A labor of love: Supporting ranchers and range managers with the South Dakota Drought Tool

Andrea Watts; Jacqueline P. Ott; Emily Helms Rohrer

Treesearch

A labor of love: Supporting ranchers and range managers with the South Dakota Drought Tool

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Andrea Watts, Jacqueline P. Ott, Emily Helms Rohrer

Year:

2026

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Connected Science. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 766 KB)

Download (PDF 766 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/80667.pdf

Abstract

For 25 years, ranchers in South Dakota have used the South Dakota Drought Tool to estimate forage productivity of grazing lands. This crucial information helps them gauge whether to increase or decrease their herd size the following year. Management agencies also use the South Dakota Drought Tool to determine forage productivity of the lands they manage to balance the needs of livestock and wildlife.

Keywords

ranchers, South Dakota, forage productivity, grazing lands, management, South Dakota Drought Tool

Citation

Watts, Andrea; Ott, Jacqueline; Rohrer, Emily Helms. 2026. A labor of love: Supporting ranchers and range managers with the South Dakota Drought Tool. Connected Science. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.