10/09/2026
Behind the Scenes at 6S River Ranch: Taking Care of the Land
Most people see the beautiful wildlife, rolling pastures, hardwood trees, and scenery at 6S River Ranch. What they don’t always see is the tremendous amount of work that goes into maintaining and improving this incredible property.
During another brutally hot, dry Central Texas summer, (70+ days at near or over 100 degrees with no rain) we were able to do a lot of cedar cutting but very little burning. Cutting and burning excess cedar to improve the health of the land, conserve water, and create better habitat for our animals is part of what we do. This week we burnt or mulch 13 piles.
Why is cedar management so important?
Water Conservation: Research has estimated that a mature Ashe juniper (cedar) can use approximately 33 gallons of water per day. With thousands of cedar trees across a ranch, reducing excessive cedar growth can make a meaningful difference in how water is distributed across the landscape.
Healthier Hardwood Trees: Cedar competes with our native oaks and other hardwoods for water, sunlight, and nutrients. Removing excessive cedar gives these beautiful trees more opportunity to thrive.
Better Native Grasses and Vegetation: Opening the canopy allows more sunlight and rainfall to reach the ground, encouraging native grasses, forbs, and other beneficial understory vegetation to grow. That means better forage, healthier soils, and improved wildlife habitat.
Natural Parasite Management: Clean wood ash has traditionally been used in dust-bathing areas for poultry, where it may help discourage external parasites such as mites and lice. It’s another potential benefit of responsibly managing cedar burn piles, as animals can use the ash to their benefit.
Long-Term Land Stewardship: Every cedar tree we remove, every pasture we improve, and every hardwood we protect is part of our commitment to leaving this ranch healthier and more beautiful for future generations.
Cedar Benefits: I want to point out that we leave a lot of Cedar on the land because it’s great cover for our fawns, it provides an excellent wind break when freezes/northerns hit, especially on north facing slopes and some animals such as Oryx, sheep and goats actually eat them.
It’s hot, dirty, labor-intensive work, and much of it happens behind the scenes. But the beautiful landscapes and healthy wildlife you see at 6S River Ranch don’t happen by accident.
We’re not just raising animals or maintaining a ranch. We’re investing in the land, conserving its natural resources, and striving to leave it better than we found it. Thanks, Benny for the extra set of hands!
