William "Bill" Armstrong

In 1989, the rancher and landowner Bill Armstrong placed a permanent conservation easement on a 160-acre tract west of Dimmitt, with the easement held by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The parcel contained a 77-acre playa basin, later protected from siltation by grass plantings along its border. The tract is now known as the Armstrong Unit, and forms a part of the Playa Lakes Wildlife Management Area. It is also referred to as Playa Lakes Joint Venture #1.

Armstrong’s effort was novel in several ways. First, easements, limits on land development, had only been authorized in 1983, just a few years before, so the idea was new in the state. In that sense, the use of an easement here was a trailblazing example of how meaningful conservation could occur on private agricultural “working” lands. Second, the ecological value of playas had often not yet been fully recognized, so he was a pioneer in that way too. While playas like this provide critical wetland habitat for a variety of wildlife, many ranchers had traditionally dug pits to concentrate the playas’ water, or excavated trenches to drain them. Armstrong was unusual in his “Cows and Cranes” philosophy, believing that his cattle operation could coexist with playas left in their natural state.