Gloyd Seep area water drained out?

[Hi-Liter]

Don't want to give away a honey holes? But, I am curious our family has hunted this area and surrounding areas for over 40 years. What is the deal with the gov't draining all the ponds? fish reclamaiton project for salmon? It the area dried. Someone can PM me if they would like and would prefer. Thanks

[AWS]

Willow lake north of the 16 road has been dry for a number of years.  They just moved the road and put in new bridges.  I understand that they will be flooding Willow lake again and making it a quality hunt area.  They might be flooding it now and that is why there is a limited amount of water in the lower part of the area.

Check with the local DNR office.

[snowshoes22]

That area is fed by crab creek and in order for the water to reach the seeps it has to fill up brookes lake (stratford lake) and then flow out the bottom. The creek has not had the water the last few years to run long enough to do anything. it sucks but thats the way it is. We need really wet years up by Reardan to get the water we need down here.  it all depends on winter snow runoff and there has been no snow.

[Jack Diamond]

The U.S.B.R. will start dumping water from Billy Clapp lake towards the end of the irrigation season, so there should be plenty of water. This area is also going to be a new feed route for irrigation water in the next year or so, as rumor has it

[LiveandLearn]

Irrigation demands have dried up wetlands all over the Basin in the last several years.

[Hi-Liter]

Thanks for the replies.

I think another challenge in that area is not only the water but the food sources for Ducks. More Corn, barley and beets, etc 

[Glockster]

Should be enough corn with the eth prices as high as they are and the drought across the country as corn supply way down.  Should be some rich farmers around if they plant corn.

We've lost alot of acrage to vines in the basin for sure, not in the N.basin

The bigger, biggest problem, IMHO, is the rich boy flooded corn complexes near Corfu, Basin City, Tricities,etc suck all the birds down away from the N. basin.  Those places are shot maybe 2x a week and the rest of the time they rest them.  The only thing a mallard loves more in this world than corn is flooded corn.  LOL

[hdshot]

Biggest problem is the corn can now be harvested and plowed under before the season even starts.  Today the only standing corn is at the gun clubs unlike many years ago farmers waited until late winter to harvest corn giving the public good duck hunting in areas ducks roost on the big water.  Then machines that harvest grain just don't leave much grain behind as well.

I always wished DU or Delta could pay farmers to leave some unharvested grains in areas the ducks use to be.  Those roosting/resting areas are still there just no food to fly to.     

[LiveandLearn]

The bigger, biggest problem, IMHO, is the rich boy flooded corn complexes near Corfu, Basin City, Tricities,etc suck all the birds down away from the N. basin.  Those places are shot maybe 2x a week and the rest of the time they rest them.  The only thing a mallard loves more in this world than corn is flooded corn.  LOL

[Glockster]

I see plenty of silage and field corn left for cattle and such.  I think the corn ponds are the real culprit.

When a duck eats field corn they get all the dirt and crap in their mouths and the first thing they do is hit fresh water to wash it down.   

Birds used to disperse everywhere there was open water for drink and rest back in the day.  The birds were much more available to the average joe back then.

[hdshot]

I see plenty of silage and field corn left for cattle and such.  I think the corn ponds are the real culprit.

When a duck eats field corn they get all the dirt and crap in their mouths and the first thing they do is hit fresh water to wash it down.   

Birds used to disperse everywhere there was open water for drink and rest back in the day.  The birds were much more available to the average joe back then.

A couple of seasons ago the spring was real slow and the corn got to a slow start.  Some rain hit and the farmers could not harvest and had no choice to leave standing corn to dry then noticed more ducks flying around the old honey holes that year.  Even got a duck limit in a public area out goose hunting which I have not seen a duck in years thanks to the frozen standing corn that should not of been there if normal year.  Ducks love standing corn dry because they can fly to it.  Flooded just gives them a little bonus but these areas can't hold a million mallards like columbia basin area once did.  Culprit?  Look at it from a ducks view.  Are they just going to back to the areas of average joe if they didn't exist?  No, but easy out to blame them for poor hunting on public land.  Standing grain feilds in many areas then yes and even experianced it.