Drought Conditions by junge1
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Description
In 1995 Arizona experienced a prolonged drought. Ranchers in Central Arizona, whose cattle grasses on the open range, ran out of water for their herds. Normally, cattle drink from stock ponds, created by building earthen dams across ephemeral or intermittent washes. Intermittent runoff, usually from spring snow melt had long since stopped, and ephemeral runoff, which usually is a result of thunderstorms, didn't happen.
Ranchers, who had the means, shipped their cattle out of state, most couldn't afford it. They just brazed themselves for big losses if it wasn't raining soon. In the Verde River area, specifically along the Big Chino Wash, from Paulden northwest across I-40 toward the Grand Canyon, where we worked at the time, we saw many dead cattle. Usually bloated, picked open at both ends by coyotes and vultures, laying there and rotting.
This calf succumbed to the drought in the southern part of the Rainbow Valley, southwest of Phoenix. Rainbow Valley is crossed by the Waterman Wash, that had recently run over its banks. Waterman Wash is ephemeral, and it may run only once or twice a years, for short periods, depending on summer thunderstorms, or it may not run for years.
The ironic thing about this problem, the people in Phoenix were totally unaware of this. They may have wondered why the price of beef is going up, but they had no clue what the ranchers had to deal with.
This picture was taken in summer 1995 and is scanned, Sig...
Comments (14)
LivingPixels
This is one stark and grizzly shot hard to unsee total impact great shot and some cool info!!
Cyve
Great capture my friend !!!
Palaemon
Very sad... Great shot.
contedesfees
Whenever I see images such as these, I remember that all life depends on fresh water, which makes up three per cent of all the water on earth. Think about that! Only three per cent of the water on earth is drinkable! Then I think of global warming, The last ten years have been the warmest ever recorded; glaciers everywhere from the Alps to Greenland to the Himalayas are in retreat. The Arctic is melting, the Antarctic is melting. And everywhere governments seem either indifferent or helpless.
We should forward this to every politician we know. Apparently, they all live in Phoenix too!
junge1
@contedesfees! Great comment!
ontar1
Looks very dry!
Faemike55
what's really sad is that these condition are not getting better but instead getting worse. and our inglorious leader doesn't believe the facts... what will it take to get these idiots to recognize the truth of what is happening and why?
great and graphic image
starship64
That's very sad.
durleybeachbum
Sad
sossy
this sad and horrible capture makes thoughtful! we are using water without thinking and maybe one day there isnt any water anymore! we should appreciate/value and save water before all the haarp stuff takes it away forever 🤔
farmerC
Beautiful shot.
sharky_
Sad and a struggle in hard times... Aloha
virginiese
I'm so sad when I see this kind of image. I imagine the loss for the farmer : I presume that a calf represents a lot of money for him. Thanks for informing us about this problem.
K_T_Ong
Shit happens, I guess... (sigh)
Really feel sorry for the poor animal, and for the farmers, too. (There's a reason why I'm currently almost completely vegetarian and eat only fish.)