When people first dug the canals here in Owyhee County, the water soaked into the ground and just sat, becoming "sour" when it absorbed too many minerals. (particularly the alkali salts that are common here) Between the ground being too soggy in certain places and the water being unsuitable, a great deal of ground became useless. Moving water doesn't absorb near as much mineral as stagnant water. The solution: digging great, big ditches that allowed the water to flow downstream to the river. Here is one such ditch:
As you can see, any plant that gets the chance takes full advantage of the water that runs down the bottom of these ditches. Many animals also cram into these places. Foxes, quail, various amphibians, burrowing owls, marsh birds and shore birds of all kinds, and even deer will make their home in these little wild spots. It's nice when something is both useful and enjoyable.
On a special side note, I will be on a small vacation for the rest of the week. I have prepared a few short posts that I have scheduled to post while I'm gone. Whether they will or not, we'll just have to wait and see.
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