Fruitless search for cattle

Your reading list

Cattle ranching was big business in the late 1800s and early 1900s, in the area of the United States that I am currently exploring. But in almost a week of sightseeing, I’ve yet to see a live bovine. Where did the cattle go, and why?

The Barker Dam, built in the late 1800s, crouches against the amazing rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park in California's Mojave Desert.

In the Mojave Desert north of Palm Springs, California, there used to be hundreds of thousands of cattle grazing the open range in the area now occupied by Joshua Tree National Park. Water, always the most valuable commodity, was the great equalizer, and during the California gold rush, miners were pitted against ranchers for the limited supply.
“Securing rights to reliable water sources — wells, tanks and springs — was critical, pitting rancher against rancher, rancher against miner and miner against miner.,” says national park information.

The original cattle watering trough below Barker Dam has stood the test of time. It dates back to the late 1800s.

To secure its own water, the Barker and Shay Cattle Company built a dam in a natural basin. It’s still standing today, but no cattle come to use it. Park officials say it is a prime watering hole for mountain sheep and other hardy desert animals, but the cattle are long gone.
As I surveyed the landscape, I saw little cattle-suitable forage. Every plant in the high desert seems to have a spine, a needle, a barb, a prickle, a tangle, a bramble or some other protective characteristic that allows it to survive the harsh climate.

The joshua tree is perfectly adapted to its environment. To those untrained in desert foliage, it looks like a cross between a cactus and a palm tree.

These plants are perfectly adapted to their environment. The creosote bush, for example, can extend its roots up to 60 feet to access water. The Joshua tree spreads its roots over as wide an area as possible, to catch all available rainfall. While doing that, it provides habitat for a number of animal and insect species. But as cattle forage, these plants leave much to be desired.
Just below Barker dam is the original water trough built by ranchers. Even now, the area that gets more water encourages foliage more familiar to Canadians — cottonwoods and bulrushes.
Of course, the absence of cattle here today is no great mystery. In former days, the region used to receive up to 10 inches of rain annually. It was enough to encourage grass growth and maintain pasture. Today, two to three inches annually is the norm. Only the best adapted plants and animals can survive, and cattle are not among them.