Mississippi leads the U.S. in catfish production. The blue tinted shapes in these Landsat images mark ponds where catfish are raised.

Ponds are build above ground with levees. The ponds are 4 to 6 feet deep. Catfish pond acreage dropped by more than half from 2003 to 2013. Many ponds returned to cropland. Some were left unused. Others transitioned to woody wetlands.