How to Identify and Control Duckweed

Duckweed is commonly mistaken for algae and is associated with many water quality problems in ponds and stagnant water bodies. Duckweed will remove plant nutrients from water, block sunlight and compete with natural algae growth.

While duckweed is an indicator that excessive nutrients exist in the water, it doesn’t really cause water quality problems. It can actually improve water quality by removing elements like phosphorus and nitrogen from the water while naturally filtering out unwanted materials.

With the right conditions such as nutrients, sunlight, and shelter from wind, duckweed can grow rampant by consuming phosphorus and algae (phytoplankton), which are lower on the pond-cycle food chain. Migrating birds as well as floods can even spread duckweed.

Duckweed growth is more desirable than algae since algae pose more problems for water use. Some algae can produce liver or nervous system toxins such as cyanobacteria or blue-green algae; and almost all algae will cause odor problems in water.

Duckweed is a small round or oval shaped plant that floats on the water surface. The smallest species is 2 millimeters or less in diameter, and the largest species is about 20 millimeters (or almost 1 inch) in diameter, which looks like little floating leaves on the surface.

Duckweed won’t normally thrive on sites exposed to wind or where flowing water occurs, and although it is often considered ugly, duckweed blooms can cover an entire water body with a green bio-mat containing millions of the small plants. If duckweed is covering a pond, be sure to check the oxygen levels in the water.

To test for low oxygen levels, follow this simple test:

• Scoop some of the duckweed away from the surface and collect a water sample using a container such as a mason jar.
• Look for zooplankton swimming in the water. Most healthy water bodies will have an active zooplankton atmosphere.
• If the zooplankton are slightly red due to hemoglobin, the oxygen levels are too low and supplemental water aeration systems are required.

Managing Your Pond

It’s recommended that all ponds (whether or not they have duckweed) be continuously aerated year-round using good water airstone diffusion systems.

You should also remove any dead and decaying plant matter each fall, including the duckweed plants, before water temperatures get too cold.

Duckweed can be harvested by dragging a wooden board over the water surface towards the shoreline. Once close to the shore, remove the plants from the watershed to prevent them from rotting in the water.

Duckweed doesn’t only have water quality control benefits for ponds. Duckweed has also been used successfully to maintain oxygen levels. Some studies suggest that full coverage of duckweed will reduce water loss from evaporation on your pond by as much as 33%.

Duckweed also grows in stagnant, polluted waters, which makes this plant ideal for water reclamation areas as well.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Pond Scum Prevention For Spring

Spring is just around the corner and with it for many pond owners will come the beginning of their annual pond nightmares.

Your pond can start the spring season off as a pretty clear blue/green body of fresh water but can turn rather quickly into a green ugly mess of overgrown weeds and floating algae.

Pond scum, otherwise known as green slime or pond algae is a common problem for many pond owners as the weather and water temperatures. Pond scum usually starts to flourish in early spring and then by summer spreads across the pond and blankets it with soup like green coloration and a smelly layer of greenish brown rugs.

Pond scum or this form of algae is unlike other forms in that it has no true roots or leaves. It is found floating on the surface of the water and/or attached to other weeds or vegetation in the pond. You will know that pond scum has hit your pond when the color of your water makes the change from a clear/blue green to a thick green soup color.

Pond Scum Barometer

To get a quick barometer of how bad pond scum has hit your pond – take a aluminum pole or golf club and stick it in your water. If you cannot see it shining 2-3 feet down in your pond then you have some concerns.

In a healthy pond, you should be able to see the object at the about depths. If you cannot then pond scum is in full bloom at your house. If you cannot see the object in less than a foot of water then you have some major pond issues and may want to call in some professional help.

Control Pond Scum

Here are the top environmentally friendly ways to prevent and control pond scum from hitting your pond – in order of priority.

• Aeration – the process of adding oxygen to water – you can use windmill aeration systems or electric aeration systems to effectively do this.
• Keep Pond Water Deep – dig shallow areas of your pond out so that there are limited shallow areas in your pond – depths of greater than 3.5 – 4 ft minimum.
• Prevent Run Off – from potentially nutrient rich sources from entering your pond water.
• Plant High Grass and Shrubs – to avoid excess pollutants and nutrients from being blown into the pond.
• Add Fish – grass carp is one species of fish that have been known to eat large amounts of pond scum or algae and weeds.
• Professional Water Tester – who may suggest that a limited use of algaecide is in order and have them treat your pond.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Insight on How To Stock Your Pond With Fish

Thinking of putting fish in your pond?

