we are 13 plus inches this month
first time I have ever seen water in this field there is a pond on other end normally its got a 3 foot bank

Many acres of crop land unplanted here in south central Wisconsin. Time is running short on the growing season.
I have lived here most of my life and never seen water - conditions like this.
Sorry to all you folks south, I know you don't need anymore, but that's the way she flows.

Zim

40 days and 40 nights says the good book

yes lots of farm land up here will not get planted this year

Well, its been about four days and four nights here this year.
Before that it was four days and four nights of snow.
Per week that is.

Zim

Should be good for the rats.

That is an interesting opinion Boco and one I've often wondered about. The small river I live nearby has been at what I would call flood stage since ice out in March.
All the backwaters are way above normal and have been for a month or more. How does a rat den in this high water? Most of my local rats den in banks which have
been none existent for 3 months. I used to worry about flooding on existing dens when the rats had young, not sure what they do when there is no bank to den in?

Zim

When God wants rats, he sends water. He's just telling America to make them fields back into swamps again.

When rats don't have access to a den, they probably, mostly feed birds of prey.

Keith

and still rising....

Uncle. Just got 5.5" in 5 hours on purely saturated ground. And more is coming......

Water everywhere and not a drink to drop?

That picture is of the Fourche La Fave River about 5 miles upstream from the Arkansas. It is actually flowing backwards as the Arkansas pushes water upstream. Highways are going under water and the crest is not supposed to occur until Sunday. This is not including the 2 to 4 inches expected in the river basin tomorrow. Y'all OK and KS boys need to turn off the spicket.

Rats will dig new dens where needed,and there should be lots of places for that.I have often seen rat dens at different levels on the same waterway.
Rats are very prolific and can easily populate newly accessable habitat where there were none before.
It is true rats are a basic prey animal for lots of predators,and they all will benefit from an exploding rat population.
I'm no farmer,so I don't know how all the drainage will affect it.If all the re constituted habitat dries up again and runs into the rivers because of artificial drainage,there may be little benefit.
In natural areas the rats will populate newly re constituted dried up marshes very quickly.

A lot of country that is farmed, is drained a little too well. Hence the flood.

Dry as a bone here and hot. Even the weeds are not growing. Can't even get a plow in the ground.

Here the lake is about 17' over normal pool, all boat ramps are closed, the marina is closed, all roads in the state park that go to the water are closed, all parking lots at the boat ramp areas are well under water...I looked at the outlet a few days ago and again today and it does not look like the corps is letting a whole lot of water out......7000 surface acre lake went up 2' in the last week or so....the web site says 21 cfs being let out. Poured with a tornado just south of here late afternoon, I bet we got 2-3" in an hour.

I went to Pierre and back today 2X and the water was crazy just all over, a lot of small dugouts now cover 40 or more acres and it was raining more on the way back on the 2nd trip. Never had a lights rain leaving puddles behind the house for days heck the neighbors ducks have been in the yard playing in those new puddles. LOL Ground is sopping wet but night crawlers are loving it. Should have rats by next year until it dries up again for the next 10!

Our muskrats here were moving out of the rivers and streams, and into what were dry sloughs last year. I have been seeing them construct houses the past weeks. That was the first time I have witnessed that in the spring in their creating shelters.

The long range forecast has the Hi pressure over the southeast, moving back to the southwest, and beginning to fry that region, and increasing heat in what is currently wet. That should fry farmer's late planted crops.

Dry as a bone here in WNC. Haven't had any rain in over a week and not calling for any until Sunday. I'm not complaining from what you all are getting though. We had our share earlier in the spring.