Perched Water table

[PTArcher]

Have a .4 acre plot in the woods that is a gas well site. Hope was to make this a perennial clover/chicory plot and seed grains into each fall. Was wet with a little standing water when I soil tested in March, but didn't think too much of it.

Was there yesterday and it is about 40% standing water. Don't see how a perennial crop could survive 6 weeks under water. Looking for suggestions to deal with this, short of excavating for drainage.

Current thought is to plant tillage radish and hybrid brassicas for the summer and then Cereal Rye, oats, rape, and kale for the fall and see where it is next spring. Hoping I could maybe run this plan for a couple years and get the water issue under control. Any suggestions? Is this wishful thinking?

 

[FarmerDan]

You can tell me I'm wrong. Gas well sites are usually at a higher elevation at the tip of a sandstone ridge. Or, wherever it is there just isn't enough soil depth allow water to perc. You're sitting on bed rock maybe? Whatever the issue, I doubt there's any reasonable means of changing the soil structure to accommodate your wishes. And you might need to consider the implications if this wet spot might be determined to be "wetland."

 

[SD51555]

A mix of white clovers. Ladino did well submerged.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

definitely make sure its not wetland..do a mix of mammoth red and alsike clover...ive had alsike submerged for a bit that just then popped back and thickened up and mammoth red is a good poor/wet soil choice also

 

[PTArcher]

It sits at 1680 ft, so pretty high up in NW PA. I think they removed any top soil that was there when the well was put in. That along with the heavy equipment on top the subsoil has made it pretty compacted. It dries up fine in the summer to fall. Had some buckwheat on it last yr and the neighbors horses got loose and along with the deer ate it to the ground in about a month. Don't want to risk Alsike because of the horses. Definitely not a wetland. Was planning to try Alice clover this fall as it seems to be bred for wet soils, but right now, I think it just needs to be an annual plot until the water situation can be resolved, if that is possible.

 

[Telemark]

Is it clay?

 

[PTArcher]

It is not clay, or at least heavy clay. CEC is 4.3. Has some organic matter at 3.1%. pH is poor right now, at 5.4, but will be liming in early May, if I can get on the saturated plot. Coming to the conclusion that while I can change the plot chemistry, changing it's hydrology may be wishful thinking. Even if I can change it some, it probably will always want to revert back. I'll give it a year and see what happens, but being limited to annual summer and fall plantings is likely what it will be and that's ok. Can still be a productive hunting plot.

 

[Telemark]

I think you have options. I'm just trying to get my head around the situation.

So it's a hilltop plot with shallow soil, no slope, sitting on top of an active gas well?

 

[PTArcher]

Yes, but mild slope, maybe 4% from NE to SW. Pictures from the north looking south.

 

[PTArcher]

For contrast. Here is a trail cam photo of the same plot, but taken from the south, last August. Ground very dry at that time.

 

[Telemark]

Gotcha. Looks good. Other than a subsoiler, I would agree with what you said about just waiting until it dries out and plant a fall plot.

You're not missing out on much, and you're potentially saving money. You can use it to your advantage and plan accordingly.

You can excavate eventually if you feel you need to.

 

[PTArcher]

Thanks all. As I said, will give it until next spring, but doubt it changes much. If not, will just pivot to an all annual plot as it is dry enough in the summer and fall. Need to let the land tell me what to do rather than the opposite.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Are you sure there isn't some sort of spring in the plot? Could you run a ditch through it to run the water away?

 

[PTArcher]

Certainly could be a seasonal spring on the higher east side. Not sure I want to put that much work into it at this time just to make it a perennial plot. Should hunt fine as an annual, and maybe even be more interesting since I wont be tied to a specific crop every year. We'll see, keep going back and forth on this one. Will reassess again next spring. Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[RGrizzzz]

Certainly could be a seasonal spring on the higher east side. Not sure I want to put that much work into it at this time just to make it a perennial plot. Should hunt fine as an annual, and maybe even be more interesting since I wont be tied to a specific crop every year. We'll see, keep going back and forth on this one. Will reassess again next spring. Thanks for the thoughts!

We ran into this with one of our newer plots. There was a spring on the side opposite of the creek and was ponding in the plot at times. If you have a middle buster, you could try running a channel through the plot to see if that helps. If you have the equipment, it's a low effort test.