Application of a Methodology for Surveying and Comparing the Prevalence of Drainage Ditches to Baitfish Farms

Abstract

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.