[HPL]

I heard on the radio this morning that for the first time, Texas Rice Farmers are going to be cut off from irrigation water this year due to the low levels in the Red River basin. Not only will that be a hardship for the farmers, seems to me that it may have a pretty significant effect on wintering habitat for ducks and also affect the opportunities for waterfowl hunting. Anyone else heard anything regarding this?

 

[sleeperls]

Being a Farmer myself in Kansas, I feel for these folks. It will do nothing but bankrupt the farmers, and drive the price up on whatever they are producing.

My land is irrigated and if it was not I'd need twice the land to make the same amount of money.

 

[deadriver]

yea, i have water resources work in multiple rivers/bayous down there and you folks are in a bind for water. Driest year in about 180 yrs in parts of texas, based on dendrochronology studies....hope it will get better for everyone in tx this year but is off to a bad start.

 

[HPL]

Not only a very dry year, but more and more folks using the water. Texas keeps working to attract people to move here without really thinking about the long term consequences. One big question is where will the water come from. much of the state is pretty dry most years and we are still a pretty heavily agricultural state. Rice farmers really, really need water to make a crop. With the exception of cranberries, rice is the only crop I can think of that grows in flooded fields. The farmers in the lower Rio Grande Valley must surely be having trouble too as off and on for a number of years now, the river has had periods where no water was even making it to the gulf. That is at least partially due to the increase in agricultural needs in Mexico and to the huge population increases along the border in Mexico.

 

[Franco]

I heard on the radio this morning that for the first time, Texas Rice Farmers are going to be cut off from irrigation water this year due to the low levels in the Red River basin. Not only will that be a hardship for the farmers, seems to me that it may have a pretty significant effect on wintering habitat for ducks and also affect the opportunities for waterfowl hunting. Anyone else heard anything regarding this?

I hate to read that news! With the low price for rice, they've got it bad.

If the La. Rice Farmers didn't double dip and raise Crawfish, they wouldn't survive either.

If there is no water for rice, is the land suitable for other crops like cotton or soy bean?

 

[phillip1119]

This could be reversed with spring rain but the odds are very low. Most farmers affected will most likely be forced to plant either grain or soybeans this year.

Here's the full article:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/cont...012/03/01/rice_farmers_wont_get_water_fr.html

 

[rholton]

Bad to hear...especially for someone like myself in the ag irrigation business. Several of the center pivot manufacturers have been running tests in AR and MO with center pivots on rice. They have had good success so far from what i hear. This will increase their irrigation efficiency and decrease the use of water for rice. The farmer always seems to take a back seat to the suburban population which probably doesnt even realize where their food is grown.

 

[jacduck]

Wintering in Matagorda County on the gulf coast rice country it is interesting to an outsider to watch. First the white goose winter population has gone from 1.4 million a few years ago to 387k in this years winter count. Then the geese seem to have vacated the rice fields. One thought is hybrid rice which is new and seems to coincide with the food change. Another is more corn is being grown and is favored over rice lately.

Add to this the fact that the legislators have put water boards in place who seem to have great power including forbidding water well drilling. One half of our lease area is served by a water management authority who rely on river flow and they are in the crapper for water. The other half is in private ownership with large reservoirs and old wells. They are doing good. The problem is the aquifer is dropping and in some areas has dropped 1000 feet.

Only solution I can see is get rid of mankind who messed the whole thing up by overpopulating the world. Oh yeah a $5 bale of hay is selling for $20 and more if you can find it. Round bales are up over $150 each. Used to be 30 t0 40. So bad that rice straw was baled for cattle feed. No nutrition but bulk and supplements are used to give nutrition. Watch out for future food costs.

 

[Raymond Little]

SA has been mentioned talking about a desalinization plant on the coast with pipeline to city. Where were the planners 20 yrs ago when future population projections were being made for all these major cities??

 

[Pas Bon]

Only solution I can see is get rid of mankind who messed the whole thing up by overpopulating the world.

I have to ask...are you serious?

 

[HPL]

SA has been mentioned talking about a desalinization plant on the coast with pipeline to city. Where were the planners 20 yrs ago when future population projections were being made for all these major cities??

What will the power source be to desalinate the water? It doesn't just happen by magic.

 

[Dwayne Padgett]

Bad to hear...especially for someone like myself in the ag irrigation business. Several of the center pivot manufacturers have been running tests in AR and MO with center pivots on rice. They have had good success so far from what i hear. This will increase their irrigation efficiency and decrease the use of water for rice. The farmer always seems to take a back seat to the suburban population which probably doesnt even realize where their food is grown.

