Author Topic: The Iowan Path  (Read 365456 times)

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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #405 on: July 09, 2014, 03:08:15 pm »
Good job treating the symptoms, but missing the problem.  The problem is that your pond is eutrophic, or over fertile.  The weeds in the water are what are stripping the excessive nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus).  The water plants were what were putting oxygen back into the water.  Without them, oxygen is stripped by aerobic decomposition until the pond becomes hypoxic, and anaerobic decomp takes over. (Stinky stinky!)

Numerous water treatment plants are now using the duckweed as the nitrogen strippers in order to release clean water back into the environment.  The duckweed was helping. By skimming it almost daily and dumping the plants in a compost heap will help remove those nutrients from the water.  Same with aggressive harvest of any water weeds.  Think of the water borne plants as nitrogen and phosphorus sponges. 

By introducing plant eating fish, you simply add another step in a closed circle, i.e. the fish eat the weeds that are feeding on the nutrients and pooping out more nutrients for more weeds. 

There are two short term ways of fixing the pond; A) the old adage, "the solution to pollution is dilution", but maybe you don't have access to a lot of fresh water to add to the pond, or B) carbon sequestration de-nitrification, let the plants do the work and remove the plants on a regular basis.  The only long term solution is to reduce ag runoff, something not likely to happen in Iowa until the collapse of civilization as we know it.
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #406 on: July 09, 2014, 03:31:35 pm »
Jw thanks for the input. As I stated in the post the influx of nutrients has been address two fold by placing the tillable ground that is part of the water shed in crp so the influx of new ag material has been stopped and now acts as a filter for that water shed.
Second I have started the process of removing trees that add to the current condition.
Third  the decision to remove the duckweed was to introduce light to the equation. The light will provide the energy to oxidize the nutrients.
Fouth Bacteria specific to breaking down these materials were introduced and are natural.
The issue is a stagnant ecosystem that can't break down the accumulation of material on the bottom. The duckweed is preventing the light from interacting with the rest of the system.
True that the duckweed if removed would help but including other parts of the equation I hope to bring a balance back to the system.
The water has to generate movement and that is not possible with duckweed covering the eco system and choking light out from the other players.
As stated the other plan is to introduce oxygen to facilitate the breakdown of material.

So yes I am treating the symptoms but I am also addressing the cause at the same time in an active and passive process.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2014, 04:25:17 pm by iowabow »
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #407 on: July 09, 2014, 04:05:54 pm »
Let me more clearly state that ~all of the high ground above the pond is in set aside and is a clean water filter with an additional catch pond/basin just to the east of the pond.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #408 on: July 09, 2014, 09:19:23 pm »
The catchbasin above the pond will certainly help "pre-treat". 

Is there a foodplot crop that could be planted just above that margin as well to help strip the inflow?  That would give a double benefit, too.
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #409 on: July 09, 2014, 11:38:00 pm »
Can't put a food plot on the crp but here is a Google Earth image of the water shed. Outside the line basically flows away. I will see if I can find a topo of the same to check the lines. Ant way you should be able to see the catch to the east. North is at the top as normal.
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Online Pappy

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #410 on: July 10, 2014, 08:49:06 am »
What is crp ?? is that some kind of program ?
  Pappy
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #411 on: July 10, 2014, 10:04:30 am »
What is crp ?? is that some kind of program ?
  Pappy
Yes it is called a conservation reserve program. This is mostly to prevent soil subject to erosion from washing away. Most likely when this pond was built a program was use to built it and many others like across iowa.
There are many different crp programs to enroll in and mine is a quail boarder plant seed mix.
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Online Pappy

