I finished a little ADC work at a local greenhouse in their irradiation ponds. Couldn’t help but sit and shake my head at the continued lack of water 
These ponds are located only a matter of yards away from what is normally a flowing creek. All summer and currently bone dry! For 11 years this has been an annual spot that is replenished by rats and mink moving up and down the creek. Impossible to stop them from migrating in, year after year these few ponds kick out 100-300 rats, a dozen or so mink, along with 30 to 50 coon (includes trapping the creek bed)
Well, like the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. To me, they clearly scream a single vulgar word not suited for a family friendly website
1. The over-flow culvert. water is normally trickling out of the ponds into the ditch through this culvert.
2. In normal years, I’m setting trail sets and den entry sets in the under-cut bank. In low water years, the water is down about a foot from the under cut and the rats just extend their tunnels out.
3. Local fire dept added this water pick up unit a few years ago. Normally there is 2 to 3 feet of water ABOVE this pipe. In fact they had pumped water from here in the middle of winter and the pipe remained below the ice level.
4.The “last standing Rat Rock” I put this brick in here a few years ago where the over flow runs out to the ditch. As long as there was any form of open water here, it always produced my last rat of the year from this pond. Last year, I moved it out further with the lower water so that it was just beneath the water line…… 
5. 2011 “Low Water”
6. 2012 same shoreline DROUGHT
7. For 11 years, I wished I could walk/wade across this section to save myself a mile of walking with my gear. Got what I wished for and really regret it. 
8. The satisfaction of a job complete. 3 days of an empty trap and the den entrance in silting in. 5 days ago the entrance trail was almost white from the traffic.
I’m sure we all have seen a change in the habitats we venture out into. Just looking at the bottom sector of the food chain and the impact it is having is tough. Success for me is changing things up and not relying on “laster years'” locations. Mother Nature is harsh and without emotion. Hopefully we don’t have a second year in a row of this extreme. I promise not to complain if we get 50″ of snow on the ground and the rivers are high until June!
I didn’t post this to whine. It’s just to share that many seasoned water trappers are struggling around here. If your one of them, don’t feel alone. Just continue to seek out new opportunities! 
