I posted earlier about my 2000 TDS well. The high level of brine from disposal wells is the culprit. I’ve since been brainstorming for options to utilize that expensive hole I had drilled. I’m curious if anyone has used a shallow marsh planted with halophyte grass like cordgrass to clean their irrigation water? I have a low area uphill from my pond that drains into it after heavy rains. I would dig out that area, let’s say 100’ x 50’ x 2’ deep and line the bottom with clay then soil and peat and topped with sand, no limestone. Any thoughts?
Something like this might work but maybe the situation isn't as dire as it may seem. Different fish tolerate different levels of salinity. Some do fine in brackish water even though salinity often limits reproduction. So I will offer you another alternative that may allow you to "roll with the punches" that your pond, well, and desert vortex are swinging.
Consider fish that can tolerate the pond conditions that you are facing. An interesting fish for this purpose are Hybrid Striped bass. The sunshine version, the one commonly available for pond stocking can tolerate salinity up to 41% seawater without losing any osmotic function. This is due in part to the fact that one of its parents tolerates full strength seawater. A fish like this doesn't even "have to have" prey, you could feed them everything they ate if you had to. So let's get a sense of the salinity of your well. Seawater has a TDS of 35000 and so your well at 2300 is 6.5% that of seawater and 16% of the TDS that the sunshine version can tolerate with no loss of osmotic function. Two references you can look at:
Salinity Tolerance 1Salinity Tolerance IIIf you read up on other species that you prefer, you may find they tolerate salinities higher than your well water and the window they can thrive provides a cushion that allow you to buy time while you top off your pond with the well. Though evaporation will increase salinity, any rain event that overflows the pond will dilute it. So you just need fish tolerant enough to get you to a rainy period that is bound to come sooner or later. I only mention tolerant species because these provide much greater windows of time because they could thrive in water more than 3 times greater than your well water.
Joey mentions the Salton Sea, but there are MOZ Tilapia there thriving in water more saline than seawater. Hey you could grow them and keep seed in your home to overwinter in aquaria. Red Shiner are also a good choice. A member here named Ken (handle Snipe) lives in Northwestern KS and cultures them for sale with his consulting/hatchery enterprise. This prey species will thrive in salinities more than two times your well water. So just some ideas that may help you to make lemonade and have some fun while you are doing it.
