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farm406
e Bird and e Herd
n the spring of 2012, Bret Lesh was trying to figure out
water on the new 9,000-acre unit of his Cross W Ranch.
Along with every other rancher in Carter County, Montana,
his business was subject to the yearly calculus of snow, rain,
temperature and wind. In a good year, his native rangeland
in spring released its bounty of western wheatgrass, blue
grama, thickspike wheatgrass, forbs and buffalograss, a
carpet of bright green amidst the blue-gray sagebrush.
Snowmelt and rain filled the small reservoirs and excavated
pits that served as water sources for his cows. Sage-grouse
assembled on their ancestral breeding grounds, the males
to strut and joust for the aentions of nonchalant females.
But that was a good year, that was maybe three years out
of five. Bret Lesh needed to figure out water on his new
property because a successful rancher in southern Carter
County never loses sight of what can happen to his land
and livelihood during the other two years.
I
Sage grouse mating. Photo, Nappadol Paothong, Columbus, MO.
By John Grassy
L to R: Kim and Brett Lesh with Rebecca Knapp on the Cross-W
Ranch, Ekalaka, MT. Photo, Eliza Wiley, Helena, MT.
