Building wetlands, need help

I've got some projects on my calendar for this spring/summer on some newly purchased properties.



First off Build levee's (dam) and drill wells to keep playa lake full from sept 1- march(ish)



A) First off I don't even really know where to start with the playa lake, where do you find rules and regulations regarding this type of project? I've contacted USDA and they have been zero help so far.

B) Building the levee's/dams what method/type of dam should be built? We are talking about a flooded area 30-70 acres 8-12" deep.

C) What should be done regarding the weeds/reeds/trees surrounding and in the lake? What needs to be planted for food? Any other suggestions here?

D) Who knows about the ammount of water required to fill this size surface area? My best guess was 2 x 12" wells to start...maybe more is required?



Second project is repairing dams on old stock tanks (1940-50s) that leak slowly on back side. Also considering a well (8-12") to keep these full. Stock tanks are 2-4 acreas, 10-30ish feet deep. Last year we tried some bentonite (sp?) but I'm not sure we used enough, and not sure the repairs were done correctly?

A few pics below of what I'm talking about.


thanks

-Matt

So I can find later. I am doing some work also. Not as large scale as you, but looking for some ideas.

I'm currently in the process myself. PM me your e-mail address and I will forward some data.

I thought that you were interested in buying?

Soil Conservation office locally can provide you with the water shed information.

Be advised they do have some governing authority over shed water.

You need to know the level of soil perforation, how well the soil holds water.

A soil sample to get an idea on the level of nutrients already available, will also give you a idea on past soil composition and conditions, much like the rings in a tree.

When it comes to well, size in diameter has no correlation to flow rate and available flow rate. You need to find you a commercial driller that has the knowledge of your area, point a drill site may not correlate to point b wetland site, this may take some compromising. One acre foot is roughly 325,000 gallons. A smaller well can keep a playa full if you have very little saturation loss, evaporation is a whole other ballgame. You want to pump no further than you have to and you want your water delivered to the center of your playa, once the ground is saturated, it is easier to keep it wet, letting water "run to the site" is a futile battle, it needs to be delivered to standing water at all times.

A fly over in a plane will give you an idea of roost water, contour and elevation for water shed, available water or resting(hard to compete with some potholes, a natural established pothole is more appealing to a new un-established water hole), now would be a good time to do this with birds still in the area. Take a video camera!!! Most small regional air strips have pilots just looking for a reason to fly, some will do it just for fuel, a meal and a small maintenance fee(cheap). A satellite image is no substitution for this.

Avoid contacting your federal government and if possible your local government, the less they know, the better off you are. There are tons of people that build wetlands and more than enough information on the web to keep you busy for months on end. I only use government resources for soil samples and surface, survey, contour and elevation maps, most times you are dealing with a person who hasn't a clue about what is actually required or the governing law. The rest you can look up, visit local farms and ranches, and even lakes.

I got most of my vegetation from highly trafficked local ponds and small soil conservation lakes(a rake head attached to a rope weighted with strap decoy weights), read up on how to establish these variety of plants(lunch sacks and sand will become your friend), don't over look small things like minnows or scuds(you can't have too many), they not only provide fish food, but they are like micro algae eaters, they will keep a lake clean and clear, allowing your vegetation to thrive. Put these in at least a yr before introducing any fish, otherwise it is lost money.

A deep water supply with depth control is what you want, build your main body of water with surrounding flats, you can control the water on these flats easier, allowing you to plant food sources that can be flooded by closing the gate, then after the season they can be drained down to get ready for next season.

Deep pockets are in order and time, do not rush to build it in one season, it will not deliver the results you want making the process frustrating and unsatisfying.

Good stuff, David.

MNsherick I am a littel confused on your question in conjunction with the photographs.

If those are the playa lakes, what specifically do you want to do to them other than planting? It looks to me they are doing pretty good on their own.

I think that is what he wants, not what he has

NRCS is the agency to talk to about build plans and projects. They can usually set you up with a consultant.

Looks like a sweet spot, congrats.

