Sunday, October 28, 2012
Protect Water Rights Coalition
http://protectwaterrights.com/Home_Page.php
Yesterday I met the president of this group in his cotton field.
Yesterday I met the president of this group in his cotton field.
Yesterday...cotton
I met with a man at his house in Lubbock, Texas, 2 hours south of Amarillo. I left at 7 in the morning and watched the sunrise over all of the cattle ranches, fields, and the factories. I met with an attorney named Paul who was a "used to be" farmer. He gave me blueberry muffins and introduced me to his wife and teenage daughters. I sat down with him at an oval table and he showed me maps of Lubbock and old documents of their farm water wells from the 1950's. He said that he loved history.
I set off on my little adventure wearing my cotton farm hat that Paul gave me and my camera. He wasn't sure what I needed, but he said he would try to help me all that he could. First we stopped in and met a farmer who was retiring. Paul was interested in some of the farmers equipment and was taking notes so that he could purchase some of his equipment. I was free to take pictures of any of the equipment and he even showed me around in his grain shed. He also showed me Round up ready cotton seed that is $500 per bag.
Then we went off and Paul took me to a local meat shop and a bakery. Then we headed off to the "caps" or the caprock to meet his friend who is an artist and has her Ph. D. in art education. The artist and her husband lived off the side of a mountain. She freely showed me her house and where she is creating her painting studio. She said that she had just published a book. I was interested in what it was about and she told me that her book was about the Art classroom being the most non restrictive environment for students with severe disabilities.
When I meet people like her and Paul I know the world is folding over so that I can get to where I need to be. I am still not sure what it is suppose to mean, but it was not a coincidence.
Then we went to see the retired farmers fields and they were stripping cotton. That is where I met Raymond. He was a farmhand who was running the combine. He drove the combine over to me and told me to jump in. I began taking pictures in the combine. He described to me how some of the machinery works and he said that he could just sit there and the combine will drive itself. Well after one round Raymond was embarrassed that the cotton that he was picking was "measley," , so he stopped stripping that field drove down the road and began stripping in their well irrigated field with big fluffy balls of cotton. It was really funny to me because I can't even get my dad to do that! Next the "ball buggy" came and emptied the combine. Then I watched as the ball buggy poured the cotton into the bailer. The bails of cotton are massive! There are usually 2-3 bail to an acre. I would guess that they are 6 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 8 feet tall.
After that cool experience, we went on to meet 2 cowboy-farmer brothers that farm cotton fields with experimental Monsanto cotton 1219 and drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is the new type of irrigation that is put about 5 in underground and it waters the root of the crops with no evaporation (they put the fertilizer and pesticides right into the roots also). The cotton was the best cotton crop in the entire area. Both of the cowboy-farmers are in the "Protect Water Rights Coalition". The group is about conserving water, but as the farmer owns the water. New Texas law is threatening to take the water rights away from farmers, but they say that they are protected under the 5th amendment and they would have to change the Constitution. Together both of the farmers have spent a little over 1 million dollars in the last 5 years putting in the drip irrigation systems in thousands of acres. If they lose their water rights they lose a lot of money.
Then I went with Paul to his family farm that he grew up on. He currently rents out the land to another farmer. He drove around showing me his pivot irrigation wells and his drip irrigation systems. Paul was very quiet and I think it was because he was angry that the current farmer was not taking care of his land. The one field of cotton was infested with tumbleweeds and was probably not salvageable. Much of the dry land cotton this year in Lubbock was plowed over and all you can see are little balls of cotton sticking out of the ground. The farmers are better off to take the insurance money rather than harvest the cotton.
I also come to find out that Paul has a Playa lake on his property. It currently holds no water. From the reports from 1959 it showed that there was around 60 feet of groundwater and now there is around 10-20. When it rains or the aquifer is full the lake reveals itself. Then, he drove his truck up a big hill and got out and looked out at his land. I knew that he really wanted to farm again. It is just a part of who he is and it was taken away from him. His father was scared for him to take over the family farm because of the risk and the financial burdens over the years. Instead Paul has rented his land to other farmers in the area.
After we drove back to the farmhouse we fed his daughters horses and I met his 80 year old father who had just broken his hip from picking peaches. He was kind and told me to come back anytime.
I thank Paul so much and it was a day that I will never forget.
I set off on my little adventure wearing my cotton farm hat that Paul gave me and my camera. He wasn't sure what I needed, but he said he would try to help me all that he could. First we stopped in and met a farmer who was retiring. Paul was interested in some of the farmers equipment and was taking notes so that he could purchase some of his equipment. I was free to take pictures of any of the equipment and he even showed me around in his grain shed. He also showed me Round up ready cotton seed that is $500 per bag.
Then we went off and Paul took me to a local meat shop and a bakery. Then we headed off to the "caps" or the caprock to meet his friend who is an artist and has her Ph. D. in art education. The artist and her husband lived off the side of a mountain. She freely showed me her house and where she is creating her painting studio. She said that she had just published a book. I was interested in what it was about and she told me that her book was about the Art classroom being the most non restrictive environment for students with severe disabilities.
