Saturday Snapshot — Drought in the Badlands, Tough for Bison

Drought brings A Crunchy Dry Spring

Western North Dakota is as dry as I’ve ever seen it. In fact, the National Drought Monitor says it’s an extreme drought in the Badlands.

That’s why grazing is drying up for bison and other wildlife. This week we hiked the Long X Trail. We’ve written about it before. It’s a favorite. It’s on the south side of the Little Missouri River across from the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

These days are pleasant for hiking, but the drought fire danger is so high, we didn’t want to do much exploring.

The Long X Trail weaves down the hill, through the trees. The hills of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are in the background.

Fire hazards are extreme in a drought out west. Emergency crews put out several fires they were called on in McKenzie and Dunn Counties.

Hopefully, a bit of snow or rain this spring will improve drought conditions — but as far as the long range forecast shows — it’s going to remain dry in the Badlands.

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Mike Kopp

Love to tell stories -- romantic, nostalgic stories of our explorations in the Northern Plains. 15 years a television reporter/anchor, 12 years radio news director, 3 years newspaper editor, 6 years documentary producer -- a lifetime of communication.