The West Texas grasslands are a sight to see. In autumn, the golden expanse of the Marfa Plain or the Diablo Plateau shines beneath a brilliant blue sky, to dazzling effect. The grasslands are also a foundation – central to the region's ranching industry and to native wildlife. And, in much of the Trans-Pecos, 2016 was an outstanding year for grasslands.

In 2011, Texas witnessed an unprecedented drought. The hardiest of plants – lechuguilla, prickly pear – withered and died in desert lowlands. West Texas became a tinderbox, and the Rock House Fire burned 300,000 acres of the Marfa Plain and Davis Mountains.

But in 2016, monsoon rains transformed the landscape – particularly the...