More and more pond owners are stocking their ponds with fish. Whether it’s just for the sake of having fish in the water to help keep it healthy and clean or for providing a recreational activity for you and your family.

Maybe you already have a pond on your property and don’t even realize that there are fish in it. Here are the following steps that should be taken in order to create a Great Pond for Fishing.

Every pond is unique and depending on the soil and environmental conditions that exist with your pond will determine the type of fish that will either flourish or die. To have a great fishing pond you will need to look at all the costs associated with building and maintaining one. Make no mistake, a great fishing pond does not exist without first putting some investment and effort into managing your ponds ecosystem. Here are some tips to consider when stocking your pond with fish.

1) Determine what Kind of Pond you have and the Ecosystem which Currently Exists

Your Pond’s Fish Habitat Includes:

• Physical Features – Surface area and Depth of pond and amount of aquatic plants define the physical structure of a fish environment
• Chemical Components – Soil and water source are often things that define the chemical composition of your pond’s water
• Biological Factors – what other forms of wildlife exists in your pond that can be both detrimental or beneficial to fish health
• Temperature Characteristics – most ponds can be categorized as either coldwater ponds (water temperatures seldom exceeding 70°) or warm water ponds (water temperatures regularly exceed 70°). This distinction helps to identify what kinds of fish can be sustained in your pond. Water temperatures can be determined both by the water source feeding the pond and geographical location of the pond. Measure the temperatures of your pond during the fours seasons of the year.
• Current Fish – what are the current types of fish that live in your pond

2) Identify the Water Source for Your Pond

Where is your pond going to get or getting its water from? Ground water usually maintains colder temperatures during the summer months opposed to water being inputted from a surface source such as stream or reservoir.

3) Depth of Your Pond

Ponds are usually constructed with depths between 6 and 8 feet, and with a maximum depth not greater than 10 to 12 feet. Natural ponds can be found with a wide variety of depths. An average depth of less than 6 feet greatly increases the probability of aquatic vegetation becoming established in the pond, and depths greater than 12 feet are not necessary for good fish production. Steep pond slopes help prevent the growth of nuisance aquatic vegetation, which can also become an important feature of the pond habitat. Vegetation isn’t necessarily bad for fish production. In fact, in many inland lakes vegetation provides important nursery and feeding habitat, but a pond choked full of vegetation seldom provides good fish habitat.

4) Pond Water Quality

Fertilizers contain phosphorus and nitrogen and are familiar nutrients that are used for grass and gardens. Run off into ponds that bring with it enormous amounts of these nutrients can excessively enrich a pond to unhealthy levels that cause an uncontrollable rate of growth of aquatic vegetation. Vegetation such as algae and weeds are most common by products. Thousands of Pond Owners a year are turning to more natural ways to ensure this does not happen. They are using windmill aeration systems to aerate their ponds.

Farmers have been aerating their ponds for almost 20 years and in the last 5 years we have seen a huge increase in residential pond owners doing the same thing. Pond Aeration has proven that by adding significant levels of additional oxygen to your pond you can essentially burn off excess nutrients that are saturated in the water and avoid unhealthy levels of aquatic vegetation growth.

Learn more about pond aeration, pond pumps, and read articles on windmill aeration.

Other Ponds that Are Affected By Runoff
Farmers and Golf Course owners tend to use large amounts of fertilizes which influence nutrient levels and water quality of their ponds. Runoff from cropland can increase the amount of sediment reaching the pond and may also contain potential toxic agricultural chemicals. Runoff from pastures and livestock holding areas is rich in nutrients from animal wastes. Runoff in residential, urban, and industrial areas may contain substances (such as chemicals, oils, and sediment from construction activities) that can adversely affect a pond’s water quality.

Again, in these cases oxygen can be an enormous benefit to maintaining a healthy pond. The oxygen level is an important aspect of pond water quality. High nutrient levels that produce algae blooms eventually result in decaying vegetation that use up available dissolved oxygen. Fish kills often result from a lack of oxygen or, under extreme circumstances, the presence of toxic algae. During hot weather most ponds have a layer of water near the bottom that contains little or no dissolved oxygen. When high winds or cold rain cause this water to mix with the upper pond water, oxygen levels often drop to levels that can kill fish.

