permaculture

[venaurafarm <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 10/8/2012 1:52 PM, Rob Crook wrote:
> Does anyone have any funding sources to whom I could write a research
> proposal too and investigate the performance of my floating wetlands?
> I have talked to several researchers who feel that this is a viable
> approach but I need to put numbers to this concept.
>
> Lawrence thanks for the observation. I too think that this is like a
> chinampas from Mexico City. I would also like to build islands and
> actually use the sediment that is in the body of water to cover the
> island with to grow crops, improve water quality, and increase
> fishery productivity. All of that could be achieved without the
> addition of nutrients from outside the loop since it would already be
> in the lake sediment.

First and foremost, unless you have some other idea for accomplishing 
this, would be to get one of those sediment/slurry submersible pumps 
that Elaine Ingham described to use to pull nutrient rich but anaerobic 
solids from the bottoms of farm manure lagoons to to be aerated at the 
surface then feed the lagoon arrays of beneficial microorganisms to help 
digest and recycle the nutrients in those solids, maybe even AACT or 
some other form of compost tea. A fine sand pump could also bring 
sediment to the surface to be used as soil for cropping on the chinampas 
or floating island gardens. The previous process probably should be 
performed first though to process the sludge so you won't pump putrified 
material onto the chinampa; treating it there in that condition would be 
a big job and inefficient. It goes without saying that you would not 
want to bring to the surface any toxic material or pollutants of any 
kind, i.e. pcb, pesticide residues, heavy metals (like lead from engine 
exhaust accumulated along roadsides and carried to lakes and ponds in 
storm runoff).

> We could do a project like this in Lake Jordan. A large floating farm
> that increases the quality of the fishery and improves water quality.
> It would be pretty cool.

That would be a fascinating project to work on. There are many great 
possibilities. Would Dr. House at NCSU or other researchers there be 
interested in such a project. House and others developed many cutting 
edge artificial wetland sewage treatment "living systems", like the 
popular reedbeds and the demo projects created by John Todd.

LL