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Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 Started by RichO at 03-30-2006 8:06 AM. Topic has 6 replies. WildflowerHaven... » Texas Wildflowe... » Hill Country » Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 Hunting Texas Wildflowers - New Book!

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03-30-2006, 8:06 AM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 635 Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 **Warning Sad News Follows**   Yesterday, 3/29/2006, I took a tour of Willow City Loop to check on the wildflower conditions there. I wish I had good news to report, but I do not. There are no wildflowers along many parts of the loop. Driving the Loop was surreal. I kept wondering if I was having a bad dream. Were all those years of seeing bluebonnets along the Loop just a fantasy, a delusion of the mind?  I have been touring Willow City Loop during the wildflower season for five years now and this is the first time that I have seen major sections completely devoid of bluebonnets or any other wildflowers. Until this year, last year was the worst I had seen the Loop. Last year there were bluebonnets all along the Loop, although the coverage was sparse. This year there are long sections of the Loop where there are literally no bluebonnets or other wildflowers.   Good News: There is really very little good news about Willow City Loop. The best news that I can provide is that there are bluebonnets lining the roadside along the south part of the Loop where the road rises from the valley floor going south. This scenic and winding part of the loop runs through large granite outcrops. Small bluebonnet plants were actually blooming down the granite slopes along parts of the Loop. These granite slopes are usually covered with a thin sheet of water seeping through the cracks in the granite, but this year the bluebonnets are providing the cover. This photo is from one of the best sections along the south end of the Loop.   Bad news: Over 60% of the Loop has no bluebonnets or even other wildflowers. The white prickly poppies that usually populate a section of the north end of the Loop are virtually non-existent with only one or two plants here-and-there. The phlox that usually mixes with bluebonnets and Texas Star along the middle section of the Loop is extremely sparse with some section without any phlox. The really bad news: Sections of the Loop that did not fair well last year are completely bare this year. For three years now the Loop has been in a decline and each year the conditions are significantly worse than the previous year. I'm concerned that without re-seeding or major soil disturbance to bring up old seed that the seed load could dwindle so low that the Loop might not ever recover. I do not know how many years it takes to eradicate an area of wildflowers, but I fear the process has already begun to occur through some parts of the Loop. **Warning Graphically Sad Photos Follow** This photo taken 4/12/2003 is what the Loop should look like all along the north end and middle sections:   This photo taken 4/6/2004 is what the north end of the Loop should at least look like:   This photo taken 3/29/2006 is what the north end Loop looks like this year:   I have been using a spot along long the middle section of the Loop as a test area to gauge the conditions of the bluebonnets at the Loop.   Here is a photo of that area taken 3/27/2004   This one was taken 3/24/2005   This one was taken 3/29/2006       RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

03-30-2006, 11:02 AM FlowerPower Joined on 03-08-2005 The Woodlands, Texas Posts 135 Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 Thanks for sharing the news and photos Rich even though the news isn't good.  Since the land is private I guess it's fortunes are in the hands of the owners.  In a way I can understand that they might just let the bluebonnets disappear so the hords of tourists aren't driving through the loop.  I'm sure it is a big distraction for the ranches.  Too bad though because it was an unbelieveable sight to see in it's prime. Murry Grigsby PS We've had good soaking rains in our area the last two days Flowers will brighten your day whether mild or wild, Murry!    Report

03-30-2006, 12:52 PM gregner Joined on 03-28-2006 Posts 41 Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 I wouldn't worry too much about the Loop recovering once there are some seasons with good rainfall at the right times.  I've been visiting the Willow City Loop since the early '80s and have seen many years, including several in succession, that were very dry and had very few wildflowers.  Things rebounded as soon as favorable conditions returned.  In other areas not specifically in the Willow City area, I have seen fields that were bare for at least 5 years erupt into a literal carpet of bluebonnets are far as the eye could see. Although some recent years have had pretty good displays of wildflowers in the Hill Country, we have not seen a really spectacular year like there was in the mid 1990's. As long as they don't pave over all the land, the wildflowers will return, you just need alot of patience in times of drought and less than favorable conditions.    Report

03-30-2006, 3:38 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 635 Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 Gary, That's good to hear that you have seen the Loop in worse conditions and it has recovered. I know that several factors lead to a good display and rainfall is only one of those factors. Competing vegetation, disturbance of the soil and temperature also play a role. I also know that the seeds will not all germinate in the same year, so there is always a supply of seeds in the soil. I think we have been in a decline since the late 90s. I think some of this decline is related to climate shift, change in land use/management and urban sprawl. The climate shift may last a lifetime or shift back within a few years. The change in land use/management has already altered the landscape of the Hill Country resulting in fewer acres in well balance prairie-grasslands. The urban sprawl has also consumed additional lands in meadows where wildflowers have been known to grow. Eventually, I wonder if enough factors will come to bear to cause a irreversible decline. Since my childhood the landscape of Texas has already changed significantly. I know that we are losing wildflower species to extinction every year. One thing I did not mention is that several of the ranches are now putting up fences along the north end of the loop. Cattle will not be as free to roam the areas along the roadside. Some of the prettiest displays I have seen are in well managed rangeland where the cattle play at least a small part of the role that bison played on the open grassland prairies. Keeping the cattle off the roads will certainly help the ranchers, but at the same time might have an impact on the wildflowers along roadsides of the Loop. Ranchers certainly have a right to protect their property and livelihood. RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