5) Spawning Habitat

Depending on the type of fish that you are looking at stocking in your pond and the ones that you would like to reproduce will be very dependent on the type of pond you have or would like to build. For example, trout will not reproduce in farm ponds because most of these ponds lack a suitable spawning habitat. For trout, you require a gravel area through which groundwater flows during winter months. Groundwater provides over-wintering eggs with fresh oxygen-rich water and keeps them from being smothered by silt deposits.

On the other hand Bass and Sunfish rarely have an issue with reproducing. The problem with these types of fish is usually controlling the production, or overpopulation. These fish usually reproduce in warm shallow areas and grow in numbers many a time to a point that outgrows the pond’s ability to produce enough food to sustain steady population growth. This results in a population of small fish with the inability to grow bigger.

6) Fish Suitable for Your Pond

You will need to experiment with the types of fish that are most accommodating to your pond and its location – in order to satisfy your dream of successfully raising fish in a private pond.

Fish populations continually change and never reach an ideal state of balance without constant management, Fisheries Biologists sometimes call this effort of determining the satisfactory relationships between predator and prey of fish populations as balance. Balance is the key to maintaining healthy fish population. In order to achieve this there are three main factors that you need to be aware of:

• Amount of fish of harvestable size in your pond
• Annual reproduction of each species in your pond
• What combination of fish should you have in your pond, including at least one predator species?

To find out what types of fish are ideal for your region and or pond you should contact your local wildlife association. This again is only a starting point for all ponds are different. Be patient as you determine which species are best for your pond. It will be a process that may take a few years and as you learn more continue to adjust your pond management processes.

Other Resources that may come in handy:

• USDA Natural Resources Booklet on “Ponds – Planning, Design, Construction.”
• Conservation Service (NRCS) Agriculture Handbook 590.information on design surveys, site selection, drainage area, pond layouts, soil analysis and spillway construction. Contact your county NRCS office to obtain a copy.

Permit Requirements
For additional information on permit requirements for stocking fish in farm ponds, as well as contact information for fish suppliers, contact the nearest regional office of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

How to Determine Best Location For Your Pond or Dugout

Ponds and dugouts (farmers in Canada call their farm ponds – dugouts) are a great way to store water especially in areas that can endure long periods without any moisture.

Many government agencies will recommend that before you start digging out your pond one crucial item that you should do in planning where your pond should be located is soil testing.

Soil Testing for a Pond or Dugout

Soil testing your future pond or dugout sites is not an difficult task. You need to dig at least 3 feet or 1 meter deeper than the bottom of the proposed pond locations. You can use an auger or farm backhoe to conduct these tests. Take a soil sample at this depth and it should be composed of one of the following soil formulations; Clay and/or any mix of clay composition such as – silty clay, sandy clay, clay itself, or a heavy thick clay.

Pond bottoms which have large cracks or spaces between the clay patches at this depth that contain layers of gravel, sand or silt are considered unusable for pond purposes.

The reason is simple and quite obvious – these compositions will allow water to seep out of your pond and you will need to continually refill your water. Unless these areas are relatively small in comparison to the whole pond size you may choose to over excavate these areas and fill them with a clay liner.

Lining a Pond or Dugout

For ponds or dugouts that have need to be located in a certain area and no other spots will do, then you may have to install a liner at the bottom of the pond. Check to see if the soil composition is supportive of a pond before you go to this extra expense.

You can make natural pond liners out of compacted clay or there are other ways to make pond lines by using polyethylene or PVC. All liners must have a layer of about 1-2 ft of soil covering them to protect from the following:

• Human, livestock or machine damage
• Sun’s rays damaging plastic liners
• Drying out of clay liners and cracking
• Soil uplift from moisture and cracking liner

For further assistance on pond locations and soil testing contact your local government agencies for support. Many have local water specialists that will come out to your locations and help you choose the best spots for your pond.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Windmills are helping Municipalities to keep their Water Clean and Safe

Residential pond owners and farmers have for years recognized that pond aeration is the best and most cost effective way to keep their ponds healthy and clean. It’s only been in the last few years that smaller municipalities have caught on. Its not because they did not know that aeration can help keep their drinking water reservoirs and municipal ponds cleaner – its because the affordability of doing so was the challenge.

Lets take a small town by the name of Attica, New York for example.

