No water for rice could be bad for birds
By Matthew Tresaugue
July 15, 2013
Rice farms are a focus of attention in the Texas drought, and not without reason. Tens of thousands of acres across the state will be out of production this year because of the abnormally dry conditions.
But fewer fields flooded for the thirsty crop also mean fewer places for ducks, geese and other migratory birds to eat and roost during their winter sojourn. In Texas, rice fields have replaced the birds' favored wetlands, which are rapidly being lost to development.
"It's a difficult time on the Gulf Coast," said Kirby Brown, a Texas-based biologist for Ducks Unlimited, a conservation group founded by hunters.
The latest blow came last week when the Gulf Coast Water Authority, citing low flows in the Brazos River, decided to withhold water from rice farmers in Brazoria and Fort Bend counties.
The Lower Colorado River Authority also has cut off water for rice growers in Colorado, Matagorda and Wharton counties because of low water levels in two key reservoirs near Austin. While some growers are able to produce rice by pumping groundwater, an estimated 50,000 acres went unplanted this year.
'No relief in sight'
For decades, the coastal counties have formed one of the nation's top rice-producing regions. Rice is a water-intensive crop, grown in fields flooded at 3 to 4 inches deep. With enough water, farmers can harvest twice, once in July and again in October.
Their supply, however, is interruptible during dry times, unlike shares for cities and industry, which pay significantly more per acre-foot than irrigators. One acre-foot is enough to serve three typical Texas families for a year.
"We had to make a difficult decision because of the ongoing drought, but we had to choose our municipal and industrial users over agriculture," said Ivan Langford, general manager of the Gulf Coast Water Authority, which supplies water for cities, oil refiners and chemical makers, among others, in Brazoria, Fort Bend and Galveston counties.
"We understand their disappointment," he said, "but there is no relief in sight."
The tighter restrictions could eliminate a second rice crop on as many as 18,000 acres in the water authority's delivery area. Texas wildlife managers estimate that the region loses the ability to support 120,000 wading birds and migrating shorebirds for every 10,000 acres of rice fields without water.
Typically, the fields lie fallow after a second crop, and ducks, geese and other waterfowl on the Central flyway that runs through the middle of the country migrate there in the fall to eat the waste grain.
"That rice prairie replaced the wet coastal plains we used to have," Brown said. "It's that important."
55,000-acre deficit
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the loss of habitat is the biggest issue facing waterfowl in the state. The agency found a deficit of 55,000 acres of rice and moist-soil habitats across the state, even before the water restrictions for the rice industry.
At the same time, populations of North American waterfowl are at all-time highs. But the birds are shifting their wintering grounds to states with better habitat, such as Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana.
Ducks Unlimited and federal and state officials over the past two decades have tried to add habitat in Texas for wintering birds. But many of the property owners involved in the project are under water restrictions and may not be able to create shallow wetlands for the birds.
'A bad situation worse'
"We already had less waterfowl habitat in Texas than needed to meet conservation targets," said Tom Harvey, a parks and wildlife spokesman. "If we lose more rice acreage, it will make a bad situation worse."
Biologists worry that the water birds would be heavily concentrated in small areas because of the dry conditions, and a lack of abundant forage could cause physical stress. Disease is a concern.
Harvey said the agency is funding a study of the Northern pintail, a long-necked duck that winters along the Texas coast. Researchers will look into how the drought and habitat loss have affected wintering body condition and food consumption.
By Matthew Tresaugue
July 15, 2013
Rice farms are a focus of attention in the Texas drought, and not without reason. Tens of thousands of acres across the state will be out of production this year because of the abnormally dry conditions.
But fewer fields flooded for the thirsty crop also mean fewer places for ducks, geese and other migratory birds to eat and roost during their winter sojourn. In Texas, rice fields have replaced the birds' favored wetlands, which are rapidly being lost to development.
"It's a difficult time on the Gulf Coast," said Kirby Brown, a Texas-based biologist for Ducks Unlimited, a conservation group founded by hunters.
The latest blow came last week when the Gulf Coast Water Authority, citing low flows in the Brazos River, decided to withhold water from rice farmers in Brazoria and Fort Bend counties.
The Lower Colorado River Authority also has cut off water for rice growers in Colorado, Matagorda and Wharton counties because of low water levels in two key reservoirs near Austin. While some growers are able to produce rice by pumping groundwater, an estimated 50,000 acres went unplanted this year.
'No relief in sight'
For decades, the coastal counties have formed one of the nation's top rice-producing regions. Rice is a water-intensive crop, grown in fields flooded at 3 to 4 inches deep. With enough water, farmers can harvest twice, once in July and again in October.
Their supply, however, is interruptible during dry times, unlike shares for cities and industry, which pay significantly more per acre-foot than irrigators. One acre-foot is enough to serve three typical Texas families for a year.
"We had to make a difficult decision because of the ongoing drought, but we had to choose our municipal and industrial users over agriculture," said Ivan Langford, general manager of the Gulf Coast Water Authority, which supplies water for cities, oil refiners and chemical makers, among others, in Brazoria, Fort Bend and Galveston counties.
"We understand their disappointment," he said, "but there is no relief in sight."
The tighter restrictions could eliminate a second rice crop on as many as 18,000 acres in the water authority's delivery area. Texas wildlife managers estimate that the region loses the ability to support 120,000 wading birds and migrating shorebirds for every 10,000 acres of rice fields without water.
Typically, the fields lie fallow after a second crop, and ducks, geese and other waterfowl on the Central flyway that runs through the middle of the country migrate there in the fall to eat the waste grain.
"That rice prairie replaced the wet coastal plains we used to have," Brown said. "It's that important."
55,000-acre deficit
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the loss of habitat is the biggest issue facing waterfowl in the state. The agency found a deficit of 55,000 acres of rice and moist-soil habitats across the state, even before the water restrictions for the rice industry.
At the same time, populations of North American waterfowl are at all-time highs. But the birds are shifting their wintering grounds to states with better habitat, such as Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana.
Ducks Unlimited and federal and state officials over the past two decades have tried to add habitat in Texas for wintering birds. But many of the property owners involved in the project are under water restrictions and may not be able to create shallow wetlands for the birds.
'A bad situation worse'
"We already had less waterfowl habitat in Texas than needed to meet conservation targets," said Tom Harvey, a parks and wildlife spokesman. "If we lose more rice acreage, it will make a bad situation worse."
Biologists worry that the water birds would be heavily concentrated in small areas because of the dry conditions, and a lack of abundant forage could cause physical stress. Disease is a concern.
Harvey said the agency is funding a study of the Northern pintail, a long-necked duck that winters along the Texas coast. Researchers will look into how the drought and habitat loss have affected wintering body condition and food consumption.