When I meet people like her and Paul I know the world is folding over so that I can get to where I need to be. I am still not sure what it is suppose to mean, but it was not a coincidence.
Then we went to see the retired farmers fields and they were stripping cotton. That is where I met Raymond. He was a farmhand who was running the combine. He drove the combine over to me and told me to jump in. I began taking pictures in the combine. He described to me how some of the machinery works and he said that he could just sit there and the combine will drive itself. Well after one round Raymond was embarrassed that the cotton that he was picking was "measley," , so he stopped stripping that field drove down the road and began stripping in their well irrigated field with big fluffy balls of cotton. It was really funny to me because I can't even get my dad to do that! Next the "ball buggy" came and emptied the combine. Then I watched as the ball buggy poured the cotton into the bailer. The bails of cotton are massive! There are usually 2-3 bail to an acre. I would guess that they are 6 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 8 feet tall.
After that cool experience, we went on to meet 2 cowboy-farmer brothers that farm cotton fields with experimental Monsanto cotton 1219 and drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is the new type of irrigation that is put about 5 in underground and it waters the root of the crops with no evaporation (they put the fertilizer and pesticides right into the roots also). The cotton was the best cotton crop in the entire area. Both of the cowboy-farmers are in the "Protect Water Rights Coalition". The group is about conserving water, but as the farmer owns the water. New Texas law is threatening to take the water rights away from farmers, but they say that they are protected under the 5th amendment and they would have to change the Constitution. Together both of the farmers have spent a little over 1 million dollars in the last 5 years putting in the drip irrigation systems in thousands of acres. If they lose their water rights they lose a lot of money.
Then I went with Paul to his family farm that he grew up on. He currently rents out the land to another farmer. He drove around showing me his pivot irrigation wells and his drip irrigation systems. Paul was very quiet and I think it was because he was angry that the current farmer was not taking care of his land. The one field of cotton was infested with tumbleweeds and was probably not salvageable. Much of the dry land cotton this year in Lubbock was plowed over and all you can see are little balls of cotton sticking out of the ground. The farmers are better off to take the insurance money rather than harvest the cotton.
I also come to find out that Paul has a Playa lake on his property. It currently holds no water. From the reports from 1959 it showed that there was around 60 feet of groundwater and now there is around 10-20. When it rains or the aquifer is full the lake reveals itself. Then, he drove his truck up a big hill and got out and looked out at his land. I knew that he really wanted to farm again. It is just a part of who he is and it was taken away from him. His father was scared for him to take over the family farm because of the risk and the financial burdens over the years. Instead Paul has rented his land to other farmers in the area.
After we drove back to the farmhouse we fed his daughters horses and I met his 80 year old father who had just broken his hip from picking peaches. He was kind and told me to come back anytime.
I thank Paul so much and it was a day that I will never forget.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Cotton!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Panhandle Geologist
Met a gentleman today at Starbucks and we sat down and looked at maps. He drew randomly all over the maps to point me in the direction for my project. He educated me on what crops are grown in each county and where the water supplies are located. He gave me contact information to the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority so that I can find out very accurate statistics on Lake Meredith.
Also he informed me on the rise of the cotton industry. Cotton was only grown south of Lubbock until recently. However due to genetic modifications of cotton it has a shorter growing season and can be grown farther north. Cotton is now being grown as far north as the Oklahoma panhandle. Cotton uses a lot of water, but the new type of cotton has been modified to use less.
Also I found out that people are going together and buying huge plots of land so that by law they can own the water underneath the land and making millions of dollars selling the water rights to cities like Amarillo. In 2015 is when legislature will require farmers to only use a specific amount of water or they will be highly taxed. After I was through talking with him he sent me a text that he would give me the contact information for a cotton farmer who uses GPS technology and underground drip irrigation.
Also he informed me on the rise of the cotton industry. Cotton was only grown south of Lubbock until recently. However due to genetic modifications of cotton it has a shorter growing season and can be grown farther north. Cotton is now being grown as far north as the Oklahoma panhandle. Cotton uses a lot of water, but the new type of cotton has been modified to use less.
Also I found out that people are going together and buying huge plots of land so that by law they can own the water underneath the land and making millions of dollars selling the water rights to cities like Amarillo. In 2015 is when legislature will require farmers to only use a specific amount of water or they will be highly taxed. After I was through talking with him he sent me a text that he would give me the contact information for a cotton farmer who uses GPS technology and underground drip irrigation.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
connections!
Talked to a geologist and hydrologist on the phone tonight for 3 hours! Found out some very very interesting details. As you can see in my pictures, Lake Meredith (the man made lake north of Amarillo) is currently 23 feet deep. In 1980 the lake was over 100 feet deep and supplied water to the whole northern region (including Amarillo). Now, the water is so low that the aqueduct is unable to transfer water out of lake Meredith and the government has supplemented groundwater to take its place. The entire north part of Texas is being supplied by 99% of aquifer water (mostly the Ogallala). The geologist I spoke to believes that Lake Meredith began to dry when the government subsidized CRP ground (paying farmers to put grass in their fields) which created less water run-off. Also the expansion of the region has created more water use. The individual regions are cutting off water supply to farmers who have used the aquifer freely for their entire lives. The law has changed so that the property owner does not own that water on their land. I am so excited about everything that I have learned from them and I am going to meet with a Hydrologist and Environmental Analyst for Xcel Energy. He is going to take me around the area and show me geological sites significant to the aquifer.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Website Update
http://ogallalaland.iconosites.com/
Here is my in progress website
does anyone know how to get the images centered?? That extended white box is driving me crazy.