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #412 on: July 10, 2014, 10:21:52 am »
They have some stuff like that in TN. how long to they have control over what you do? Some here are for a few years 2or3 ,and some are long term.  :) I have thought about it but hate the thought of someone telling me what I can and can't do,I would have never made a good soldier . ;) ;D ;D ;D not sure what trouble you are having with the pond but sure looks better to me.  :)
 Pappy
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #413 on: July 10, 2014, 11:15:39 am »
They have some stuff like that in TN. how long to they have control over what you do? Some here are for a few years 2or3 ,and some are long term.  :) I have thought about it but hate the thought of someone telling me what I can and can't do,I would have never made a good soldier . ;) ;D ;D ;D not sure what trouble you are having with the pond but sure looks better to me.  :)
 Pappy
I hear you on the control issue. Basically you have to be pretty sure that you are not going to change your mind about your goals for a particular part of your ground. Then if your goals and the government are in line then I would move forward.  They are investing in the concept of conservation and soil retention.  There is a value in this idea so they pay you to conserve. There are are also contract management practices that you need to follow which you are also reimbursed for. I had planned to do this anyway so it is a win win for the government and me.   The catch is you must pay it back if you change your mind and want to do something else with the ground. It becomes a zero lost on my end.
The real kick in the teeth was when I bought my first ten acres that I wanted to build my house on... After I bought the ground the government told me I had to buy the ground back from them...it was enrolled in crp and I had to pay out about 700 dollars before I could build on the ground. That was a win for the farmer who sold the ground to a non-farmer ...I did not understand the crp game.
I have learned a lot since then and understand the issues so it's a real individual thing for each land owner. As I drive around I see that most farmers here have ground in various programs the trick is to make sure you don't trap yourself with these programs.
So I have some stuff in and some stuff out. The 2 acres to the east of the pond sits in a 10 year program but it was rolled over to me at my request and so it only has 5 or so years left on it.
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #414 on: July 10, 2014, 11:42:37 am »
The main issue with the pond was nutrient accumulation from years of ag activity and tree litter. This accumulation creates conditions where duckweek thrives. So I am just trying to rebalance the current conditions with  many approaches. Cutting all those trees off the dam for example was to allow the wind to blow the duckweed to shore so light can enter the pond and create oxygen this will help the stuff on the bottom of the pond to decay. The trick is to do things so the fish don't die. The fish are the "cannery in the mine" so if we have fish we have oxygen.  It is a real mess but it is slowly getting better. I don't like using chemicals but if I don't the fish die due to lack of oxygen and then things don't decay ether. It is the chicken or the Egg issue.
JW is right about dilution being the solution. The overflow I dug is doing a good job also in flushing the duckweed out every time it rains. But it took years to get to this point now it may take year to repair it.
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Online Pappy

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #415 on: July 10, 2014, 12:16:21 pm »
That's cool, and what I thought,don't quite understand it so I have oped out of any of them so far. ;) I have been told to be SURE to read the fine print. ;) ;D ;D
Some of the bigger farmers around here almost make a living off them programs,they have learned the ropes and work it very well,alto most of them  are year to year deals. :)
 Pappy
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #416 on: July 10, 2014, 03:11:59 pm »
That's cool, and what I thought,don't quite understand it so I have oped out of any of them so far. ;) I have been told to be SURE to read the fine print. ;) ;D ;D
Some of the bigger farmers around here almost make a living off them programs,they have learned the ropes and work it very well,alto most of them  are year to year deals. :)
 Pappy
I hear ya. I make only enough to put gas in the tractor for the most part. I did it to help with the overhead because I am doing the conservation part already.
I do a lot more with the trees and that has been very informative and rewarding work. I do all the labor so the cost share goes in my pocket. This cash so far has covered the cost of the chainsaws. I am very honest with my bills and they ask me why the bills were so low and I told them I was not going to rip off the government just because there was extra money to be had.
(:::.) The ABO path is a new frontier to the past!

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #417 on: July 10, 2014, 03:49:27 pm »
They need to enroll you into the Last Honest Man Reserve Program.  So nice to see someone doing the right thing for the right reasons.
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Online Pappy

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #418 on: July 10, 2014, 04:10:13 pm »
I very much Agree JW refreshing to see. Pappy
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Offline iowabow

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Re: The Iowan Path
« Reply #419 on: July 10, 2014, 05:43:44 pm »
They need to enroll you into the Last Honest Man Reserve Program.  So nice to see someone doing the right thing for the right reasons.
I don't know jw that was really nice to read but there sure are a lot of people on this website that do good by God and country and of course that includes you for one.
(:::.) The ABO path is a new frontier to the past!