Getting the water into the field, and keeping it there, costs even more. The project involves 465 sites and 200 landowners in a 28-county area between Brownsville and Sabine. The majority of these puddles are used for duck and goose hunting, much of it leased by individuals and outfitters such as The South Texas Hunting Company. These wetlands have provided supplemental income for farmers and lawn owners, possibly protecting the property from more obtrusive development. The project also has created contracting jobs in some low-employment rural areas.
Somebody has to build levies to hold the water.
And ducks love it. A two-year study is under way to determine just how much. Biologists will be looking at the number and diversity of wildlife that is attracted to these traditional wetlands. During last year's drought, a fly-over in December was enlightening. The only wet spots in certain coastal prairie counties were traced to the project.