03-30-2006, 5:08 PM gregner Joined on 03-28-2006 Posts 41 Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 I did not know about the newly erected fencing in that area, I can certainly understand why they have had to do that.  The Willow City Loop was almost unheard of until it was featured in Texas Monthly and several other publications.  The masses of visitors to this admittedly breathtaking area since then have had a marked impact.  During the first years that I visited that area ranchers were happy to let you roam freely on their land, and there were no signs along the road warning you not to stop your vehicle.  The increased traffic, trespassing and loss of livestock from collisions with vehicles have angered the land owners.  Their secret bit of heaven is gone now and many are quite bitter about it. I will say that you are quite correct about the role that cattle grazing plays.  And I believe it is more than just a small role. Excess vegetation must be eliminated in order for wildflowers to grow well.  Mowing, wild fires or grazing are the only ways to clear the excess vegetation to make way for the growth of wildflowers. I visited southern California last spring and there was an area that had a large wildfire the year before.  This area was very similar to the Hill Country will rolling hills of granite outcroppings.  The hills were literally completely covered with orange poppies, lupines, and many other wildflowers.  In the area surrounding, where there had been no fire, there were absolutely no wildflowers.  Although fencing may have an impact on the roadsides of the Willow City Loop, as long as they continue to raise cattle the beautiful fields of bluebonnets should continue to return when conditions are right. Admittedly, where there has been urban development the landscape will never be the same, but as long as ranchers continue to raise cattle in the rural countryside, I have no doubt that wildflowers will continue to flourish.  I think the biggest threat would be a major disruption in the cattle industry caused by disease such as bovine spongiform encephalitis or other diseases such as brucellosis.  Without the cattle or bison the grasslands would succumb to mesquite and cedar and the wildflowers would be lost, probably for good. Lets hope that doesn't happen!    Report

03-30-2006, 8:11 PM RichO Joined on 02-15-2005 San Antonio, TX Posts 635 Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 Gary, you and I are in total agreement, so what follows is just my passionate ramblings. :) In doing research for my book, I came across several references to the belief that native Americans started wildfires, because they believe it would improve the prairies and bring back the bison. Urban development and rural "ranchette" developments are probably the main reason wildfires are controlled today just as they are in Southern California.  When you overcontrol wildfires you must have a plan to rid the ground of built up fuel which has not been removed by the wildfires. In fact, if the fuel is not removed then wildfires become even more dangerous. Urban sprawl takes a different form in the Hill Country where you see ranch land being developed into 1-3 acre "ranchettes." These developments are not even close to a major city, so it is sprawl that jumps over open areas then begins to close the open spaces. These "ranchette" developments advertise some "esthetic" features like hilltop views, river fronts or live water (not certain what dead water would be). In Kendall County you can find these developments in areas that used to be "borderline" ranches. What I mean by borderline ranch is that the land was not always ideal for ranching and thus the ranch went defunct or the family sold out. Much of this land had turned into mesquite or cedar brakes. The good news about these developments is that they clear the land and open up the space that used to be covered with the small mesquite or cedar scrub trees (note: I am not in favor of removing all cedar, but mainly opening up the prairie areas). The bad news is when they turn most of that open space into manicured lawns and do not plant native plants. If those open spaces were returned to mixed native short grass/wildflower areas then we would all benefit. This field is an example: http://community.wildflowerhaven.com/forums/984/ShowPost.aspx The family mows over an acre of land after their field of bluebonnets goes to seed...that is all they do. In my travels around the South Texas, I am seeing fewer places that are well managed rangeland which either means that the ranches are not doing well or they are overgrazing the land. In either case, land which was once healthy grassland prairies is being lost to dense mesquite or cedar brakes. The concern I have is that each acre of open grassland we loose is an acre that could have captured much more water than a dense cedar brake. Each acre that is paved over generates more heat. Each acre we plant with water hungry plants we suck more water from the aquifers. We are losing ground water and gaining areas that are heating up. The Austin - San Antonio corridor is already forming a weather-rigid inversion zone that wards off the heavier storms. You can see this in the rainfall patterns. Combine this with normal climate shifts such as global warming (we are globally warming even without mankind's assistance) and we might be facing an extended period wildflower decline. I'm beginning to sound like Mr. Doom and that is not my purpose. I do hope we see that some of that decline is due to our impact on the land and that we do something to minimize that impact so that future generations will still get as excited as we do about our wonderful displays of Texas wildflowers. There was a time in Texas only 150 years ago when no one needed a book, wildflower sightings or a wildflower route map to find magnificent displays of wildflowers. All they had to do was hitch up a wagon and take the weekend ride to town to shop and go to church. All along the way they were entertained with beautiful wildflowers as far as the eye could see. I know this because they left records of what they saw. To the best of my ability and resources I pledge that my 32 acres of land in the Hill Country will be restored and preserved. :)   RichO Hunting Texas Wildflowers    Report

04-04-2006, 2:54 PM Anonymous Re: Willow City Loop Spring Report 2006 So sorry, thanks for your information and hard work...

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