Review of The Science, Impacts and Monitoring of Drought in Western Canada: Proceedings of the 2004 Prairie Drought Workshop Edited by Dave Sauchyn, Madhav Khandekar, and E. Ray Garnett

Drought is not an unusual phenomenon on the Canadian prairies or the U.S. Great Plains. There were many short-term droughts in the prairies during the 20th century that generally lasted one to two years (e.g., 1961, 1988). The Canadian prairies multi-year drought event (1999-2003+) has been considered similar in severity to the 1930s drought years. The 2004 Prairie Drought Workshop resulted in 76 scientists and resource managers gathering in Calgary, Alberta, to share information on drought science, impacts, and monitoring. Presenters examined the impacts on agriculture, stream flow, forests, and ground water, including potential impacts under a changed climate. Though focused on the Canadian prairies, the information presented could be applied to many parts of the U.S. Great Plains.

EC32-713 The Trench Silo in Nebraska

The original idea of using a trench for the storing of ensilage seems to have been the outgrowth of the practice long used in several European countries of storing clover and beet tops in pits. Shortly after the World War, western Canada followed by Montana and North Dakota began to use the trench silo. In Nebraska the true trench silo made its appearance about 1925 or 1926. The trench silo as described in this circular, unless lined with some permanent material such as brick, concrete or stone, must be considered a temporary structure which will serve for a few years only and then must be discarded or rebuilt. In an emergency it will save a crop even though the farmer has little capital to expend other than his own labor.