Flood damage to forages can be quite variable depending on several factors, such as time of year, temperature, soil texture, flood duration and water movement. Flood events of one day or less usually have low impact on forage survival However, if the field was ready for hay harvest, the top growth may be damaged or unsuitable for harvest after the flood recedes Such fields should be checked for debris and silt cover before considering hay harvest Timing of flood occurrence relative to forage growth stage also has a large impact on forage survival Forages that were actively growing when the flooding occurred will suffer more stand loss than those that were dormant Damage is lower during cool air and water temperatures than during warm temperatures Some references report survival of certain grasses after 60 days of submersion when water temperatures are 50° For less, but those species can be killed within 24 hours when water temperatures are 86^oF or higher.

Read the full publication from the University of Arkansas here. ~ Publication authors: John Jennings, Kenny Simon, Ed Twidwell, Mike Andrews, Jennifer Caraway, Hank Chaney and Blair Griffin.