Playa Field Day set for Nov. 16 in Silverton

The latest edition of an educational Playa Field Day staged by Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) will travel to Silverton on Tuesday, Nov. 16 with a program that will focus not only on playa conservation, but on how playas can impact municipal water supplies in small rural communities.

Farmers, ranchers, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend the day of presentations from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Silverton Public Library Meeting Room in Silverton.

Due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, the room will be set up for social distancing and masks are encouraged.

Along with information about playa ecosystems and playa restoration options, the program will focus presentations on how healthy, functioning playas can recharge the Ogallala aquifer and help to sustain municipal water supplies for rural communities such as Silverton.

That afternoon, there will also be a field tour to view playas in the locality.

Doors will open at the Silverton Public Library Meeting Room on 405 Broadway at 9 a.m. for registration and refreshments.

The opening presentation at 9:40 a.m. will be an overview of playa ecosystems and the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative by Dr. Rachel Fern, Statewide Wetland Program Leader, who will be traveling all the way from her office in San Marcos to attend, and Heather Johnson, TPWD Migratory Game Bird Specialist from Lubbock.

At 10:10 a.m. presentations take a turn toward a practical landowner approach to playas. Dr. Chris Grotegut, farmer-stockman from Hereford, and David Bateman, owner of Playa Lake Farm and Ranch and Chairman and co-CEO of SitePro, Inc., Lubbock, will address the multiple benefits of playa conservation for landowners.

Closing out the morning session, Mike Carter, executive director of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Lafayette, Colorado, will present examples of municipalities in New Mexico and Kansas that are employing playa restoration as a strategy for insuring adequate groundwater supplies for the future of their communities.

After a catered lunch at 11:50 a.m., the group will depart at 12:45pm for a driving tour to view playas in the vicinity of Silverton.

At 2 p.m. the group will return to the Library Meeting Room for a panel discussion on “Next Steps” moderated by Jim Steiert, agriculture and outdoor writer and playa author from Hereford. The event will adjourn at 3 p.m.

Playas are shallow, rain-fed wetlands throughout the Great Plains. When containing surface water, playas provide crucial habitat for many wildlife that depend on water to survive. When dry, playas also support several other Great Plains wildlife species because they are often the only natural lands in a region dominated by agricultural production. Playas also recharge water to the underlying aquifer, filter nutrients and chemicals from the surrounding watershed, and add recreational value to the region.

Registration for the event is $15 per person (which includes the cost of lunch, drinks, and snacks).

To register, email or call Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director (darryl@ogallalacommons.org) or by phone at 806-945-2255.

The workshop is sponsored by Ogallala Commons and its partners, the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 and the Dixon Water Foundation.