CRP land and game bird production in the Texas High Plains

Soil Conservation Service personnel were surveyed about the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the Southern High Plains of Texas (71 counties, 903,215 ha). Information included type of cover established, land enrolled, establishment success, and cost of establishment for five conservation practices (CP1, 2, 4, 10, 12). Land in permanent introduced grasses (CP1) and permanent native grasses (CP2) accounted for 98% of the total CRP land. Establishment costs for the most common cover types averaged $142.90/ha ($57.85/acre). Establishment success was 87%. Ring-necked pheasant and waterfowl production in a four-county area was estimated on selected CRP grass combinations (blue grama/side-oats grama mixtures, blue grama/Kleingrass mixtures, and blue grama/old world bluestem mixtures) using 1988 nesting information and land enrollment figures. Estimated pheasant production was 174,204 chicks/year. Waterfowl production was estimated at 1,426 ducklings/year. Pheasant populations will benefit from CRP due to increases in nesting cover, brood cover, and winter habitat, but waterfowl numbers may depend more upon water conditions.