Fresh water from the land, from tributaries and from rainfall mixes with the salty water from the Gulf of Mexico. This brackish water, combined with wind and circulation patterns, is key to estuarine productivity. With growing demands for fresh water from industry and human population growth, greater emphasis will be placed on all fresh water inputs to Galveston Bay. Rice producers get water through canal companies or by permit to withdraw from area streams and reservoirs. Rice fields are typically flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in April, which is maintained until around 15 days prior to an August harvest.
Rainfall supplements the rice flooding.
Approximately 35,000 acre-feet of fresh water is diverted through rice fields around Galveston Bay. Rice floodwater is released in late July or August to prepare for harvesting, contributing to the freshwater inflow at a time when municipal demands for water increase due to summer demand periods. This release of fresh water benefits the bay by making up for some of the fresh water going to other uses. Some rice fields are flooded again in September for ratoon cropping, providing a second pulse of water in October, when it may be of benefit to the estuarine ecosystem of Galveston Bay. Chemical Use in Rice Farming Pests and disease can cause a significant loss in yield and resulting profits.