(C) Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural This story was originally published by Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Hill Country Ranchers Rebuild, One Fence Post at a Time [1] ['Madeline De Figueiredo', 'The Daily Yonder', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] Date: 2025-08-11 Ranches and pecan orchards along the banks of the San Saba River, stretched across the rolling landscape of Texas Hill Country, are working to recover after weeks of relentless flooding. Repeated flooding has left a lasting mark on San Saba County: lush summer grasses lie buried beneath thick layers of mud, stagnant water pools in low-lying hollows, and debris covers fields. As the community takes stock of the devastation, grateful that no human life was lost, farmers are facing miles of downed fences, submerged farm equipment, and missing livestock. San Saba County faced severe flooding beginning on July 4, causing widespread damage and displacement and prompting Governor Greg Abbott to declare a state of disaster. “I don’t think anybody in our lifetime here has seen it flood like this,” said Paige Fraught, the executive director of the San Saba Chamber of Commerce, whose family operates Triple M Cattle. “We thought we were safe,” said Buddy Adams, a local rancher. “Of course, (the water) came up so fast we didn’t have time to do much anyway.” Farm Operations Come to a Standstill Without Fences Connie and Buddy Adams have been ranching in San Saba County for over 50 years. The recent flooding damaged much of the roughly 350 acres they manage across three properties, which include 140 acres of pecan trees and additional pastureland. They lost their home, three sheep, several pieces of farm equipment, and miles of new fencing. “I had to be rescued by boat,” Adams said. “It got up two feet in the house, so virtually everything in the house got destroyed, at least as far as the furniture that’s on the bottom floor.” “A lot of the fencing is all the way down,” Adams said, estimating that a minimum of four miles of fencing would need to be replaced. “All of our equipment got underwater in our shop, in our sheds…The water got in all those sheds, it did some damage in the shop, and we lost all of our chemicals that we use for pecan spraying.” Buddy Adams stands outside of R.B. Bagley & Sons Inc. Pecan in San Saba, Texas where he uses the equipment to bin pecan harvests. (Photo by Madeline de Figueiredo) Adams said that while some of the equipment was insured, they did not have flood insurance, so they have been relying on help from volunteers and have applied for assistance through FEMA. Down the river from the Adams’, Triple M Cattle lost two cattle and about four miles of fencing. “A lot of people can’t operate without the fencing up because that keeps all the cattle or livestock in,” Fraught said. “So it has displaced a lot of livestock and put most operations on hold. And what a lot of people don’t know is how much fencing costs to replace. It’s summer, a lot of ranchers have been repairing and or just got fences redone, and it all got washed out.” Fencing is fundamental to ranching in Central Texas, where open landscapes, drought, and predators pose constant challenges. It keeps livestock contained and out of roadways, deters threats and predators, and allows ranchers to control grazing, protecting both the animals and the land. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, fencing not only keeps animals contained but it also protects water sources and supports rotational grazing, the practice of moving livestock between pastures to promote regrowth and soil health, making it a cornerstone of sustainable ranching. According to the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s iSTAT Damage Survey, nearly 60 miles of fencing are down in San Saba County and 39 pieces of machinery, such as tractors and other farm equipment, are inoperable. Ashley Johnson, CEO of the Hill Country Community Action Association (HCCAA), a local nonprofit spearheading the recovery effort, noted that these numbers are likely underestimates as the damage is still being assessed. Johnson emphasized the urgency of fence repairs, noting that many ranchers are forced to suspend operations until fencing is restored. “The predicament for ranchers now, if they are running any kind of livestock, is they have no method to contain them,” Johnson said. “Time is critical.” Flood damage to the fencing on WP Ranch in San Saba, Texas. (Photo by Madeline de Figueiredo) In San Saba County, ranchers are receiving quotes upwards of $25,000 per mile to replace flood-damaged fencing. For those needing to rebuild multiple miles, total costs can easily exceed $100,000. While FEMA does not cover fence repairs, ranchers still have some limited avenues for relief. The Texas STAR Fund, administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture, offers support in counties under a state disaster declaration. It provides reimbursement grants covering up to 80% of eligible expenses, but with a cap of $8,000 per applicant per disaster. That means even for ranchers facing six-figure repair bills, the maximum STAR Fund reimbursement remains $8,000. The USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) offers cost-share assistance that can cover up to 75% of repair costs, or up to 90% for beginning or socially disadvantaged producers. However, advance payments are limited to 25% of fencing repair costs, so producers must still cover a large portion of the expenses upfront. Johnson said that these processes take time—time that many ranchers can’t afford. “For a lot of people, especially livestock ranchers, these [funds] are not available on a feasible timeline, especially when it’s their primary livelihood,” Johnson said. Without timely access to aid, many ranchers are left with no choice but to shoulder substantial upfront costs, often taking out loans and risking their financial stability in the hope that future reimbursements will cover at least part of their investment. WP Ranch in San Saba, where Pam Perry Wallace lives, sustained thousands of feet of fence damage and temporarily lost livestock during the flooding. “We lost all of our outside fencing,” Wallace said. “Some of the cross fencing stayed up. But the T-posts are bent. And it was all brand new fencing done last summer.” Wallace’s family lost, and later recovered, two horses during the flooding. “I think all the rushing quickness of the water rising may have spooked the horses,” Wallace said. The horses ran into a nearby slough and floated downriver. After three days of searching for the horses, Wallace’s husband, Bill, found them at the edge of the property. “They were at our fence line, but the fence was down, so they weren’t sure about stepping on the fence itself. My husband led them through a gate, and they were home.” Community Support Carves a Path To Rebuild The HCCAA has been collecting fencing-related donations throughout the month to support ranchers’ rebuilding efforts. They have received materials from neighboring Central Texas counties and from across state lines in Mississippi. “Realistically, it will likely take a year or two to rebuild everything,” Johnson said. As ranchers begin the long process of cleanup and rebuilding, San Saba has seen an outpouring of support from local neighbors and volunteers from neighboring states. “There have been donations of fencing products, which has been a great help,” Wallace said. “The people and volunteers are just amazing. We had some linemen come in from Louisiana. Seven of them showed up and said, ‘What can we do?’ And they helped us clear so much of the fencing and the downed trees and all the brush stuff that washed up. They were amazing and a real godsend.” “Our little community takes care of their own anytime something happens,” Fraught said. “Not only have we seen everybody step up to the plate to help clean out these homes and any anything of that sort, I’ve also seen and gotten a lot of calls from people all around Texas and out of state. That’s been just mind boggling to me.” “We lost a lot of memories in the flood,” Adams said. He and his wife are currently staying at their cabin in Marble Falls, traveling more than two hours each day to help clean up and rebuild in San Saba. “We’re fortunate enough that we are still alive and we’re very thankful for everything we have.” Related Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. 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