make this process a little simpler and easier,” says Busch. “Anything causing stress to a cow in this process will affect the overall result and the success of the AI program.” Pregnancy weights and body condition Pregnancy weights are also a determining factor when looking at the success of an AI season. “Ideally, producers should look for 80 to 95 percent of their heifers conceiving during a 60-day breeding season to be good candidates for an AI program,” Busch says. He continues, “If producers are struggling to get 75 to 80 percent of their heifers bred in what I would call a controlled 60to 80-day breeding season, there’s probably some other things they need to address or restart the synchronization program before starting an AI program.” In a synchronization program, producers will need to evaluate body conditions scores at calving and prior to calving, as well as at or right before the artificial synchronization program. “Ideally, we want to see cows in the five, six and seven body condition score Please see AI on page 17
