Drought affecting crawfish production in Louisiana
9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Acadia Parish, LA
Ascension Parish, LA
Calcasieu Parish, LA
Cameron Parish, LA
Iberia Parish, LA
Iberville Parish, LA
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA
Jefferson Parish, LA
Lafayette Parish, LA
Lafourche Parish, LA
Plaquemines Parish, LA
Saint Bernard Parish, LA
Saint Charles Parish, LA
Saint James Parish, LA
Saint Martin Parish, LA
Saint Mary Parish, LA
Terrebonne Parish, LA
Vermilion Parish, LA
Start Date: 7/15/2023
- End Date: 9/17/2023
The record heat and lack of rain in Louisiana this summer has dried the clay soil and cracked burrows housing crawfish which are dormant during the intense summer heat. Farmers have had to pump more water than usual onto their rice fields to try to keep the burrows moist, but it is unclear how successful they have been in keeping the crawfish alive.
Farmers usually begin flooding their fields for crawfish later in September and throughout October. It will be apparent then how many crawfish survived. Excessive pumping and drought can also lead to saltwater intrusion and backflow of saltwater in irrigation canals.
The Acadiana Advocate (Lafayette, La.), Sept 17, 2023
Drought was affecting crawfish production in southern Louisiana. The ground is very dry, allowing burrows to crack open, threatening their survival. The dearth of rain has increased the salinity of water sources that producers use to flood their ponds. There were also concerns about whether the crawfish will have enough food this winter as drought dries up rice, grasses and other forages.
LSU AgCenter (Baton Rouge, La.), Aug 29, 2023
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