anything productive to do with flooded property?

[Sparticle]

I live out in the country and about 2 acres around the house is under water for 6-7 months out of the year. I wonder what I could do productive with all that water? Right around the house the property is going to be elevated to the base of the house and radiate out 50 feet. But there is still going to be a lot of water around. It used to be 3 feet deep but since the county came and graded the ditches it's about a foot deep. The water is just teaming with life. It's kind of marshy with patches of grass about 1-3 feet tall because I can't mow till it's dry. It's not thick grass and easy to walk through. It's a huge pain to live in that much mud and water, but it is beautiful as I watch all the life.

I was thinking either rice or crawfish. Any other ideas or experience with either of these?

[shorty'smom]

fresh water, or brackish water?

I was going to say rice. I don't know if rice grows in brackish water, but I don't raise rice. I know you have to be able to drain it when it's time to harvest.

Start a "nursery" for ornamental water garden plants. You know, dwarf water lillies, pickerel weed and such as that. There are plenty of ornamental water garden plants that people buy. I hear that Koi fish are sort of expensive to buy too. You need to keep your water all the time then though. If you live close to a city you can put out fliers to direct buyers.

Just a dumb idea.

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by shorty'smom

fresh water, or brackish water?

I was going to say rice. I don't know if rice grows in brackish water, but I don't raise rice. I know you have to be able to drain it when it's time to harvest.

Start a "nursery" for ornamental water garden plants. You know, dwarf water lillies, pickerel weed and such as that. There are plenty of ornamental water garden plants that people buy. I hear that Koi fish are sort of expensive to buy too. You need to keep your water all the time then though. If you live close to a city you can put out fliers to direct buyers.

Just a dumb idea.

It's not either if you mean brackish as in 1/2 salt water. It's a cloudy kind of muddy water. But it's not so muddy that I can't see all the tadpoles and swimming bugs. What would worry me about the water plants like that is that they could take over since they aren't native plants and since any plant that any one would want would be foreign to this environment, they could take over. Also, I'm 1200 feet from the Brazos river and I wouldn't want to introduce a foreign speciies. BUT I wonder if maybe some of the grasses I have WOULD be wanted in wetlands gardens. Hmmmm that's a thought. Thanks for the idea.

[luvrulz]

and koi would be a great 'crop'! Have you seen the prices people spend on these things? Hundreds, no thousands of $$$ for the bigger fish and here in Ky, you can buy them for $1.50 an inch. Course, people here in Ky wouldn't buy them for that...you'd have to be close to a big city or figure a way to ship...I checked on eBay and was amazed!

Fresh water prawn would be something you could raise up for your own consumption too!

[shorty'smom]

It sounds like fresh water. Brackish is like salt marsh down on the coast. Rice might grow in there. Miniature cattails? If you grew ornamental waterlillies, like little dwarf species, you grow them in pots submerged in water not directly in the ground. That way you can take them up and sell them too. Some of your native plants might be sought after. Look it over. You MUST build some wood duck houses and erect them on poles in the middle of this water. Of course, you may loose a few fish to ducks. And watch out for egrets, but what can you do?

Check into the Koi fish. Some fish in the water will help you control mosquito larve too.

You could check into growing baitfish for fishermen too.

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by shorty'smom

It sounds like fresh water. Brackish is like salt marsh down on the coast. Rice might grow in there. Miniature cattails? If you grew ornamental waterlillies, like little dwarf species, you grow them in pots submerged in water not directly in the ground. That way you can take them up and sell them too. Some of your native plants might be sought after. Look it over. You MUST build some wood duck houses and erect them on poles in the middle of this water. Of course, you may loose a few fish to ducks. And watch out for egrets, but what can you do?

Check into the Koi fish. Some fish in the water will help you control mosquito larve too.

You could check into growing baitfish for fishermen too.

Genius! thanks a million! I'll let you know if any of this works out. I'm going to start by contacting a water garden place about 10 miles from here and see if they would have any interest. I didn't think about putting the plants in pots (I say with embarasment).

Yeah mosquitos are quite a problem. I bought a mosquito magnet for $400 and it caught 6 whole mosquitos - big whoop! So something's wrong with it, but I just don't have time to deal with it. I've moved it all over the yard and no improvement. When my renter/yard dude/ex-husband comes back in a couple of weeks, I'm going to have him see if he can fix that thing.

[stonefly71]

If it's laying in your yard. Build a pond that would stop the 2 acera from flooding. As the pond wouldn't have to be that big.Raise catfish or something like that or just have a nice pond. later Matt

[brosil]

Frogs! You can sell them for medical research and food. You'd have to cover the area with netting and fence it but it sounds perfect for raising bullfrogs.

[Ravenlost]

We signed up with the Soil Conservation to convert some of our property back into wetlands. We're planting hardwoods and they're paying us to do so.

[Jan Doling]

wild rice and craw dads....find a specialty restaurant to supply!

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by stonefly71

If it's laying in your yard. Build a pond that would stop the 2 acera from flooding. As the pond wouldn't have to be that big.Raise catfish or something like that or just have a nice pond. later Matt

Actually I don't know why I said the whole 2 acres was always under water. about a 330'x200' area (which is still big) is always under water and the rest is only under water when it rains.

anyway... I've already talked to several drainage and flooding experts over the last year. Most of who donated their time after reading my article. I'd have to remove tons of trees to dig a pond and from what I understand no pond can hold as much water as those trees can aspirate. These are huge trees and the property is densely populated with them.

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

We signed up with the Soil Conservation to convert some of our property back into wetlands. We're planting hardwoods and they're paying us to do so.

Can you pretty pretty please give me information on this!!!! How do i contact them?

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by brosil

Frogs! You can sell them for medical research and food. You'd have to cover the area with netting and fence it but it sounds perfect for raising bullfrogs.

I've got about a billion frogs, wonder if there is actually a market for them. the water is TEAMING with tadpoles! Sometimes when the temperature is just right and they are making all their froggy noises, I can't even sleep with earplugs in. The sound is amazing though when they all get going.

Thanks for all the great ideas!

[Ravenlost]

Sure can!

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/mt/Farmable%...%20Sheet05.htm

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publicat...floodwet04.htm

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publicat...mwetland04.htm

[rambler]

Originally Posted by quntmphscs

Can you pretty pretty please give me information on this!!!! How do i contact them?

Can't believe you got a building permit - no net wetlands lost in my state, can't farm or build or do much of anything on a wetlands in my state. Of course, that depends to some degree on how many relatives you have on the regulatory boards.........

The web sites mentioned will help you develop a wetlands. I'm real surprised a house was allowed tho.

--->Paul

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by rambler

Can't believe you got a building permit -
--->Paul

That's one of the problems. I've detailed it in other posts (I think in Freedom). They didn't get a permit. HUD, lawyers, home builders, army corp of engineers, county flood blah blah blah are all involved.

I was told they had a permit, but alas the permit along with tons of other stuff wasn't done. I've been dealing with red tape and red tape distributors for a year and a half. But I'm here and when the universe hands you lemons, make lemonade. :-)

Thanks for the links Raven

[MikeJoel]

Maybe Im not thinking but I would think that much water would not be healthy (Mosquitoes, flies, etc.).

Wouldn't digging a nice pond (rather deep) drain that off pretty good, maybe even get it dry enough to actually grow some type of crop on.

Mike

[Don Armstrong]

I'd hate to have to make money at it, but the area would be good for water chestnuts (underground corms of a type of reed). At least you could put some in for home use.