Common Pond Problems

1. Common Pond Problems Marley Beem Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University

2. Ponds are Worth Protecting Attractive Ponds ? Higher Land Values Clean Water ?Livestock Gain Recreation and View Fire Fighting

3. What�s going on in the Watershed? Overgrazing, county roads, construction ? erosion and sedimentation and muddiness Nutrient sources ? algae problems Lawns, livestock feeding areas, never-pumped septic systems Pesticides and other toxics No way to guarantee safety of fish for human consumption Ponds are on the receiving end of everything that happens in the watershedPonds are on the receiving end of everything that happens in the watershed

4. Protecting Dams Trees Cut down or herbicide trees and shrubs yearly Brush hog if slope is safe Burrows Control beaver and muskrats at the earliest sign Call APHIS Wildlife Services before doing anything Erosion Cattle trails: fence cattle off dam Wave action: seek NRCS advice Trees and shrubs weaken dams. First they get large and then they eventually die and the roots decaying allowing water to move through the dam and destroy it. APHIS Wildlife Services 405 521 4039 or 4040 Will give advice to all, can help onsite sometimes Trees and shrubs weaken dams. First they get large and then they eventually die and the roots decaying allowing water to move through the dam and destroy it. APHIS Wildlife Services 405 521 4039 or 4040 Will give advice to all, can help onsite sometimes

5. Livestock watering Problem signs Eroding trails on dam Trampled, bare shoreline Shallowed out pond edges?cattails, bullrush Muddy or foul water Solutions Fencing to reduce access to a few points Freeze-proof watering troughs Access points need to be armored to prevent boggy conditions. Geotextile fabric overlaid by gravel works well for this purpose,Access points need to be armored to prevent boggy conditions. Geotextile fabric overlaid by gravel works well for this purpose,

6. Pond Weeds 10% - 20% coverage by pond plants is good Refuge for forage fish from bass Insects for fish food Shore erosion wave protection 100% plant coverage is a death sentence No sunlight penetration means no oxygen for fish Fish are happy with 20 - 50% plant coverage (but you may not be) Plant shown is spatterdock not lotus or waterlilliesPlant shown is spatterdock not lotus or waterlillies

7. Plant Management Identify problem plant � essential first step Herbicides vary in effectiveness and withdrawal times and cost Grass carp tend to eliminate all plants � not good for fishing ponds Other Dyes for submerged plants Drags: can make it worse if plant reproduces by fragments Plant shown is creeping water primrosePlant shown is creeping water primrose

8. Leaky Ponds Seek NRCS advice before picking site to build a pond�or else there may not be an affordable answer Is it leaky or not? 4 feet of evaporation/year is normal

9. Leaky Ponds Fixes to Consider (each pond varies) Situation 1: Pond has never held water sandy soil ?bentonite, liners, 1 - 2 feet of clay soil rock ledges, sand lenses ? pack with clay soil Situation 2: Old pond suddenly won�t hold water ? something has broken pond bottom �seal� Pinpoint disturbed area if possible Apply bentonite to area A sand lens is a large pocket of sand usually left behind as part of an old stream channel. When building a pond �a person should be on the lookout for sand or gravel lenses. If they are found they need to be excavated a few feet and packed with heavy clay soil. A sand lens is a large pocket of sand usually left behind as part of an old stream channel. When building a pond �a person should be on the lookout for sand or gravel lenses. If they are found they need to be excavated a few feet and packed with heavy clay soil.

10. Leaky Ponds Bentonite not a surefire answer If pond can be drained � till in one sack powdered bentonite for every 10 x 10 foot area Standing water � use granular bentonite Liners are expensive - $10,000 + per acre

11. �Summer� Fish Kills You could be at risk and not know it Warning sign Can�t see more than 12 inches into water because of microscopic algae (green color to water) Be in the habit of checking this regularly By the time you see dead fish it is usually too late If fish are seen gulping at surface you can sometimes save them by aerating. Usually the most practical means of aerating is to use a pump set to draw up surface water and let it splash over boards or spray to allow oxygen uptake . Do not stir up the pond bottom. If fish are seen gulping at surface you can sometimes save them by aerating. Usually the most practical means of aerating is to use a pump set to draw up surface water and let it splash over boards or spray to allow oxygen uptake . Do not stir up the pond bottom.

12. �Fall Turnover� Fish Kills Usually occurs in deeper ponds Cold front and wind causes bottom layer of zero oxygen water to mix with upper layer of water.

13. Toxic Algae Rare � 10 or so cases of livestock death per year in Oklahoma No clear warning signs Scum on surface like spilled paint? If suspected, contact Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for instructions on collecting and transporting water sample. Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab 405 744 6623 Scums on ponds are common, have many different appearances and are usually not associated with toxic algae. Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab 405 744 6623 Scums on ponds are common, have many different appearances and are usually not associated with toxic algae.

