SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN FISH FARMING IN NIGERIA.

Site Selection and Development Water and land are the two most
important natural resources to
consider when developing a catfish
farm. These resources have a
significant effect on site-
development costs, year-to-year operations and profitability. Quality and quantity of available
water are primary considerations
for a production facility. A ground
water source is preferred. Using
surface waters such as rivers and
streams can introduce unwanted fishes, parasites or diseases into
production ponds. Also, most
surface waters vary seasonally in
quality and quantity. Watershed
ponds are the least desirable
production system. They must be managed differently from ponds
filled by ground water because
most depend solely on rainfall as
the water source. All potential water sources should
be checked for quality--mineral
content, pH and possible
contaminants. The quantity of
water available also should be
determined. Some ground water sources do not have enough
volume to adequately supply
production ponds. For example, a 5-acre production
pond with an average depth of 4
feet has 20 acre-feet of water. One
acre-foot of water equals 325,851
gallons. A well yielding 50 gallons
per minute (gpm) requires 2,172.3 hours or 90.5 days of continuous
pumping to fill the pond. A 1,000
gpm well would take 108.6 hours
or 4.5 days to fill the same pond.
Due to the combined effects of
evaporation and seepage, ponds can lose 1/4 inches or more of
water depth each day. A 5-acre
pond could lose 33,943 gallons
daily. In this example, it would
take the 50 gpm well 11.3 hours to
replace the water lost due to evaporation in a 24-hour period
and the 1000 gpm well about 34
minutes. Under average conditions
in the southeastern United States, a
minimum water supply of about 17
gpm is needed for each acre of water. Water distribution and pumping
costs should be considered in
determining the potential of a site.
Well installation is a major, fixed
cost. Whether ground or surface
waters are used, pumping costs should be estimated. The height
water has to be lifted significantly
affects energy costs. Topography and soil type are also
important considerations. Earth
moving is the most expensive cost
in pond construction. Generally,
relatively flat terrain is less
expensive to develop. Clearing trees, rocks or other features can
contribute greatly to costs.
Geological formations, such as
lime-sinks and rock outcrops, may
be a problem. Generally, soils
having 25% or less clay should be avoided. If land previously used for
agriculture is considered, a
pesticide analysis of the soil is
advisable.

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