Outline

1
Outline

• Leaks
• Water Quality
• Muddy water, fish kills, animals
• Common Plants and Algae and Control
• Control Methods
• Grass Carp
• Barley Straw Update
• Fish Topics
• Common species, trout, fish kills
• Miscellaneous Problems
• Canada Geese, muddy water
• New Resources

2
Pond Leaks

• Avoid with proper design and construction!
• Nearly always necessary to drain pond
• Simple compaction if good clay present
• Make-up water sometimes possible
• Sealing products
• Plastic liner -
• Bentonite (one pound/ft2) also
• disc into soil 3 or 4 inches, swells when wet
• better for coarse textured soils
• Sodium polyphosphate (0.05 lbs./ft2)
• white granular form, mix to 8 then compact
• breaks soil into fine particles
• blanket of clay
• 6 inches in depth and compact, refill pond quickly

3
Pond Water Quality for Farms

• nitrate-N should be less than 100 mg/L
• fecal coliform bacteria
• 0 fecal coliform for calves
• blue-green algae - toxins
• pH should be 5.1 to 9.0 for dairy cows
• watch use of aquatic herbicides (copper)
• iron and manganese - taste problem
• sulfate

4
Pond Water Quality for Fish

• temperature
• all fish have temperature limits
• difficult to control must match fish to
  temperature
  
• used to determine fish spawning times
• dissolved oxygen
• normal 10-15 mg/L
• warmwater fish like D.O. 3 mg/L
• coldwater fish like D.O. 5 mg/L
• depletion caused by decay of organic matter
• most common cause of fish kills in ponds

5
Pond Water Quality for Fish

• pH
• can be treated with chemical additions
• warmwater fish (6 to 9), coldwater (pH 5 to 9)
• low pH may cause stunted growth of fish
• aquatic herbicides
• many are toxic to fish (especially young fish)
• obtain a permit and read the label carefully
• herbicide runoff
• some are extremely toxic to fish
• especially high following first rain after
  application
  

6
Fish Kills in Ponds

• 1 oxygen depletion
• decay of organic material
• 2 undetermined disease
• Noted by death on only one or two kinds of fish
• 3 pesticides
• runoff or drift from fields, improper aquatic
  use
  
• 4 cotton wool disease
• occurs in spring around spawning time
• soil bacteria infects bluegill, bullhead,
  crappie
  
• 5 winter kill
• shallow ponds with persistent ice and snow cover
  
  

7
Pond Water Quality for Swimming

• coliform bacteria
• 2000 total coliform bacteria per 100 ml of water
• 200 fecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml
• swimmers itch
• free swimming parasite
• can be controlled with copper sulfate or predator
  fish introductions
  

8
Water Quality for Aquatic Herbicides

• hardness
• affects dose of some chemicals
• temperature
• Many labels recommend temperature range of 60 to
  75 F

9
Aquatic Plants and Algae
First Step What is the Objective?
10
Cause of Plant and Algae Problems

• Natural aging of the pond
• Transport of plants from pond to pond
• Canada Geese!!
• Nutrient inputs
• Ideally 10-20 of pond bottom and surface will
  be covered with aquatic plants

11
Nutrient Management

• N and P cause increased plant and algae growth
• Sources
• runoff from barnyards, cropland, feedlots
• sewage systems
• managed turf (golf courses, developments)
• Control (BMPs) - impact will not be immediate!
• redirect runoff
• reduce fertilizer use
• buffer strips (tall grass or forests)
• maintain on-lot septic systems

12
Plant Identification

• Field Guides
• Through the Looking Glass (available from
  Wisconsin Lakes Partnership for 20,
  715-346-3424).
  
• Many web pages
• How to Identify and Control Water Weeds and Algae
  and Aquatic Pesticide Application Assistant CD
  both available at 800-647-5368
  
• Send digital pictures to brs_at_psu.edu

13
Chara hardwater areas, encrusted, usually
beneficial except in some shallow ponds
Filamentous Algae many species
14
Algae Control

• Mechanical
• Raking, netting, aeration (??)
• Chemical
• Copper sulfate or chelated copper compounds
• Rapid acting, non-selective, contact herbicide
  (0.25 to 0.5 ppm), cheap
  
• more toxic in soft and acidic water
• may kill sensitive fish (trout, catfish, carp)
• accumulates in sediment!
• Dyes
• block sunlight (blue/yellow dyes), no permit,
  cheap
  
• safe for fish but artificial appearance
• Biological
• Grazing insects, bacteria products (??)

