<Four Years The Oil Drum The water snakes are back onshore>
<Drumbeat: March 22, 2009 DrumBeat Drumbeat: March 24, 2009>

238 comments on Drumbeat: March 23, 2009

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version

FMagyar on March 23, 2009 - 3:29pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Now if the pools were like this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/garden/05pools.html
Add some turtles,frogs, snails, fish, wading birds and maybe if there were enough of them put in they might just change the overall local climate enough to go from drought stricken to more naturally humid therefore providing conditions for permaculture projects. Nah, forget it, that's a really stupid idea...

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
darwinsdog on March 23, 2009 - 3:54pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I have two such small pools and one large one. I keep fish in them and in summer, my alligator snapping turtle lives in the large one. I couldn't afford the water bill if I used city water, so fill them from the irrigation ditch. They were designed for a pump and filter but I use a gravity fed system & one way (downstream) flow thru. The ponds are 36 years old and just this past winter the drain pipe of the large pool froze and cracked. This has never happened before and I'm not sure how to fix it. All my fish died as the water leaked out below the ice. So this year, for the first time, I may not have my big outdoor aquarium. Mac Snap may have to stay indoors all summer.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
eric blair on March 23, 2009 - 4:52pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

So how did you get a permit to keep wildlife?

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
BadgerB on March 23, 2009 - 5:34pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Look at the neighborhoods with huge forclosure rates, the pools are now turning into 1000sqft watering holes, amazing to see how fast left alone nature claims back territory (granted with non-native species, but still.)

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
Dragonfly41 on March 23, 2009 - 11:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Watering holes for mosquito larvae. Not a good by-product of foreclosed homes.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
FMagyar on March 24, 2009 - 9:43am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Here is a partial solution:

http://www.mosquitocontrol.org/pgs/mosquitofish.html

Gambusia have been used for mosquito control in the US since the early 1900’s. Various agencies throughout the world have developed stocking guidelines for mosquito control in swimming pools (abandoned), ornamental pools, ditches, wetlands, mine pits, storm water and waste water disposal lagoons, natural creeks, animal watering troughs and small seasonal or permanent ponds. Recommended stocking rates in the US range from 15-100 fish for back yard ornamental ponds to 2,500 fish/acre for small ponds and ditches.

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

238 comments on Drumbeat: March 23, 2009

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version