Water officials in this small community of 7500 people noticed in early 2001 that the towns water supply had a little bit of a rust color to it – they figured that this problem was going to be extremely expensive to fix.

To their pleasant surprise the chief water operator, Brian Krawczyk, was able to solve this problem for less than $5000.00. The other amazing realization is that Brian was going to solve the problem in an environmentally friendly way with absolutely no ongoing costs of operational.

Attica now has five Windmill Aeration Systems that pump oxygen into the water, clearing up the rusty tinge and keeping their 13-acre water reservoir healthy and clean.

Chief Water Operator, Brian Krawczyk received a certificate of merit from the New York state Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials in recognition of his research and innovation into new cost effective ways to keep Municipal Waters clean for its citizens. This award also recognizes the commitment of the municipalities who continually look for and strive to develop new ways to improve their communities. This problem of discolored water was not new for Attica or for hundreds of other municipalities in North America. All to often we hear complaints from citizens who draw rusty water from the local reservoirs through municipal pipes. This problem quite often occurs from high levels of iron and manganese in the water, which, in turn, produces red, rusty water.

The reason many municipalities don’t aerate their ponds and water reservoirs is simply because they cannot afford it. Many quotes for an aeration system range as high as 50-100 thousand dollars. An aeration system is the process in which oxygen is pumped into the water – this process lowers the amount of potentially harmful bacteria and materials by allowing these substances to escaped the water’s source via the additional levels of dissolved oxygen.

As in Attica’s case municipalities can set up Pond Aeration Windmills and run air lines into ponds and water reservoir that attach to Air Diffusers on the bottoms of the ponds. As the wind turns the windmills, a crankshaft, which is connected to the fan blades, drives rubber diaphragms up and down – compressing air and pumping oxygen into the water.

Aerating your ponds and reservoirs with windmills allows municipalities to keep the cost of water down and provide its citizens with healthier, cleaner water.

In the town of Attica’s case it was the nearby farms that contributed to the excess minerals, and contaminants in their water source caused by run off from fertilizers that decreased the levels of water’s oxygen leading to a build up of other chemicals that could not escape specifically iron and manganese.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Drought and Floods

In many areas of North America we experience weeks without rain like what we have experienced recently in Texas and Missouri to name a few areas. While in other geographies water is abundant. Washington and Oregon have just had rain for 30 days in and people’s ponds are being flooded over. Pond Owners are buying windmill water pumps just to pump water out of ponds where as others from the dryer parts of the world are buying windmill well pumps to pump water up from wells to fill their ponds. In both cases lack of water and too much of it can be a problem for pond owners. Windmill water pumps can cost effectively solve the problem for both situations and there is no cost of operation.

If you live in a rural community a drought certainly reaffirms the significance and value of water. Dry wells and ponds, create havoc for cattle and crop farmers and the sand and dust storms are not healthy for anyone. During a drought pond owners and especially farmers are hustling around trying to find sufficient water for their homes and livestock. One solution that some regions have invested in are water pipelines that haul water for miles others seemly opt for water hauling by truck. Many people have decided to build larger and deeper ponds or deeper wells in order to replace failed water supplies.

The way you manage your water supply may determine the future success of your business

The key is to understand, plan and save for new ways to provide you, your family, and other key interests such as livestock with the necessary amounts of water to keep you and your business in working order. The financial, technical and equipment resources necessary to do this is expensive and you will want to check with your local and federal governments to see what grants exist to help you in this endeavor. The message here is be prepared and do not forget that once the water is in your pond make sure you aerate it to keep the water healthy and clean.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

This pond maintenance guide coaches pond owners on the items and characteristics of a pond throughout all the seasons. We all want the best for our ponds and the wildlife that lives within so this should help give you the information that you require to ensure its health.

Winter

December – January – February

December, January and February are the coldest months of winter. During this time the fish are usually very inactive and live primarily at the bottom of the pond. In these colder temperatures the fish will not be feeding & burning off any excess fat so the levels of oxygen in the water does not have to be as high as in the warmer times of the year.

Keep an eye on all the foliage that is dying off the plants surrounding your pond. As the leaves and other debris fall in and around your pond remove as much of it as you can to avoid large amounts from entering your pond water.