Not to sure about how this would work. Pumping water to flood a field and spraying it on the field. It still takes the same amount of water. Rice is flooded not only to water the plant but for weed control. And I would say you would loose quit a bit to evaporation during spraying it with a pivot.

 

[HPL]

Any thoughts from those of you who either live around or hunt the Texas rice paddy area as to what this may mean as to waterfowl dispersal this fall? I am assuming that the flooded paddies usually serve large numbers of waterfowl.

 

[Raymond Little]

Any thoughts from those of you who either live around or hunt the Texas rice paddy area as to what this may mean as to waterfowl dispersal this fall? I am assuming that the flooded paddies usually serve large numbers of waterfowl.

They'll move across the border to our rice fields it was a banner year for redheads and CB's in the marsh due to the Texas water issues.

 

[7pntail]

Any thoughts from those of you who either live around or hunt the Texas rice paddy area as to what this may mean as to waterfowl dispersal this fall? I am assuming that the flooded paddies usually serve large numbers of waterfowl.

Similar situation here in California. There will be a water allotment, but I suspect flood-up could be greatly reduced. Thoughts------- well, it usually means better hunting--

In the good ol days farmers were allowed to burn their fields for rice decomposition and flood-up was not needed. We had great shooting! Today, all rice is either flooded and rolled, or disced. Lot of water, and lo'ts of options for birds.

But, for the sake of the birds and the farmers, time for a rain dance!

 

[HPL]

But, for the sake of the birds and the farmers, time for a rain dance!

Like we haven't already been doing that for months!! Beginning to think it's complete waste of time....

 

[rholton]

Not to sure about how this would work. Pumping water to flood a field and spraying it on the field. It still takes the same amount of water. Rice is flooded not only to water the plant but for weed control. And I would say you would loose quit a bit to evaporation during spraying it with a pivot.

You lose the same amount to evaporation when it is flooded. It takes approximately 50% of the water to irrigate the same rice field with a center pivot versus flooding it...this came directly form a rice farmer who has some fields irrigated via both means. Not only rice, but other crops have historically been flooded for irrigaiton as well. Most of those others are now grown under center pivot. As for the weeds, farmers combat weeds in other ways. Over the years different hybrids of corn, beans, cotton, etc have been developed that are Roundup resistant. A lot of farmers also practice "no till" or minimal tillage. This allows old crop residue to remain on top of the soil which helps to shade out weeds and also helps the soil retain moisture.

What is good for our farmers turns out to be not as good for us duck hunters. As populations continue to expand, food demand does as well. THe problem is that in some areas water availability is becoming a problem. Thus farmers and various government agencies are looking at different ways to better use of the water that is available.

 

[rholton]

Not to sure about how this would work. Pumping water to flood a field and spraying it on the field. It still takes the same amount of water. Rice is flooded not only to water the plant but for weed control. And I would say you would loose quit a bit to evaporation during spraying it with a pivot.

You lose the same amount to evaporation when it is flooded. It takes approximately 50% of the water to irrigate the same rice field with a center pivot versus flooding it...this came directly form a rice farmer who has some fields irrigated via both means. Not only rice, but other crops have historically been flooded for irrigaiton as well. Most of those others are now grown under center pivot. As for the weeds, farmers combat weeds in other ways. Over the years different hybrids of corn, beans, cotton, etc have been developed that are Roundup resistant. A lot of farmers also practice "no till" or minimal tillage. This allows old crop residue to remain on top of the soil which helps to shade out weeds and also helps the soil retain moisture.

What is good for our farmers turns out to be not as good for us duck hunters. As populations continue to expand, food demand does as well. THe problem is that in some areas water availability is becoming a problem. Thus farmers and various government agencies are looking at different ways to better use of the water that is available.

 

[TCFarmer]

Only solution I can see is get rid of mankind who messed the whole thing up by overpopulating the world.

I don't think we are even close to actually overpopulating the world. It must be tough to go through life thinking your very existence is an attack on the earth as a whole.

SA has been mentioned talking about a desalinization plant on the coast with pipeline to city. Where were the planners 20 yrs ago when future population projections were being made for all these major cities??

I believe reclaimed water is a much cheaper alternative. Think of all the water that is wasted by not being reused. Many municipalities still dump reclaimed water rather than putting it to use, which also reduces the need for "clean" water. Others like Vegas reuse almost all of their water.

 

[jacduck]

I have to ask...are you serious?

It is the only solution but I am not in charge thank you and God very much. As I recall China has a zero population growth plan that is not very popular.