Question of the Week – Rice Trunk

What is this piece of equipment used for?

This piece of equipment is called a trunk and was historically used to manipulate the water levels in rice fields along the coast of South Carolina.

Rice trunk at Nemours Wildlife Foundation in Yemassee, SC.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson Extension

This piece of equipment is called a trunk and was historically used to manipulate the water levels in rice fields along the coast of South Carolina. The fields could be flooded or drained by adjusting the height of the doors (attached to the bottom of the three vertical boards) and spillway, allowing water to flow into or out of the adjacent tidal marsh. The design of the trunks is very old, dating back to the late 1600s, though because it is such a simple and effective design, the technology is still in use today. With the rice industry in SC long gone, trunks are used to adjust water levels for wildlife management, often in the very same fields that were originally constructed for rice production. These fields make excellent habitat for waterfowl, shore birds, and tons of other species. The trunk in this photo is located at Nemours Wildlife Foundation in Yemassee, SC. Take a few minutes to read about the history of rice production along the South Carolina coast.

Here is a great video showing how the rice trunks work.

If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.

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