Reading this thread
SMB/YP/RES in one acre dug pond brought up questions about stocking crayfish in a pond.
I have thought about it before and actually did put a half dozen small ones in our new pond out of our road ditch Have no idea if they made it or not (before I discovered PBF and knew to ask lots of questions before doing such things).
The previous thread as well as a comment from Bill Cody got me to thinking about it again, since I have a brand new forage pond that has not filled yet.
It is said not to use burrowing type but instead use a non burrowing type. Seems they all burrow to some degree under certain conditions, but some live in burrows all the time. At least that is what it seems like my research to date suggests.
For example the Calico crayfish is one recommended for ponds and is sold as such. I found out it is native to northern Kansas but not to my SE Ks area.
Calico or paper shell crayfish - Orconectes immunis "Females will retreat to burrows or secluded areas to lay eggs." - so much for not burrowing.
So I thought to myself, "self, I wonder if there is a non-burrowing type that is native to my area that I could collect locally and introduce into my forage pond".
Here is what I have found to date:
This article is very instructive of the river/stream varieties that are common to my area.
Crayfish from creeks and rivers of Cherokee county Kansas That should be right on the money.
Common types are Orconectes virilis (Northern Crayfish )and Orconectes Neglectus (Ringed Crayfish). Note these are the ones found in area streams. I'm going to assume these are the non-burrowing type. Someone set me straight if that is wrong. The other type common is a burrowing type Cambarus diogenes (Devil Crayfish).
What I "think" is the case is the Northern is what I find in the creek and small streams here on the farm. The Devil is what I find out in creek bottom fields that build the big mounds over their holes when the weather get dry. This is the article that leads me to believe this.
Crayfish in Kansas Excerpts:
The devil crayfish lives in burrows in timbered or formerly
timbered areas along the floodplains of streams. Its presence is often revealed by conspicuous mud chimneys. In early spring, young and some adults occur in roadside pools and other temporary waters.
Northern Crayfish - This crayfish may be very abundant in the pools of rocky streams.
So, would it be safe to say I should avoid the Devil and source some Northern Crayfish to put in my forage pond? Or will these "stream" crayfish not survive or thrive in a pond environment?
The other species (Ringed) I don't recall seeing (can't recall ever seeing a crawdad with the distinctivbe black bands on the pincers) and I think are more in the Spring river tributaries where there is clear water and flowing streams. So I don't think they are an option.
Any opinions? I have read some warnings to not introduce invasive species, so importing the Calico might not be a good idea.
Edit:
PDF download Crayfish in Kansas 
