Flooded farmland didn't keep ducks out of marshes
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:13 pmA Louisiana waterfowl expert says flooding farmland after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill didn't keep migrating ducks from flocking to coastal marshes but did provide essential inland wetlands during a drought.
Money from recovered oil and the federal government was used to get farmers in eight states to flood fields in hopes that ducks, geese and wading birds would stop there rather than continue to oily marshes.
Larry Reynolds of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says those ponds won't grow food that many ducks need. He says about 1.4 million ducks — twice the average — wintered in southeast Louisiana marshes.
But he says the program did provide excellent habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds — habitat that was needed during the drought.
Money from recovered oil and the federal government was used to get farmers in eight states to flood fields in hopes that ducks, geese and wading birds would stop there rather than continue to oily marshes.
Larry Reynolds of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says those ponds won't grow food that many ducks need. He says about 1.4 million ducks — twice the average — wintered in southeast Louisiana marshes.
But he says the program did provide excellent habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds — habitat that was needed during the drought.