Heck I'd leave it as is. Looks like its already holding more than enough to hunt all year. If those are recent pics then you're doing great. Lots of guys and outfitters were hurting for water this season

All my pictures are 2 years old. These 2 properties I'm starting to work on first are/have been dry (not a drop) since early may 2011. I want something that is huntable with or without drought..or rain...which ever we are supposed to get...

-Matt

Well that answers my question. Disregard previous statement

Now I am understanding a little better. To be clear though, all you need to do is add water and you can hunt? If that is the case then you should be good to go. You don't have to plant to have success. If you can flood vegitation that has its own seed you are way ahead of the game. The easiest to plpant though would be jap millet. If there are any deer, cows, horses or whatever then they will eat it and you will not get seed. Ask me how I know this. I was fortunate we had 4 or 5 different duck foods though.

Thanks for all the info David, now it's time to do my home work.

Two additional questions;

1) What is the best way to fill the lake,

water delivery at the low point (i.e. a deeper hole) and let fill in "up hill" so to speak?

2) What is the best way to find the low point? Or is there an agency that can provide insight here? (lake is dry)

thanks

-Matt

I wish it was that simple, there are special situations that require me to control the flooding to keep neighbors, farmers, and the county happy. (don't think flooding a county road would help me out)

-Matt

You are correct they will not like you flooding the road one bit.

Drilling a well isn't cheap, either is pumping water. In a drought you will have to pump it 3 or 4 times a season to keep up with evaporation. I know this first hand. If you can flip a switch to your well your life will be much easier, if your hauling fuel start figuring how many hunters it will take to pay for fuel before you make a profit.

To flood 70-80 acres your looking at a commerical well((600gpm-1200) assuming you have the aquifer to support it.. your talking 80-120k to put A well in... then your talking another 3-4k+ a month in fuel cost to run it. And you will be running it a lot, infact 3 times more then you think

These are things most people don't think about.

On my wetlands by my house I ran my well for a month straight and it still never filled all the way up.

But I am only doing 8-10 gal/minute

Without Rain on anything over 5 acres, you will need a VERY large well, and have a high electricity bill!

J.J.

The "well guy" as they call him in Haskell county seems to think the aquifer is up to the task. He's going to run some "test holes" for me in a month or so that will be the determining factor.

He thinks 40-60 ft down he can pull 200-600GPM.

I'm looking at the price in LONG TERM not in a short term pay off. I'm not planning to run a bunch of hunters through this place so # of hunters, and pay off is null and void.

Of course, we get the blessings of rain and my electric/gas bill is cheaper

Only time will tell.

-Matt

I am in the market but also have existing property/projects as well.

Was Eddie Leonard the driller you talked to?

Yes sir. thoughts?

-Matt

Your gonna be hard pressed to find enough water right there to keep that playa full. The water table is so low right now. And if your gonna try and pump it your gonna want to fix the county rd issue for sure.

When did u buy it?

Gents, Here are a few facts about dealing with the NRCS. The government agency is there to only help soil remain in its native location, thus programs are designed to aid farmers in restoring or preserving the natural state of soil compositions while not interrupting human interaction with the land. I caution you not to place your land under a WRP contract. The CRP program has really good benefits but it just depends on your goals. Talk to your agent to see if a program is available for your goals. Talk to DU as well, they have worked with my NRCS team on many occasions. There are also some great tax benefits by improving your land. These programs are controlled by the Farm Bill so i would act quickly as the Feds are going into spending cuts.

There are many third party companies that can help you with the project and through the legal matters. The Corps of Engineers will be involved due to water shed issues. This is going to take several years to complete. Rushing this effort will have poor results and possibly get you into legal issues if done improperly.

To get you started, goolge: Texas Ag Extension Service, waterfowl management of southeast Texas, document B-5040. I would advise reading this before starting the project.

That place looks awesome already as it is

Depending on which county you are in, there are some Nrcs equip grants for wells. I got on last yr that payed for 75% of a well. There's strings with-deferred grazing,pasture improvement, etc. some counties may still have som wetlands reserve program funds(wrp).

Call texas sodium bentonite in Comanche to get info on how to correctly tackle that. K

He knows his stuff. He drilled a well for me last year and he's drilled countless wells for my grandad.

tagged for later, looking into this myself