Salt From Ike's Storm Surge Takes Toll On Crops, Pastures Miles Inland From Gulf Of Mexico

[hatrack]

EDIT

The water has receded eight miles back into the Gulf, but it left behind a salty residue that continues to threaten the ranchers and farmers who live in the surge zone east of Houston in Chambers, Jefferson and Orange counties. Rice farmers there will not be planting crops this year on at least 15,000 acres that are tainted with salt. Thousands more acres of pasture in the same area may not fully recover for two years or longer, while stock ponds are still filled with water too salty for cattle to drink.

So far, Ike’s economic impact on crops and livestock in Texas is pegged at $433 million, the U.S. Farm Service Agency reported. Although it’s been nearly six months since Ike struck, farmers and ranchers are still hurting.

“These are the people who produce the food on the aisles of our grocery stores that we take for granted,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. “Some of their livelihoods have ended forever because of Ike. Others are just holding on.”
Drought adds to misery

One thing compounding their troubles is the statewide drought, Staples said. Heavy rains are desperately needed to begin flushing the salt from the soil, although nobody is certain how long that will take. A study just completed by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service found high levels of salt contamination — enough to damage crops and pasture — in the southern half of Chambers and Jefferson counties and southern one-third of Orange County.

EDIT

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6299481.html

[jwirr]

1. What crops are we talking about other than rice and beef?

[pscot]

2. Galveston Bay isn't in great shape either

One of the network news programs did a piece last night. The tidelands are littered with debri ranging from cars and sunken boats to refrigerators and assorted household goods. Some of it is toxic. No clean-up effort has even begun. It looks like a dump site.