For many landowners in Madison County, a pond is more than a body of water. Ponds provide opportunities for fishing and recreation, wildlife habitat, livestock water and an attractive feature around the home. However, maintaining a healthy pond requires more than treating weeds when they become a problem. Good pond management starts with understanding the overall health of the pond, including water quality, aquatic vegetation, fish populations and what is happening in the watershed surrounding the pond.
Water quality is an important part of pond health. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can enter ponds through fertilizer runoff, livestock manure, soil erosion and other sources. Excess nutrients can contribute to excessive algae and aquatic weed growth. Maintaining vegetation around the pond can help slow runoff and reduce the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the water. When aquatic plants become excessive, the first step should be proper identification. Not all aquatic vegetation is harmful. Some plants provide valuable habitat and food for fish and wildlife. Others can interfere with fishing, swimming and other recreational activities.
UGA Extension groups common pond vegetation into categories including algae, floating plants, emergent plants and submerged plants. Identifying the plant correctly is important because control methods vary among species. Treating an unknown plant with the wrong product may be ineffective and can potentially create additional problems. Once the problem has been identified, several control methods may be available. Physical removal, biological control such as sterile grass carp and aquatic herbicides can all have a place in a pond management program. However, aquatic herbicides should always be selected and applied according to the product label. One important consideration when treating aquatic vegetation is dissolved oxygen. When large quantities of plants die and decompose, the decomposition process consumes oxygen in the water. A sudden reduction in dissolved oxygen can result in fish kills. For this reason, heavily infested ponds should generally be treated in portions rather than attempting to eliminate all vegetation at one time. Landowners should also look beyond the weeds themselves. If a pond continually develops excessive algae or aquatic vegetation, the underlying problem may be an excess of nutrients entering the pond. Examining the surrounding watershed and reducing sources of fertilizer, manure and soil runoff can be an important part of long-term pond management.
Fish populations are another important component of pond health. Proper stocking, harvesting and habitat management can help maintain a balanced fish population. Keeping records of fish caught, including species and approximate size, can provide useful information when evaluating the pond. There is no single management program that works for every pond. A pond managed primarily for fishing will have different needs than one used for livestock, wildlife or recreation. If you want to learn more about pond management, UGA Extension will host an educational program on pond management on September 22. The program will cover water quality, aquatic weed identification and control, pond health and other important management practices for maintaining healthy and productive ponds. For more information about the September 22 program, contact the Madison County UGA Extension office at 706-795-2281.