Here is my in progress website
does anyone know how to get the images centered?? That extended white box is driving me crazy.
A breakthrough!
I recieved emails back from 8 geologists/hydrologists in the area offering their knowledge and resources for my project!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
"The inconsistancy is the consistency"
~ Chelsea Welsh
http://www.massartgraduateprograms.org/chelseawelsh.html
~ Chelsea Welsh
http://www.massartgraduateprograms.org/chelseawelsh.html
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
James Dodd
http://jamesdodd.net/projects/olympic-dreams/#PHOTO_27
I love the olympic dream photographs
I love the olympic dream photographs
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Lake Meredith
Today was insane. All I wanted to do is get a library book and the library was not open until 2pm. Therefore, I decided to head out to Lake Meredith to check out the town of Amarillo's water supply. I ended up going down a beautiful road with rolling hills (at 70mph) but it was taking forever and I didn't see any water. I wasn't sure I was going to find lake Meredith at all. All of the sudden I was going up a hill and I looked out the side window and the hills dropped into canyons. Very euphoric feeling I have only felt once before in the Sand Hills of Nebraska in a cow pasteur. So awesome. I literally felt like I was driving off a cliff. I finally found the sign for lake Meredith and truly in the middle of nowhere. I prayed that I was not bitten by a rattlesnake, attacked by a boar, shot by a hunter, taken by a rapist-murderer, eaten by fire ants, or stalked by a cougar.
I drove down the canyon awing at their beauty and followed the signs for a boat dock (there was no one around). I drive a little further and I notice a boat dock leading into a grassy field. The lake was not there. I was greeted by crackled earth and cat tails. I then walked down a path with my gray flats on hoping to not find any critters that would attack my feet. I found many shells laying along the path and as far as my eyes could see, no water.
I ended up seeing a car! and followed them back to the campground. They turned around and came back towards me. I rolled down my window and spoke to the older man and his wife and I asked them where I can find the water? He said the water used to be 150 ft deep and now it is 23. The man said that I would have to go back to the main road and make 2 rights at the first intersections that I came to.
So...I went back out of the canyon and I found another recreation area before I came to the intersection.
When I went down to the boat ramp to my surprise there was a boat dock with grass growing and still no water! As I went further down the road I went across a bridge where the river like many were completely dried up. I suddenly understand the importance of what I am doing.
After following the mans directions I ended up finding Lake Meredith. I am really worried about the people here and the children I meet everyday in my clinicals. People here really do not seem worried.
Today I applied for the Geological Society of Amarillo I hope that they accept me. I really need to make some connections to gain access of the reality of this place.
Lake Meredith, Fritch Texas, 2012
Out of all of the things I was scared of A TARANTULA!! I guess everything was surprising me today!
Tarantula, Amarillo Texas, 2012
I drove down the canyon awing at their beauty and followed the signs for a boat dock (there was no one around). I drive a little further and I notice a boat dock leading into a grassy field. The lake was not there. I was greeted by crackled earth and cat tails. I then walked down a path with my gray flats on hoping to not find any critters that would attack my feet. I found many shells laying along the path and as far as my eyes could see, no water.
I ended up seeing a car! and followed them back to the campground. They turned around and came back towards me. I rolled down my window and spoke to the older man and his wife and I asked them where I can find the water? He said the water used to be 150 ft deep and now it is 23. The man said that I would have to go back to the main road and make 2 rights at the first intersections that I came to.
So...I went back out of the canyon and I found another recreation area before I came to the intersection.
When I went down to the boat ramp to my surprise there was a boat dock with grass growing and still no water! As I went further down the road I went across a bridge where the river like many were completely dried up. I suddenly understand the importance of what I am doing.
After following the mans directions I ended up finding Lake Meredith. I am really worried about the people here and the children I meet everyday in my clinicals. People here really do not seem worried.
Today I applied for the Geological Society of Amarillo I hope that they accept me. I really need to make some connections to gain access of the reality of this place.
Out of all of the things I was scared of A TARANTULA!! I guess everything was surprising me today!
Amarillo
Stephen Shore, Amarillo, Texas 1974
He was a visionary for color photography. He paved the way for this project both by color and living in Amarillo. He believed in being real. Real in the sense that he was never going to be like Andy Warhol and "potboil" or continue to make the same work over and over to please his audience. Art is something more. "Art is solving problems, facing challenges, exploring the world, and exploring the medium not about making beautiful pictures; pictures are a by-product of this exploration." (Stephen Shore, SFMOMA, 2012).
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