We have a similar problem in Argenina. In some parts of the Buenos Aires province, we have a lot of low land with a lot of "chained" lagoons [1]. When there are a few dry years every local government builds a small dam and steal water from dowstream. Every rainy year they open the dams and flow downstream. Some year one of the majors decided to buy fishes eggs and boats, so the farmers become fishers until the land was dry enough to plant soy.
[1] [Spanish] https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagunas_Encadenadas_del_Oeste [Autotranlation] https://es-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Lagunas_Encad...