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Application of a Methodology for Surveying and Comparing the Prevalence of Drainage Ditches to Baitfish Farms
Author(s) -
Frimpong Emmanuel A.,
Lochmann Steve E.,
Stone Nathan M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8454(2003)65<165:aoamfs>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - ditch , drainage , fishery , environmental science , effluent , aquaculture , hydrology (agriculture) , geography , water resource management , fish <actinopterygii> , environmental engineering , ecology , biology , engineering , geotechnical engineering
A new method for surveying and comparing the prevalence of drainage ditches on aquaculture farms was tested with blocks of ponds on six baitfish farms in Arkansas. The method used a global positioning system, farm maps, and descriptive statistics to illustrate the relation of pond acreage to drainage ditch length. The distributions of ditch lengths and proportions of pond acreage draining through each ditch length were presented as ditch length–pond area histograms. Observations of pond elevation and standpipe positioning also enabled us to determine the pond acreage that could gravity‐drain into other ponds, which was expressed as a proportion of total pond area. A large‐scale survey of these two descriptors would be an inexpensive, rapid, and effective means of assessing potential water and effluent management on fish farms. It would provide a practical comparison of water management potential from different farms and different sectors of the aquaculture industry and could be used by decision makers to assess the economic impacts of requiring effluent discharges through drainage ditches.