Limiting the amount of dead foliage that enters your pond reduces the required oxygen needed to decompose these matters. The same oxygen that could otherwise be used to maintain a healthy ecosystem in your water. The organic matter that does reach the pond starts to decompose during the winter months and in the process toxic gases are released into the water. To ensure these gases are not trapped by pond ice and to allow them to escape, keep an open area on your pond surface that remains open all winter long. Using an aeration system to do this is an excellent solution, many people tend to go to the pond and break the ice every few days but this can send shock waves through your pond and damage the fish.

If you are adding fish food into your pond it is recommended that you stop this once the water temperature dips below 50°F. Begin again after the temperature rises above 50°F. Fish can survive the winter on nutrients that their bodies have stored.

To keep small ponds open in the winter you can use a floating de-icer that has a built in thermostat that automatically turns a heating element on when the water temperature drops below 36°F.

Most air pumps are turned off during the winter months because they require warmer temperatures to operate effectively and avoid damage. Fish do not require as much oxygen but still need a certain level to stay healthy so look for aerations systems that can be used all year round. Koenders Windmills have some excellent aeration products that are used throughout the year to keep ponds open and pond water healthy and clean.

Spring

March – April – May

Your pond and plant life has been dormant for the past few months so if you are ever going to add a pond conditioner – this is the time to do so. This is also a good time to add some cold temperature fish food is small amounts to give your fish a healthy start. Keep an eye out for any parasites & diseases which may come to life after being dormant over the winter.

Spring is also a good time to clean and inspect your pond, remove any dead leaves and debris that may have accumulated around the edges of the pond and if you have water intakes available you may want to flush and fill the pond with 25% new water. This can help eliminate any elements that may be polluting the water.

May is normally the earliest time that new fish can be introduced to the pond. New fish should be watched carefully after introduction for signs of disease or poor water quality.

Summer

June – July – August

If you are feeding your fish then this is a good time to give them the warm water fish food to assist them in their growth. If you have not already been pond aerating then this would be a critical time of the year to increase oxygen levels in the water.

Hot weather can also reduce water levels by as much as 4 inches per/week so if you have a source of water inflow then your pond should be monitored and the water should be topped up when required.

Visit the Superior Windmill site and learn about the various kinds of aeration systems and which ones are the best for your pond. Due to the increased temperatures that summer brings – pond water heats up and is unable to hold oxygen as well as it does in the colder temperatures, the healthiest of ponds may experience low oxygen levels so be sure to implement an aeration system. Don’t wait until pond algae has covered the surface of your pond and your fish are gasping for oxygen at the surface of the water.

Autumn

September – October – November

This is the time of year when the leaves begin to fall from the trees. If too many leaves are allowed to get into the pond and decay it can throw off the ponds ecosystem so do your best to collect leaves off the ground or surround the pond with a net or fence. Depending on the size of the pond this may not be economical. This is another good reason for aeration. The extra levels of oxygen that a pond aeration system provides helps speed up the decay process of leaves and other organic matter that finds its way into the pond.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Cyanobacteria

One of Natures Pond Poison’s that can even be found in your drinking water if your not careful water is green blue algae otherwise known as cyanobacteria.

Everyone is always blaming man and its creations on polluting the world’s air and water source. Whether it’s the companies and company byproducts or just simple disregard for the environment man certainly does need to take responsibility for its share of pollution. Having said that nature also has the ability to produce pollutants of its own. Toxic substances such as cyanobacteria – more commonly known as blue green algae may occur in levels that could even impact and contaminate drinking water.

Research into this form of bacteria has been conducted all over North America in lakes, pond and farm watering holes that supply drinking water to both humans and livestock.

The form of algae (cyanobacteria) also produces a number of toxins as well as odor-causing substances. Research has found that the toxins and odor-based substances produced in blue green algae are separate substances and act independently of each other. This means that you cannot always determine if the water is toxic simply by its odor.

These types of natural poisons can cause all sorts of damage to your health such as liver damage if enough of these toxins are consumed. If these algae cells remain intact and are able to escape the pond or water source via well-known methods such as aeration and filtered out of the water through normal treatment processes before drinking then they may not be a health risk to humans. However, if the cell membranes are ruptured, this can cause distribution of the toxins through the drinking water supply.

One of the most common ways that splits up the toxins is the use of chemicals. Chemical treatment of this algae can cause the rupture and distribution of this toxin. Chemicals like copper sulphate are commonly used to control the growth of algae. This water treatment is used around the world in order to treat residential ponds and farm ponds. Both types of ponds are potential sources of drinking water for people everywhere.

