Two decades of Eagles and Ag

There’s nothing like a foot of snow or more to remind us that Western Nevada remains very much on the frontier.

We suspect that Sunday’s all-day snowfall and whatever follows will be the one good storm that will help make a difference to what was turning out to be a pretty dismal water year.

Minden Weather Watcher Stan Kapler reported that a record 25 inches of snow containing 4.1 inches of water fell in the Douglas County seat over the weekend. Heavenly Ski Resort reported 14 inches, with 20 inches over the weekend.

That more snow fell in Carson Valley then at Heavenly Valley is an indication of how fickle Mother Nature can be in the Eastern Sierra.

The Valley has been referred to as the Silver State’s garden spot since the days when it fed the miners on the Comstock.

This week, Carson Valley embarks on a 22-year-old celebration of agriculture and the eagles that are attracted to its fertile fields.

Eagles and Agriculture offers new and longtime residents an opportunity to commune with the Valley’s agricultural past and maybe even spot an eagle or an owl.

Like all great events, Eagles and Ag got it’s start by leaning into an observation.

Rancher Arnold Settelmeyer noticed that people would line the fences to take photos of the eagles feeding on calf afterbirth. Some of those folks would climb the fence to try and get a better photo, disturbing the cows and trespassing on private property.

Settelmeyer and other ranchers decided to create a teaching moment.

That opportunity to learn about the Valley’s history, its agricultural background and the raptors who live here, has been going strong for two decades now.