We installed a flash board riser on an old dike last year to keep salt water out of our drainage ditches. As sea levels rise (which they have been doing for years), salt water is becoming a big problem on the coast.
One benefit of the flash board riser is the ability to hold water (either fresh or brackish) over a 6-7 acre area. The goal now is to try to attract ducks.
Earlier this summer I drained the area and bush hogged the marsh grass, which is fairly useless.
After that, I captured salt water through high tides. The salt water covered about 5 acres in 1” of water. Not enough for ducks, but a good start.
Over the last month, we’ve gotten a ton of rain and the flash board riser is doing its job!
Now we’ve got 6” - 18” of water over the entire 7 acres. The water is brackish and widgeon grass is growing. There are lots of mottled ducks in the area and teal will show up in September. We are about 5 miles from some world class plantations that spend millions of dollars a year on flooding corn. We are going to manage for natural food sources instead and see what shows up. Pretty cool.
One benefit of the flash board riser is the ability to hold water (either fresh or brackish) over a 6-7 acre area. The goal now is to try to attract ducks.
Earlier this summer I drained the area and bush hogged the marsh grass, which is fairly useless.
After that, I captured salt water through high tides. The salt water covered about 5 acres in 1” of water. Not enough for ducks, but a good start.
Over the last month, we’ve gotten a ton of rain and the flash board riser is doing its job!
Now we’ve got 6” - 18” of water over the entire 7 acres. The water is brackish and widgeon grass is growing. There are lots of mottled ducks in the area and teal will show up in September. We are about 5 miles from some world class plantations that spend millions of dollars a year on flooding corn. We are going to manage for natural food sources instead and see what shows up. Pretty cool.
The year that we had to go to steel shot, my beautiful lab died and I lost the best duck marsh that I ever hunted. I just quit cold turkey !