There have been reported incidents of human poisoning from these toxins but we would not conclude it warrants you to be alarmed but we do suggest that pond owners be cognizant of this pond problem. Pond aeration is highly recommended as a means to dramatically reducing the chances of this problem ever occurring in your pond.

There are electrical aerations systems and windmill aeration systems available in the market for small to large size ponds and lakes. Koenders Windmills is by far the leading windmill aeration manufacturer in the world selling thousands of windmill aeration systems a year.

Another brand of windmill aeration system that is doing extremely well in the North American market is Superior Windmills.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

One of the worst looking ponds has to be a pond that is muddy and cloudy. One in which you can barely see a foot down into it. These ponds are extremely unhealthy for there is very little oxygen existing in the water to permit living things to survive. All the available oxygen is taken up suspending organic materials, soil particles or algae in the water.

Muddy water can cause fish kill if it persists due to the lack of oxygen. If the Pond remains muddy for a short period of time it is more probable that it will reduce fish reproduction and growth. Fish eggs may be suffocated and natural fish food such as plankton is unavailable for there is no sunlight penetrating the water to produce it.

Cloudy muddy water sometimes exists in the Spring runoff and in recently constructed ponds where the soil needs to settle. Usually these materials will settle naturally after a while, although to avoid this from recurring on a regular basis there are some steps that can be taken.

Prevent Muddy, Cloudy Water

To cut down on the occurrences of having muddy cloudy water you need to consider the following preventative steps.

• Eliminate any runoff from sources that inflow sediment into your pond such as farm fields, roads, pastures, fertilized fields
• There are a few chemical compositions that you may opt for but before doing this you will want to consult a licensed water and chemical treatment specialist
• Inject sources of oxygen into your pond via self operational aeration systems that can burn off excess nutrients and materials that are suspended in your water source – windmill aeration systems acts as one of the most cost effective pond aeration solutions on the market today. The innovators of this method is Koenders Windmills Inc. manufactures of pond aeration systems for almost 20 years offering both electrical aeration systems and the more environment friendly windmill aeration systems.
• Apply 500 to 700 pounds of land plaster (gypsum) per surface acre. The land plaster usually will ground up into small particles and spread itself all over your pond’s surface bed.
• Prevent Cattle or other Livestock from wading in ponds – trampling the shorelines and adding large amounts of manure to ponds is not healthy and contributes significantly to the muddy pond – build a fence around your pond or pump water into a watering trough so that your livestock does not have to go down into the water when they are thirsty. This will not only help keep a pond clean but it will also help keep your livestock healthy. Studies show that cattle can be 23% more productive by drinking water pump out of the pond instead of drinking directly from the pond – See this government pond aeration study.
• Plant grass around your pond to prevent of soil erosion.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com

Here are the most important items that you need to consider when you are building a pond. If you follow this guide and advise you can’t go wrong. Good luck in building a safe and healthy multi use farm or residential pond.

Understanding the Types and Uses of Ponds

There are well over a million ponds in North America ranging from utility farm ponds to decorative residential ponds. These ponds range in size from less than a acre to over 25 acres.

Due to the increase in pond building construction, safety concerns have surfaced. Many states have now regulated the construction of private ponds and permits are required to ensure the safe construction of farm and residential ponds. Government officials are routinely checking ponds and condemning ones that do not fit certain safety standards and forcing the owners to drain the unsafe ponds.

Ponds are constructed to serve various purposes:

Farm Ponds – livestock watering, irrigation, and fire protection, flood and erosion control

Fish and Wildlife Production Ponds – production of fish and other wildlife species

Residential Ponds – decorative, recreational fishing, swimming, boating

Two Types of Ponds

There are two basic types of ponds:

Embankment Ponds – these types of ponds are constructed by developing a dam across a stream or creek. The problem with these type of ponds is that they can easily wash out as the stream rises at certain times of the year or if there is a heavy rainfall.

Excavation Ponds – these ponds are built by digging into the ground and creating a pond or by digging up the surrounding area to and forming levees. These are the safest types of and are easily constructed especially in flatter geographies.

Check to See if you need a POND PERMIT in your Region for Fish or Water Storage

In certain regions and for certain uses a Pond Permit is required for private ponds. These permits are required before you build your pond and are similar in nature to a building permit for a house. This ensures the safety of people and wildlife.

