Blaine County Conservation District

07/23/2026

07/15/2026

Recent rains have helped some, especially across eastern Oklahoma, but your Spidey Sense should be telling you we're not out of the woods just yet. In western Oklahoma, they're just plain out of woods! https://ticker.mesonet.org/

07/15/2026

Stop by the office for more information and materials for your upcoming burns!

07/15/2026

Stop by the office for more information on this program!

07/15/2026

07/15/2026

July Land and Pond Management Calendar!

Summer Burns (Jul-Sept): Wildlife mortality can be decreased with this burn timing. Ground-nesting birds are mostly finished nesting and fawns are now mobile.

Burn Old World Bluestem: This invasive crass can outcompete native grasses. Burning in summer can kill old world bluestem plants.

Cut Native Hay Fields: Early July cutting optimizes quantity and quality. Cut once per year and leave 4" stubble.

Monitor Summer Food Plots: Control weeds if needed. Top-dress nitrogen if plants show stress from deficiency.

Monitor Bass and Bluegill: If fish are in poor body condition, harvesting more to reduce numbers is recommended.

For more, check out the factsheet! https://bit.ly/LandPondOSU

06/30/2026

Tick Abundance is Higher in Cedar Encroached Areas

Lone star tick was by far the most abundant species across sampling sites.

Two tick species were more abundant in cedar encroached areas than grasslands. The greatest increases were in the earliest stage of encroachment.

Total Count of Two Species
Lone Star Tick
- Open Grassland: 772
- Early Encroachment: 26,960
- Moderate Encroachment: 8,556
- Mature Encroachment: 8,008

American Dog Tick
- Open Grassland: 15
- Early Encroachment: 110
- Moderate Encroachment: 129
- Mature Encroachment: 106

Cedar Height & Cover
- Open grassland: Height 0ft, Cover 0%
- Early Encroachment: Height 12ft, Cover 30%
- Moderate Encroachment: Height 17ft, Cover 55%
- Mature Encroachment: Height 24ft, Cover 89%

Researchers collected 11,452 lone star ticks from a single trap in just 1.5 hours from one tree in an early encroachment site. (abnormal & excluded from analysis)

Propst et al. 2025 Effects of woody plant encroachment on abundance of multiple tick species in the U.S. Great Plains https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0332832

Tick Images: Tick Images: Susan Ellis USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org used and edited under CC BY-NC 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/deed.en

06/30/2026

Let's learn about soil!

There are four main layers of soil, called horizons. Each layer looks different and has a special role in supporting life.

Topsoil is the top layer where plants grow and roots spread out. It is dark in color because it contains decomposed organic matter called humus, which gives it nutrients. Earthworms, insects, and microorganisms live here and help keep the soil loose and healthy. This layer holds most of the nutrients plants need and is where seeds germinate.

Subsoil lies below the topsoil and is lighter in color because it has less organic matter. It contains minerals that have washed down from the topsoil through rainwater. Roots from trees and deep plants may reach into this layer to find stored water and minerals.

Parent Material is a mix of partially broken rock, sand, and clay that forms the base of soil development. It influences the soil’s texture and type—whether it’s sandy, loamy, or clay-rich. Over time, weathering and biological activity break this material down to form new soil.

Bedrock is the solid rock layer found beneath all the other layers. It doesn’t support plant life directly, but it slowly breaks down through weathering, providing minerals that become part of the soil above it.

Learn more about Oklahoma's Soil Health Program here: https://conservation.ok.gov/soil-health-program/

06/29/2026

Blaine County Conservation District and NRCS office will be closed on July 3rd. Happy 250th Birthday America! Be safe and enjoy the holiday weekend!