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8A – Daily News – Saturday, June 26, 2010 Agriculture & farm groundwater pumping SACRAMENTO (AP) — Commercial fisherman have filed a lawsuit accusing California officials of not leaving enough water in a Northern California river for coho salmon. The lawsuit filed Thursday says the State Water Resources Control Board and Siskiyou County allowed groundwater well permits that have depleted the Scott River. The plaintiffs say the endangered coho salmon are now on the verge of extinction in the river. A spokesman at the State Resources Water Control Board, William L. Rukeyser, says the lawsuit appears to raise many theories about pumping that are not established in California law. He says the state does have the authority to regulate groundwater as the fishermen claim. On our 4th day of the Western Livestock Journal Colorado High Country tour we drove south from Steamboat Springs, and noticed the very large meadow was now cut up into ranchettes. Oak Creek was coal mining area, and we could see abandoned mines in the canyon. The railroad came up the canyon for the coal a hun- dred years ago. Our stop was at R & R Land & Livestock, Phipps- burg, where the Rossi fam- ily came to the Yampa Val- ley in 1910 to work in the coal mines. In 1923 the family bought a ranch on Middle Hunt Creek near the town of Yampa. The ranch at Oak Creek was purchased by Louis and Wilma Rossi, and they raised certified seed pota- toes. In 1974 the sons Dean and Jim formed a partner- ship purchasing the Oak Creek ranch from their par- ents, and for 16 years worked at salaried jobs while ranching. Gordon Rasmussen of California used to pasture yearlings here. Today they have more than 18,000 acres deeded and leased, with five differ- ent homesteads, running 700 cows plus raising replacement heifers and two hundred yearling steers. The high country is now the Flat Top Wilder- ness, and only horses or walking are allowed. Once a year they can take salt in by ATV and stock- pile, and then scat- ter by horseback for the cattle and wildlife. Jim told us about the year‚s activities with feeding cows from January to March. Each brother feeds a group of cows, and figuring 1 1/2 to 2 ton per cow of hay. They used to use horses and it would take four hours to feed 70 head, and now with tractors they can feed 700 head in three hours. They have to chop water holes in the ice at this ranch, while the other ranch has warm water springs. They will calve in April, ranch Lawsuit challenges Calif. Western Livestock tour — Day 4 Courtesy photo The Nottingham Ranch had great views and delicious luncheon. The cattle are hauled to 6 different places, and Jim will ride horseback check- ing the cows and calves during the summer. Last Saturday they had branded 450 calves with help of friends and neighbors. They grab the calves in a small corral, without rop- ing, using lots of friends and young people. There will be 4 calves on the ground, 2 electric branding irons and 2 electric dehorners working. Brother Dean does the irrigation, and they will put up 3,000 ton of hay per year, selling 1,000 ton. Start haying the middle of July and finished by Sep- tember making 1,600 lb round bales for ranch, and 65-70 lb for sale. The water ditches were dug in 1880, and come from high on the mountains. He travels 75 miles a day irrigating. In July they sell the yearling steers on Supe- rior video. August, fin- Jean Barton ish first part of haying and start selling hay. They have sev- eral hay sheds and use tarps. Will ship the steers they sold in July. They will weigh 950 pounds, after gaining 3 to 3.5 lbs per day on grass. October the cattle come and calve out 90 head of heifers. May they finish calving, and drag the meadows so no clumps of manure on them. They will fertilize 1,000 acres of meadows using 50 lb of nitrogen. off the hill, and preg check, plus selling hay. November they finish preg checking the cows, and the calves are weaned after preweaning vaccinations. They will buy Hereford bulls from Strang and Largent, and the Angus come from several ranches. They are 8,000 foot here so they buy PAP tested bulls. No parasites except lice. December they continue selling hay, and some cus- tomers have been buying from them for 30 or 40 years. Mid December they start feeding 20 lbs hay per head and will increase to 30 lbs, out on the hay meadows. Both families have children who have (Tommy), or hope to return to the family ranch after school is finished. Land prices are unreal- istic, selling for $10,000 an acre since the Yampa Val- ley is between Vail and Steamboat Springs. They lease some ranches from Wall Street owners. Yampa was 7,892 feet, and gas was $2.79, diesel was $2.99. We saw the local coffee shop Penny’s Café, open 24 hrs because Yampa is a railroad crew change, and the crew will stay at local motel. At one time there was 12 sawmills, and they shipped many cattle from here. Much lettuce and spinach was grown in old days. Burns was on a dirt road by the Colorado River. Years ago there were rail- road corrals for shipping, but now it is only a post office; didn’t notice a store. The lilacs were in bloom. The soil on the hills was red and conifers on north side of the hills. Then we were in sagebrush and juniper. LAST WEEKEND of our LIC #808524 Call For Free Information Toll-Free (800) 464-1403 or (530) 365-1403 6183 MEISTER WAY ANDERSON, CA 96007 (530) 365-1403 (800) 464-1403 Fountains & Statuary Sale 30%-40% off Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff • 527-0886 Our visit was at the Nottingham Ranch, started in the late 1880’s in Eagle County. The family assem- bled the ranch by buying homesteads in the Avon and Vail valleys, putting together about 20,000 acres of private land, plus numerous BLM and Forest grazing permits. The ski industry was developed and they relocated to Burns in 1980. It was a large valley sloping to the creek. A lovely view to look across from the house to the green hay fields that were being irrigated by wheel lines. It was gravity fed pivots, 1,500 or 1,600 gallons per minute. They only get one cutting here, and don’t fer- tilize the pastures. The ranch is currently managed by Bill Notting- ham, his wife Neva, daugh- ter Susan and four grand- sons, and four greatgrand children. We especially enjoyed viewing the interior of Susan’s two story home that had just been complet- ed after a year of building on the old homesite. The builders had come from Vail. The view from all the large windows was spec- tacular. We sat on hay bales on the landscaped lawn for lunch, and it was elegant. Beef fajitas, green salad, rice salad and fresh fruit, with cookies. Ice tea, lemonaid and water. They have 1,100 mostly Angus cows, crossed to Herefords. The bulls have to be PAP tested because of the high altitude of 7,500 feet. Used to have 3,000 elk on the hay fields, but have joined Ranching for Wildlife, where there is a 90-day hunt and they can sell 75 bull tags. In exchange there is a ten day period when the public can buy cow tags. An outfitter sells the tags for $7,500 for a bull and the mule deer buck tags are $5,000. They can hunt till end of Febru- ary, so that helps keep the elk off the meadows. County roads go through the ranch, so we enjoyed a tour of the ranch by bus and got to see some of the cows grazing in the aspen groves and range above the hay fields. Noticed a few wild flowers in bloom beside the edge of the road. We followed the Col- orado River to Glenwood Springs, through the red rock canyons, and the aspen, cottonwoods were apple green new leaf. Then on I-70 and were told the 13 miles of freeway cost $32 million dollars to build. Glenwood Springs was 5,746 feet, and we stayed at the historic Hotel Colorado built in 1893. Historic, one elevator and no air condi- tioning on warm days. It was just across the street from the Glenwood Hot Spring Pool, largest natural hot spring pool in the world but it was $13 for hotel guests the first day, and the summer season started the second day so price was $19. Cattle people watch their pennies. There was little swimming for one hour before it closed for the day. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton@theskybeam.c om.