15
Barley Straw Update

• Fungi decompose barley in water releases
  inhibitory chemical (hydrogen peroxide?)
  
• Not all algae susceptible
• Results inconsistent
• species, water condition, climate

16
Barley Straw Use

• Break bales apart into loose netting
• Place in shallow water (
• March or April best
• 225 lbs/acre (5 bales per acre)
• Higher dose in muddy water (double)

17
Barley Straw Regulation

• EPA considers barley straw a pesticide
• It cannot be sold as a pesticide since it is
  unregistered
  
• Important for commercial user but homeowner can
  still use it as home remedy
  
• Extension should use care in recommending its use
  to commercial applicators
  

18
Exotic
Curly-leaf Pondweed
Floating-leaf Pondweed
Thin-leaf Pondweed
Large-leaf Pondweed
19
Leafy Pondweed
Common problem, very dense growth
20
Coontail dense, may float, fragments
Watermilfoil reddish, fragments, feather-like
leaves
21
Elodea dense, common in northern PA ponds,
aquarium plant, good habitat
22
Bladderwort tiny oval bladders, may float,
found in cold, acidic ponds, yellow or purple
flowers
23
Naiad brittle, grows in deeper water, fragments
24
Physical/Mechanical Control

• cutting, raking, mowing, digging, pulling
• most effective for small quantities near shore
• usually need to repeat several times per year
• need to harvest plants if possible
• mechanical harvesters for larger lakes ()
• can make some problems worse! (naiad, elodea,
  coontail, etc.)
  
• blanket
• gravel or sand
• shade
• black plastic for 30 days
• deepen pond edges
• drawdown
• expose and freeze root stock

25
Biological Control

• triploid grass carp (white amur)
• Will eat most submerged aquatic plants
• pondweeds, naiads, elodea, coontail, muskgrass
• Not for floaters (somewhat for duckweed)
• Not for emergents
• Little control of algae
• thrive in warm water (68F)
• can reach 25 pounds or more
• may cause water discoloration
• sterile fish must be stocked
• permit required (1 to 15 per acre)
• koi, carp not recommended

26
Herbicides for Submerged Plants

• Hydrothol 191 (monopotassium endothall)
• rapid, non-selective, no root kill, high fish
  toxicity
  
• Aquathol-K (dipotassium endothall)
• same as above, contact stops photosynthesis,
• Weedtrine-D (diquat dibromide)
• Reward (diquat dibromide)
• rapid adsorption, stops photosynthesis, degrades
  fast
  
• Sonar SRP (fluridone)
• slow acting, inhibits carotene
• Copper Compounds
• rapid, non-selective, high fish toxicity,
  accumulate, inhibits cell growth, generally
  algaecides
  

27
Herbicide Use

• Important to make clients aware of state permit
  requirement
  
• There is a large-scale failure to use permit
  system
  
• This could lead to tighter regulation
• Liability issue
• Permit ensures correct herbicide and dose
• Simple, takes about two weeks to get permit,
  available online
  
• Chemical must be EPA registered, PDA listed, and
  labeled for aquatic use
  
• Important that client reads and follows label
  directions
  
• Careful pond measurements are critical

28
Cattails mechanical removal?, can use Rodeo also
29
Purple Loosestrife problem exotic plant in much
of PA, Rodeo effective
30
Emergent Plant Control

• Mechanical
• Pulling
• Cutting may drown plant
• Digging
• Drawdown
• Chemical
• Rodeo (glyphosate)
• moves through plant from contact to roots
• Weedtrine (2,4-D)
• roots lose ability to take up nutrients

31
Watershield common in acidic ponds, underside
of leaf is purple with gelatinous film, dull red
or purple flowers, spreads quickly, BIG problem,
Rodeo or 2,4-D product
32
Spatterdock heart shaped leaf, yellow flower
33
Water Lily often desirable, mechanical control
possible
34
Watermeal
Duckweed
These are BIG problems in PA, especially stagnant
ponds, Sonar best herbicide ()
35
Floating Plant Control

• Mechanical
• Netting or aeration (duckweed)
• Pulling or cutting (watershield)
• Chemical
• Rodeo (glyphosate)
• moves through plant from contact to roots
• AquaKleen/Aquacide/Navigate (2,4-D)
• roots lose ability to take up nutrients
• Sonar A.S. (fluridone)
• absorbed by leaves and roots, inhibits carotene
• Biological
• Grass Carp (limited duckweed control)

36
Herbicides Can be Expensive! cost per acre

• Reward (diquat dibromide) - 200 to 400
• submerged
• Sonar (fluridone) - 500 to 1,000
• floaters, some submerged
• Rodeo (glyphosate) - 100 to 250
• emergents, some floaters
• Copper compounds -
• algae
• Navigate (2,4-D) - 300 to 600
• some floaters, some submerged

