Show Floods Floods Drouth Ravage Lands LandsOn Landson On Range Ravaged by floods In the spring by drouth in ht the fall Is the brief story of Eastern Utah's National Land Reserve This synopsis char the monthly range report given this week by Odell A Frandsen District Manager of the Vernal District With most of the livestock now on the winter range the presence of snow or rather the lack of It is coming becoming crucial Forage for the ani mals is still in fair condition in most areas but watering facilities such as ponds and streams have become a premo prem ium UNLIKE MAN cattle and sheep can eat snow in the winter to meet their need for water By this time of the year Old Man Winter has us- us usually usually announced his coming with a calling card fashioned with a generous blanket of snow but the only feature distinguishing this December from last July is a slightly lower tempErature In many areas of th the Book cliff Moun- Moun Mountains Mountains the ground Is still sUll free from frost Late snows have reach far ing effects on range land and more than just the present state of livestock Is Involved In order for forage plants to tomake tomake make vigorous growth in th the spring and early summer they must draw on a reservoir of f moisture In the soil soU THE MOISTURE comes not I only from spring rains but al so from rains and snow which infiltrates Into the soil In the fall months When snow does not occur until January the ground is I usually frozen so hard that no moisture can enter It By spring most of this s valuable ingredient for growth has I evaporated back into the at at- at atmosphere and has been lost to the plant I The district forester took advantage of the bare so soil 11 however and planted a few acres of Christmas trees just before Christmas Range re- re rehabilitation habilitation projects are arc also In progress according to Mr Frandsen |