Arbuckle Mountain Area Chapter
Water
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Arbuckle Mountain Area Chapter |
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| Ground
Surface Water. Quail do not need free ground surface water to
survive (On Bobwhites pg 40), although
they can and will occasionally use it when available. If free water is
available, then it for certain would not be a limiting factor in determining
quail abundance. Water management should not be at the top of the list
of quail management concerns (On Bobwhites pg 42),
however, in killing two birds with a stone, building water conditions that
promote other facets of quail management would be beneficial. |
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| Spreader Dams - The concept of spreader dams is popular in Texas, for stopping erosion and capturing moisture behind the dam to allow the water from rains to soak into the land where it is beneficial to plants and grasses. These dams can be elaborate and wide spanning, or simple and easy. The practice is simple; identify a wash area or gulley (in southern Oklahoma that's easy), use a tractor or dozer or backhoe to build a 6" to 24" tall berm across and perpendicular to the water flow, and viola. You've build a trap that slows down and captures the flow of soil and traps the water on the uphill side of the dam. Over time, these water holes or mini ponds, can support a host of legumes and forbs necessary for insect growth and cover, all while providing surface water for some months of the year. Wildlife will begin to frequent the area which may include quail. Some pictures below illustrate small spreader dams. Some sophisticated publications show more complex water dispersion concepts, but simple ones can work as well. | ||
| Water Info | Noble Foundation | Coming Soon... |
| Noble Foundation | ||
| Missouri NRCS | ||
| TX A&M | ||
| Tall Timbers | ||
| Water Drinkers | Coming Soon... |
| * Natural Resources Conservation Service |