37
Fish Topics

• bass/bluegill
• most common and most successful option
• thrive in warmer water (77 - 86 F)
• dissolved oxygen 3 mg/L, pH 6 to 9
• requires management and patience
• abundant small bass
• harvest bass, slot limit, stock bluegill?,
  patience
  
• abundant bluegill
• harvest bluegill, limit bass harvest, 151
  harvest ratio
  

38
Other Options

• bass only
• 150-200 fall fingerlings
• add 8-10 adults bass in spring before spawn
• great for lots of 9-12 inch bass
• bass/shiner
• summer stocking 100 bass, 400 golden shiners
• faster bass growth, aquatic plants helpful
• bass/catfish
• 500 catfish, 1,000 fathead minnows in Feb-Mar
• 100 bass fingerlings added in May-July

39
Other Fish Species

• shiners - need to be continually stocked
• perch - prolific, spawn before bass, ice
  fishing!
  
• pike, muskie, walleye - not for ponds
• channel catfish spawning and survival
  unpredictable
  
• sunfish - lower winter survival, slower growing
• bullhead catfish -prone to stunting and
  overcrowding, may muddy the water, have low water
  quality requirements
  
• crappie - some success in PA with cool, deep
  ponds, also good for ice fishing

40
Trout in Ponds

• not well suited to most PA ponds
• like cold water with dissolved oxygen 5 mg/L
  and pH of 5 to 9
  
• cannot compete with warmwater fish
• put and take option
• stock catchable size trout in spring
• fish them out before water warms (June)

41
Miscellaneous Topics

• supplemental feeding
• liming/fertilization
• pond regulations
• adding fish structure

42
Muddy Water

• natural color cannot be removed
• common in new ponds (exposed soil)
• other reasons - muskrats, crayfish, fish,
  livestock, waterfowl, zooplankton, wind
  
• control - remove cause?
• chemical addition (per acre)
• 1,000 lbs. ground agricultural limestone
• 740 lbs. hydrated lime
• 1,000 lbs. agricultural gypsum (not as good)
• 250 lbs. aluminum sulfate (alum)
• 2 lbs. copper sulfate (zooplankton)

43
Canada Geese

• spread plants from pond to pond!
• coliform bacteria from waste can be a problem for
  swimming
  
• try to maintain
• eliminate if using for water supply
• short-term migrational stops generally not a
  problem
  

44
Canada Geese

• Man-made barriers
• Fence
• Goose Grid -plastic line, checker board,
  temporary
  
• 20 lb. monofilament tied to stakes around pond at
  6 and 12
  
• Riprap 2 to 3 foot band around pond
• Repellent
• Turfshield artificial grape flavor with
  sticking agent
  

45
Canada Geese

• Harassment
• Scarecrows like owls, hawks short-lived
• Noise
• Ice
• Turn off aeration to allow pond to freeze in
  winter
  
• Vegetation
• Like bluegrass, ryegrass, red fescue
• Dislike tall fescue, common periwinkle, English
  ivy, Japanese pachysandra
  
• Vegetative barriers cattails, bulrushes,
  shrubs, etc.
  

46
Resources

• Pond Management Circular
• Plant Control Publication (for sale)
• NRCS Design Publication
• PSU Fact Sheets (2)
• Barley Straw
• Aquatic Plant and Algae Control
• Others???
• Web sites lots of them!
• APD display panels, Whats in My Pond?
• CD and Book on Aquatic Plants
• Pond Downlink (video)
• Repeat??

47
Muskrats

• build dens in banks 6-18 below surface
• burrow extends upward into bank
• may cause leaks and collapse in poorly designed
  ponds
  
• riprapping shoreline with large gravel from one
  foot above to 3 feet below water surface
  
• may be killed for property destruction in PA

48
Leeches

• flat, dark-colored, parasite
• attach to swimmers, fish, birds
• harmless but frightening and detract from
  swimming use
  
• need 5 mg/L of copper sulfate treatment
• this treatment will kill fish!
• partial treatment (swimming area best but temporary

49
Swimmers Itch

• not common but occasionally found in PA
• free-swimming parasite that burrows under skin
  and causes itch and rash for 3-7 days
  
• develops mostly in snails in pond
• More common in ponds with few predator fish
• must control snails
• Largemouth bass
• redear sunfish (shellcrackers)
• Copper sulfate at 4 mg/L will kill snails but
  also kills fish