I think it might have been like a cub scout camp out or something where the guide down at Krause Springs said that when they cut all the Bald Cypress trees that the Cedar trees took over..... DD
When we started putting wild fires out the cedar population exploded in this area. Cedar trees burn like they have lighter fluid for sap and they grow like weeds -- normally they would burn away leaving trees like oaks space to grow. If you look around oak trees you'll frequently see cedars growing tightly around them. The hard rocky soil has been broken up by the slow growing oak and the cedars take advantage and eventually kill the oak. A single oak takes more water than a single cedar, but when you look at the entire population cedars take much more water. I remember one example that was on some show like Texas Country Reporter or whatever it was - but the land owner cleared thousands of acres of cedars and returned it to its natural state with just quality trees and grassland. Springs that hadn't flowed in a hundred years started running again. They showed the edge of his property and where the grasslands stopped it was just a solid wall of cedar on the neighboring property.
In west Texas the govt paid ( not sure if they still do) to remove cedars and in areas where they did, there was significant improvement in runoff and water tables.
Jan avg precipitation - 3.38in Jan 2012 precipitation - 5.22in Good month of rain. Hopefully it will continue and fill up our lakes incase the dought continues in the summer.
Even with the recent rains, Lake Conroe is still pretty far down. I took these at the end of September and it's not much better now. These are by the Walden bridge for those that know the area. These were taken two months later at the north end of the lake. This are nearly all underwater at normal levels. It's up about a foot since then. At least they haven't been siphoning off water to Lake Houston for a while. I'm ready for the lake to get back to normal.
Drove by the Lake Conroe area on 105 today and it's a pretty sad sight to see. There are a ton of people paying for waterfront property that aren't getting it.
Lake Houston is back to normal levels and Livingston is full. Conroe is stiill about 7' low http://www.LakesOnline.com/USA/Texas
my backyard hasn't even recovered from last summer. the grass is all dead. my front yard looks like ****. it's kinda green, but i have weeds everywhere. not sure if i want to try and get rid of the weeds or let the drought take care of it.
Can we hire the homeless to dig us some more lakes for reserves during the summer? We can pay them in sandwiches and booze. Not like they're busy or anything.
I read yesterday that La Nina was expected to fizzle out by the end of Spring with a possible El Nino taking its place. I don't think anyone has a ****ing clue as to why anything is happening anymore. Just a lot of ass talk.
Cedar trees according to: http://www.peopleagainstcedars.com/html/cedar__the_plague_of_trees.html Mesquite trees are bad, too. Considered a pest by farmers and ranchers, much like crows and feral pig, I don't think they mind if you want to break off a few braches to smoke your brisket, but I don't think mesquite is a very good wood to smoke anything with.
Can someone explain why they are not cutting down those trees now that the water is low? Is it somewhere for fish to congregate? What? DD
