Winter Water for Wildlife Project Now Accepting Applications

[JaMak84]

You really think Deviney really needs any help from the state to finance his flooding? That area is a desert compared to what it was when I was at Delta State.
He may not need it, but he'll take it if it's available.

I like the proposed plan and have zero interests in the proposed areas. More water, means more habitat and ducks.
I'm not fond of paying for pumping (kind of runs counter to another major resource concern here in the Delta, a declining aquifer). However, I fully support an incintive to private landowners to keep boards in during winter to catch rainfall, thus providing waterfowl habitat, and reduced sediment and nutrient run-off. Why would I support giving tax dollars to private landowners you ask? Simple, they're the ones with all the land. A million dollars payed to private landowners at $20/acre to hold water on their fields provides a hell of a lot more habitat than trying to buy land at $3K/acre.

What I didn't understand when I read the regulations last week is the proposed time. I haven't read it in a week or so and definetly didn't memorize it, but in the press release on the MDWFP website I saw that you were supposed to flood it in September and hold it till April? Is that correct? If so, I don't see 1% flooding.
I read it this morning, and some of the early flooding requirements call for flooding up as early as July/August (non-ag land properties I believe). But I agree with you on the April date. Not too many farmers are going to participate in a program that requires them to hold water that late into the season.

[chopper30]

The public/private debate to me boils down to this. Looking at the state from a 10,000 foot view that a duck would, is private land or public land any more important than the other. To me the answer is simple, no. We need as much habitat as possible to maximize our wintering waterfowl populations. The state can control what happens on public lands, this is a way to incentivize these private land owners who own big tracks of land to hold water. It's no secret that a majority, especially in these key impact areas are disking their harvested crops under and no longer holding water in the fall.


The original commissioner comment came across implying the reason Boliver county was among the impact areas was because he owned land there, not whether or not we would participate in the program.

[chopper30]

I realize nothing is perfect, but I still think they would have gotten more participation and therefore made a greater impact if they would have backed the flooding dates to the end of November till February 15th or 28th. To me that would have covered the majority of the duck migration and would have been more lucrative to the land owners. I don't however know the "science" behind this program and what their targets were. MDWFPs might get exactly the participation they desire.

[DanP]

I would speculate the longer flood duration is for shorebirds and such.

[novacaine]

All good points and it was really nailed earlier.
You want your fair share of the ducks that do make it down this year? A duck breaking across the Missouri state line looks at Ark and Mississippi
Put the freakin water on the ground or quit bitchin. Your competing with Cache and White River Basin and all those other areas west of Crowleys Ridge that MUST capture winter water or they don't grow a crop next year.

We have landleveled a gozillion acres in the Ms delta since the 80's so we are capable of at least plugging a 40 acre field out of 160 acres wouldn't you think?

[Northbigmuddy]

I ran across this. It adds to some of the points previously mentioned.