peterv McCoy

Not a bad idea, maybe some intrepid mustard grower should think about adding it to their hay. Whats hay go for off the truck out there? Just curious, last I heard out here it was around 8 a bale, but some folks were expecting it to go as high as 10 or 12

Sorry if I wasn't clear about the selenium, but I believe there is still a connection to depleting aquifers, the origin of selenium is from natural geologic deposits as I understand it, but the problem is sort of two fold by lowering water tables (ie depleting aquifers) and concentrating salts and selenium via underground drainage, the resulting contaminates are then fed back into the remaining water table (along with new salts) and eventually settle in lower portions of the aquifers. This means that the selenium plumes are not just downstream as in the kesterton case, but also back in the fields they were 'drained from'. The particular plume in question extends through a good part of the northern half of the central valley. I'll look for a map of the plume sometime , but I haven't run across it in a while there's probably a link somewhere online - but there are connections between selenium concentrations and pumping the aquifers down....

I'm not sure canola works, but the USDA thinks it does. The background is this, we know from drawing down the aquifers in the central valley a lot of selenium has been released, so around 6 or 8 months ago I came across a story about how the USDA is pushing for canola plantings to help soak it up. I don't think they've evaluated many of our native mustards to see what they'll do - considering the usda is targeting larger operations I get their point, but natives conceivably could have other benefits.


Here's a link.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun00/kenaf0600.htm

Yes there are such plants, in fact this year california will plant more vast monoculture tracts of canola so soak up the extra selenium in the soil - not an ornamental, but you might take a look at whatever natives you have locally.

For containers, I've always been partial to plain terracotta since the pot breathes (keeps the soil cool, and better drained in my opinion) more and tends to suck out built up salts (particularly those from 'hard water' residues' like calcium chloride. However they're expensive and they do end up cracking eventually if you are changing whats in them.  The stuff I really like goes in those.

I still have fond memories of this event and can't say how greatful I am to kelda for putting it together. I also have some terrible news which I feel I must share. This month Laila died. She is/was the woman in the right front row of the group picture. I will miss her in ways I cannot convey, but I know this event gave her a great deal of pleasure and happiness. It also helped us shape how we looked at land. It was only a few weeks ago she looked at our bay area hills and thought we should have swales and ponds along them to solve our own water issues, and I know this event made that conversation possible.

I hope Mick and Vicky are doing well, I have not forgotten their generosity one day. Laila and I had planned to return and see them until her illness. Anyway thanks again Kelda, your efforts touched us both.