What is a Private Pond?

A pond is defined as private only if it is entirely surrounded by private land and is not located on a natural stream channel. Stocking or maintaining fish in such a pond requires a Private Pond Permit. Any lake, pond, or reservoir with legal access to the public is considered a public water body.

Why are Private Ponds Regulated?

Private ponds have been popular on farms across rural America for decades. They can provide fishing enjoyment for kids and an opportunity for pond owners to create and manage their own personal fisheries. However, if not regulated, private fish ponds have the potential to seriously harm wild fish populations in adjacent rivers, streams, and lakes. Unwanted non-native fish species and diseases can be easily introduced to drainages through private ponds. For this reason, state authorities are working with landowners to insure private pond stocking won’t harm public fisheries.

In addition, a valid Private Pond Permit grants the landowner the right to apply their own fishing regulations to their private fish pond. State fishing licenses are not required to fish permitted private ponds.

What are the Requirements?

Any landowner can have a private fish pond if they meet three basic requirements:

1) A landowner must obtain a Private Fish Pond Permit.
Private Fish Pond Permits ensure that the pond owner has met the necessary requirements for fish stocking. In addition, the permits allow the state to monitor and prevent introductions of fish that could harm wild populations. These permits are usually free and must be renewed every five years. The first step in acquiring a Private Fish Pond Permit is to complete an Application for a Private Pond.
Applications can be obtained from your state government. Before the permit is issued, pond owners must specify the pond use and the type of fish they would like to stock.

2) The outlet and inlet (if applicable) to the pond must be screened.
Before a permit can be issued, landowners must screen the outlet of their pond to insure that fish cannot escape into public waters from the pond. The inlet may also require screening to keep wild fish from entering the pond. Depending on the location of the pond and the risk of escapement, a Conservation Officer may inspect the pond and insure the screening is sufficient. Most landowners use galvanized mesh screens in the spillway.

The size of the mesh depends on the size and species of fish they intend to stock. For Example, Ponds stocked with fish that will reproduce in the pond, such as bass or bluegill, require a smaller mesh than ponds that will be stocked only with large trout.

3) Only approved species of fish from approved hatcheries may be stocked.
Even the best screens may fail. For this reason state governments only allow stocking of desirable species that are currently found in adjacent waters. This ensures that new species aren’t introduced into publicly owned waters, threatening native fish populations and public fishing opportunity. To prevent the introduction and spread of disease, such as whirling disease, only fish from an approved, disease free hatchery may be stocked.

Other Requirements

This information only addresses the necessary requirements to maintain fish in a private pond. Depending on the water source and size of the pond, a water storage permit may be required.

For additional information or for private pond permit or live fish transport applications, contact the Regional Fishery Manager at your nearest state or provincial office department of fisheries and water.

Selecting the Pond Site

Selection of the pond site is one of the most important steps in construction.

An ideal pond site has the following key characteristics;

Level ground to allow for economical construction (the maximum height of a dam should be no more than 25 feet and no less than 6 feet year round. Dams higher than this are expensive to build and lower than this will not be able to compensate for continuous evaporation and seepage.

Soil which consists of sufficient levels of clay to hold the water (Clay soils are best for lining ponds because they minimize leakage. Sites containing gravel or sandy soils are unsuitable, often requiring costly earth moving. Limestone or shale areas are unsuitable because of possible fractures which create leaks. Swampy areas are poor sites because they are difficult to drain and costly to maintain).
An adequate water supply (The least costly way to construct a pond is to find the area that can provide the largest volume of water with the least amount of landfill)

Accessibility (build the pond in an area that is easy for the excavation equipment to access which helps in lowering the costs of construction)

Safety and Liability (make sure that your pond is situated in an area where there would be minimal human impact if something goes wrong. For Example, what would happen if the dam failed causing loss of life or injury? The pond owner is normally held liable for downstream flooding and related damages caused by dam failure.)

Pond Construction Considerations

Pond Water Supply: For the water supply aspect of you pond. Ideally you want a relatively constant water level throughout the year, which will mean that you will need to draw water from a source on a constant basis. At the same time you do not want to have large overflows from the pond. Large overflows can cause you to lose essential nutrients that feed your pond and you will lose many of your fish.

