Some more about water...

At home on the range. As a farmer or rancher, there is one thing you never forget to pray about...water. Whether its falling from the sky, shooting out a pivot, or sitting in a pond, we're always asking God to have some there when we need it and to send it if its not. Lately we've been doing a lot of asking. We've been asking for rain to fall, creeks to keep running, and for the algae to stay away.

As Colin mentioned earlier this month, because of the lack of water we've been hauling water to our cows. We like to have more than one source of water available and lately that's where some ranchers around Kansas have been running into problems.

With the high temperatures and lack of moisture, creeks and ponds are either dried up or a possible breeding ground for blue-green algae. Blue-green algae appears on the surface of stagnant water and resembles a foamy, thick, paint-like slurry. It comes in all colors, but most frequently true to the name in either blue or green shades. If the cows don't drink from the water we haul them, they are at risk of blue-green algae toxicity.

Blue-green algae is not always harmful, but lately we have been finding more and more blue-green algae that is.  Harmful blue-green algae contains toxins that could affect an animal (or a human's) intestinal and respiratory systems either by inhalation or consumption. Complications can range anywhere from mild illness to death.

As the number of lakes and ponds across Kansas with verified toxic blue-green algae rises, it is important to be aware. We frequently check our ponds and try our best to prevent stagnant water. If the water is questionable we fence off the pond to prevent the cattle from consuming possibly harmful algae blooms.

One of Colin and my good friends, Dani, works in diagnostics at the Kansas State vet school and she has been keeping us informed of new blue-green algae cases and the options we have as producers. Currently our pond water looks clear and healthy, but if we see a questionable algae bloom we have the option of sending in a sample to be tested.

In the meantime, we'll be watching our water and praying for rain at home on the range.