Disappointed.. again, and a question.

[oldandnew]

No you would not find it on our ground, you probably would find a few 5 acre plots of CRP on steep hillsides or consistantly wet areas. You would also find some bufferstrips and unmolested cattail sloughs that could be drained but are not because it is not worth the fight. Those are realistic solutions.

Yes you are correct that the water does need to go some where. It is interesting to here guys complain about how some ground that has never been wet before is wet now even though they drained the 2 sections next to it into this one.

By the way OldandNew you just inspired me for a new thread.

See we're not that far off. A lot of drainage work gets done because there is time and incentive to do it, not because it makes economic sense on it's own merits. Whatever wet spots or crp you have is probably more than the neighbors. Who's to say what's realistic, it depends on your goals, more than ability to affect change.

 

[1GB]

As I sit at my computer looking out over my prairie restoration (tall to the west: Indian, Big Blue and a little switch and short and forbs to the east: LBS Blue Grama, June Grass, sideoats, etc) again this year I am disappointed. Not in the 5 year old stand, which was absolutely beautiful yesterday, but what it looks like today, after a 3 inch heavy snow. The snow flattened it again.. 2 years in a row.



Im thinking that if I really wanted bird habitat that would stand up to our winters, I should be growing cockleburs, kochia, iron weeds,foxtail,ragweed, pigweed, and marestail. Everything I have strived to eliminate.

I had similar thoughts the other day. Just a couple wet heavy snows have flattened much of my field. The switch goes flat, but it does spring back up eventually once the snow melts off it. The other non-WSGs are down for the count. But an area I disced, planted some millet/buckwheat, and let go is looking best of all since it's not falling down. The "weeds" are standing remarkably well!