Streams: For ponds that are fed by streams be sure to build your pond adjacent to the stream instead of damming it. Construct an inlet pipe that can be redirected or turned off to avoid overflow situations and it will give you some control over the inflow of excess silt and unwanted fish and wildlife.

Surface Run Off: is the most common water source for farm ponds. These are derived from waters which seep across the surface of the ground after rainfalls. Depending on your climate and average rainfall a quick calculation for the amount of land required to satisfy the water requirements of a pond are as follows. In majority of areas in North America – pond owners need about 4 acres of land for each acre-foot of pond (a surface acre foot of water one foot deep), In situations where rainfall is variable and soil is sandy you’re best to source the services of an experts who specialize in the area of predicting water supplies.

Underground Springs or Wells: This type of water source is the best type of pond water. Its usually the cleanest water and the best quality to support aquatic life. In some cases well water may contain excessive levels of carbon dioxide or nitrogen and in these cases you would need to aerate the water before its suitable. In other cases its been found that ground water can contain excess minerals which may be harmful to fish and other aquatic life. In this case aeration also can be a suitable solutions to ensure its safety for your pond wildlife. Make sure whichever water source you choose that it is analyzed before pond construction to ensure that it’s a safe water source.

Pond Construction Costs

Listed below are the costs that a pond owner should consider before constructing a pond:

• For a Dam, estimate the amount of fill and the cost for moving the dirt
• Cost of drain pipe installation
• Cost of the spillway construction
• Cost of clearing the pond area
• Cost of clearing all trees and brush in the vicinity
• Cost of a drainage system
• Cost of the fill that must be composed of high quality clay soil (you are talking a lot of fill – a dam pond requires a 2:1 slope on the pond side and 3:1 slope on the downward side of the dam. The top of the dam should be 12 feet in width to allow vehicle traffic and prevent muskrats from burrowing through the dam)
• Costs of spillway construction (to guard against flooding and dam failure)
• Cost of maintaining a healthy pond ecosystem once its built and filled with water

Other Pond Construction Considerations

1. The pond embankment or dam should be grassed immediately after construction to prevent erosion. Grass that is suitable for your local area should be planted. A quality grass, will quickly cover the soil and will prevent erosion and weed growth.

2. A rule of thumb for the pond bank is that it should have a 2:1 slope to prevent excessive growth of rooted aquatic weeds. Irregular shaped ponds (non-circular) increase angler access. All pond edges should have a suitable species of grass planted.

3. The pond side face of the dam can be protected from wind and wave action by dumping rocks on the face of the dam which should extend several feet below the low anticipated water level.

4. For farm ponds place a fence around your pond to avoid livestock from entering. Gravity-flow watering trough can be installed below the dam for livestock watering. Other livestock watering methods that are pervasively used are air and electrical water pumps. A highly recommended manufacturer of these products is Koenders Windmills and these products are ideal for this application.

5. Pond inlets should be constructed so that inflows can be controlled and filtered. The filter prevents unwanted fish species from entering the pond and a good outlet design prevents fish loss.

6. In drainage areas that contain silt or heavy loads of toxic chemicals, the surface runoff waters should be diverted via a ditch around the pond. Diversion ditches prevent excess pollutants, nutrients, silt from entering the pond.

7. Take care of your pond and make sure to inspect and repair it from time to time. Fill gullies, replant grass, and replace rocks as needed. Trim grassy pond edges to prevent growth and promote easy access.

8. Consult a pond specialist to seek professional advice when planning and constructing your pond and review this article with them.

9. Post Pond Construction Maintenance and Care
Once your pond is built and water is flowing into the pond along with wildlife inhabiting it you need to consider the maintenance of it. The most important factor in keeping a healthy pond is to supply it with adequate levels of oxygen. Without adequate levels of oxygen water will stagnate and your pond will become a unhealthy water source for all that use it. One of the most effective solutions in the market place that is environmentally friendly and cost effective is the use of windmills to provide oxygen to water. The leading manufacturer of windmill aeration systems in the world is Koenders Windmills Inc. Koenders have pioneered this product and there is another company called Superior Windmill that also provides this solution to pond owners. For more information on pond aeration visit the manufacturers of these products at www.koenderswindmills.com and www.superiorwindmill.com.

Sure there are other activities and items that you may want to consider for maintaining a healthy pond but aeration is the most proactive way to keep your pond healthy and clean. Aeration helps you cut down and even avoid the use of chemicals.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
www.pondowner.com