14. Muddy Water Check all areas above pond for erosion and control it�essential first step Collect jar of water and let sit one week If it clears up, this shows the pond is being stirred up Wind Common carp, catfish or other bottom fish

15. Muddy Water If water in jar does not clear up Add 2 square bales straw per acre or 500 pounds of gypsum per acre foot of water Some ponds cannot be cleared up Consider using them as fed catfish ponds May need to repeat hay application after a few weeks. Do no more than 4 or five times per year Gypsum � if I fails to clear in 4 weeks apply � of the original amount Fed catfish ponds � you supply the catfish chow daily, catfish grow and taste fine � no taste effect from muddy water May need to repeat hay application after a few weeks. Do no more than 4 or five times per year Gypsum � if I fails to clear in 4 weeks apply � of the original amount Fed catfish ponds � you supply the catfish chow daily, catfish grow and taste fine � no taste effect from muddy water

16. Poor Fishing What is good fishing? Two �keeper size� fish per hour Causes of poor fishing Trash fish (bait buckets, ponds above yours) Overharvest ? imbalance of predator/prey The (unpopular) solution Start over drain or rotenone then restock Rotenone requires an applicator permit � contact ODA. Danger of overflowing pond causing downstream fish kill If draining be sure no wet spots remain or treat them with quicklime to kill out bullheads etc.Rotenone requires an applicator permit � contact ODA. Danger of overflowing pond causing downstream fish kill If draining be sure no wet spots remain or treat them with quicklime to kill out bullheads etc.

17. Fish for Farm Ponds Good Largemouth bass Bluegill Channel catfish Fathead minnows Hybrid bluegill Bad Crappie Goldfish Golden shiners Common carp Bullheads Green sunfish and most �perch� Crappie are poor for farm farms because they they have far too many offspring. Crappie are great in lakes with a healthy bass population to control their numbers. Goldfish and golden shiners are prone to getting large enough that bass will be unable to eat them Bullheads aka mudcats � often seen swimming in a small school. One of the most difficult trash fish to eliminate �Perch� is an incorrect name used by Oklahomans for a category of fish which are better called sunfish. These include bluegill (aka bream in the deep south), green sunfish (aka googleyed perch), redear sunfish and others Largemouth bass � most fisheries biologists in Oklahoma recommend against stocking Florida strain largemouth bass. Fatheads are sometime used to feed bass but usually end up being eliminated as the bass increase. Hybrid bluegill are very poor a reproducing and so usually managed on a put and take basis. Not a good fish to stock with bass. These work well if they are fed fish feed. Eager to take a hok � great for a kid�s fishing pond.Crappie are poor for farm farms because they they have far too many offspring. Crappie are great in lakes with a healthy bass population to control their numbers. Goldfish and golden shiners are prone to getting large enough that bass will be unable to eat them Bullheads aka mudcats � often seen swimming in a small school. One of the most difficult trash fish to eliminate �Perch� is an incorrect name used by Oklahomans for a category of fish which are better called sunfish. These include bluegill (aka bream in the deep south), green sunfish (aka googleyed perch), redear sunfish and others Largemouth bass � most fisheries biologists in Oklahoma recommend against stocking Florida strain largemouth bass. Fatheads are sometime used to feed bass but usually end up being eliminated as the bass increase. Hybrid bluegill are very poor a reproducing and so usually managed on a put and take basis. Not a good fish to stock with bass. These work well if they are fed fish feed. Eager to take a hok � great for a kid�s fishing pond.

18. Pond Stocking Do not stock fingerlings on top of bass or other predators State Hatcheries - game ranger approval Private Hatcheries - $$ General recipe: Eliminate all fish 500 bluegill per acre in fall 100 largemouth bass per acre in spring 100 channel catfish per acre Stocking fingerlings on top of bass is just feeding the bass For free state hatchery fish your game ranger must sertify that your pond is new or that all fish have been eliminated by draining or rotenone. You will also need to pick up your fingerlings from a state hatchery.Stocking fingerlings on top of bass is just feeding the bass For free state hatchery fish your game ranger must sertify that your pond is new or that all fish have been eliminated by draining or rotenone. You will also need to pick up your fingerlings from a state hatchery.

19. Turtles Too many in a pond are unappealing Will eat fish food Sliders do not harm fish Consider teeter traps Sliders are scavengers and will eat dead fish but wont harm fish populations Snappers will eat fish. They require removal by submerged hoop nets or other meansSliders are scavengers and will eat dead fish but wont harm fish populations Snappers will eat fish. They require removal by submerged hoop nets or other means

20. Grubs Pinhead size spots in muscle or just under the skin (yellow, white, black) No direct way to �deworm� No harm to people from cooked fish Take steps to discourage other hosts of the parasite � fish eating birds and snails Fish eating birds are protected by law so they cannot be killed. They can sometimes be scared off by dummy hawks or discouraged by eliminating their roost trees Snails tend to be more abundant in very weedy ponds. If this is the case then aquatic weed management might be considered. Copper sulfate is sometimes used in an attempt to control snails � use all normal precautions when doing a copper sulfate application.Fish eating birds are protected by law so they cannot be killed. They can sometimes be scared off by dummy hawks or discouraged by eliminating their roost trees Snails tend to be more abundant in very weedy ponds. If this is the case then aquatic weed management might be considered. Copper sulfate is sometimes used in an attempt to control snails � use all normal precautions when doing a copper sulfate application.

21. It Pays to Manage Your PondUnmanaged Ponds Go �Downhill� Unmanaged ponds go �downhill�Unmanaged ponds go �downhill�

22. Actively Manage Your Pond Most important factor is the attitude and knowledge of the pond owner Regular checks mean problems will be caught early Recommended Reading Managing Pond Fisheries in Oklahoma $3.00 from ODWC, PO Box 53465, OKC 73152