I am a civil engineer with experience in drainage and flood control. Drainage and flood control infrastructure can be an important part of integrated pest management as a means for larval source management.
Unfortunately, the related drainage infrastructure for a diked area typically has a number of drawbacks: 1) during dry periods, the drainage system for the low-lying land protected by the dike will inevitably include areas of stagnant water; 2) the lowered water table will cause the land to subside - which will make gravity drainage more difficult and produce more stagnant water; and 3) wetland environments will be severely degraded, harming flora and fauna.
Diked areas adjacent to tidally-influence watercourses can use tidal water level variations to significantly reduce stagnant water in the drainage system; reduce subsidence; and enhance wetlands.
Click on Read More for a paper I wrote which was published the August edition of Outlooks on Pest Management.
For a copy of the entire article in pdf format including photos, please contact me via e-mail at jeff.juel@jueltide.com.