Home and Farm Pond Management

Lehigh County has a wealth of natural and man made ponds that serve a variety of purposes. Depending on their management, a pond can serve as a source of irrigation, a water source for fire prevention, boating, fishing, swimming, or may be managed completely for aesthetics. The amount of attention, and the quality and diligence of management of these ponds determine whether or not your pond will serve the purpose that you desire.

Lehigh County Cooperative Extension has a wealth of printed materials from Penn State Cooperative Extension that can assist you in the proper management and maintenance of your pond. An Agent is also available to identify aquatic plants, assist individuals in selecting the proper herbicides, designing proper fish stocking plans, water quality testing, and preventing future problems with you pond.

Identifying your Ponds Purpose

To manage a pond effectively, one must identify what the ponds purpose is. Each "purpose" requires different management techniques and methods. Typical "purposes" for ponds are:

• irrigation- the pond is managed intensively for irrigation supply. water is collected, stored, and pumped from the pond for field or livestock use. It is important that the water meets the quantity and quality needs of the field crops or livestock.
• fire prevention- the ponds intent is to provide a source of water for use during a fire, or emergency. A pump or hydrant was installed for drawing water off for this purpose. It is critical to keep all debris, or materials that can foul a pump clear of the pond.
• swimming- the pond is intended to be used as a swimming hole for family members, neighbors, etc. It is critical that all debris that can cause injury or entanglement are removed, coliform bacteria counts are observed and managed against, and maintenance of a certain depth are desired.
• fishery- the pond is intended to be used as a sport fishery. The pond was stocked with sport fish, and bait fish, structure is added to the pond for cover, breeding areas, and feeding. Fish consumption and replacement are monitored. Water quality is monitored.
• aesthetics- the pond is intended to serve as a focal point in the landscape, provide a scenic view-shed for the property.
• wildlife- the pond is intended to serve as habitat for a variety of wildlife. Food and cover are managed intensively. Iinvasive and pest species are managed. The pond may be used for hunting and fishing opportunities, or for non-consumptive uses.

Your ponds purpose may vary, or include some of each. It is important to keep the intent of your pond in mind when making management decisions.

Pond Water Quality

The quality of the water in your pond is the basis to the success or failure of your pond. Just as the chemical, physical and biological properties of you drinking water can create problems, the same properties create management issues in your pond as well. Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Nitrate/Ammonia, phosphorus, alkalinity, turbidity, and temperature are all important to your ponds health.

Testing your ponds water quality can be done yourself, or by a laboratory. Home water quality test kits for ponds are available from some specialty landscape/horticulture dealers, scientific catalogs, or educational material suppliers. Two companies that are synonymous with water quality testing equipment are Hach, and LaMott. For a list of water quality testing equipment, visit: http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/wqam/wqam-sampling.html

Your management goal will determine what it is that you should be testing for. If your pond is managed for swimming yearly coliform bacteria testing may be recommended, or if aquatic plants are a problem nutrient concentrations may be of interest.

There are numerous publications available that deal with water quality on the web.

For more information, or to request publications, please call (610)391-9840 or email LehighExt@psu.edu, or visit "http://www.cas.psu.edu/directory" for information about Penn State Cooperative Extension in your County.

Aquatic Plant/ Algae Management

Management of aquatic plants and algae is perhaps the most common issue that pond owners face. There are three types of aquatic plants submerged, immergent, and floating. The algae is a type of its own, and comes in many forms, from the single cellular to long filamentous strands. There are many species of aquatic plant and, and each species requires it's own individual management plan.

There are four different management strategies to aquatic plants and algae. The first is physical management. Physical management includes pulling, cutting, burning, freezing, drawing down, or any other method of a person physically managing the problem. The second is mechanical management. Mechanical management is the use of some kind of machinery such as a mower, mechanical harvester, etc., to cut or remove the plant or algae material. The third method is chemical management. Chemical management is the use of a chemical or herbicide to control aquatic plant/ algae growth or development. A permit must be applied for before treating a water of the Commonwealth with a chemical control. The fourth method is biological management. This management strategy involves the introduction of a plant, animal, fish, or insect species that feeds or competes with the aquatic plants or algae. A prime example are grass carp. These fish eat certain types of aquatic plants, and thus keep these species of plants from becoming a management problem in the future.

Each management method has positive and negative sides, and no one is always better than the other. The type and species of the plant or algae will determine which method(s) should or can be used for control. It is crucial to correctly identify the species of aquatic plant or algae that you are seeking to control, before beginning any type of management.

Identification of aquatic plants and algae can be a trying experience. Referring to books and publications on aquatic plant and algae management and consulting with an Extension Agent or person familiar with aquatic plant management is recommended.

Resources about aquatic plant and algae management and identification from the Penn State Cooperative Extension are at http://www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/water/pond%20publications.htm and include:

• Controlling Aquatic Plants and Algae in Ponds
  
• Using Barley Straw to Control Algae
  
• Pond Management and Aquatic Plant Control
  
• Penn State / PFBC Aquatic Plant and Algae Identification Page
  
• Commonly Used Aquatic Herbicides
  
• Application and permit for use of an Algaecide, Herbicide or Fish Control Chemical in Water of the Commonwealth.
  
• Grass Carp Fact Sheet and Permit Application
  
• PFBC Frequently asked Questions
  http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/faqpond.htm

Fisheries Management

Managing a pond as a fishery requires up keep of the fish stock, prey items, attention to water quality and fish biology. The Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have partnered to provide numerous publications on fisheries and fish pond management.

• Management of Pennsylvania Fish Ponds (32 pages - pdf download)
  http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/uh137.html
• Aquaculture Fact Sheet (pdf file)
  http://www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/water/aquaculture.pdf
• PA Fish and Boat Commission Aquaculture Fact Sheet
  http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/act94faq.htm
• PDA Hatchery List
  http://www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/water/SportsFishDirectory-pdf.pdf

Pond Construction

If you are interested in constructing a pond on your property, and are looking for information about construction, site planning, or regulations, please review these publications available on-line or contact your county Extension Office for hard copies or information.

• So You Want to Build a Pond -- Penn State Cooperative Extension
  http://www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/water/So%20you%20want%20to%20build%20a%20pond.htm
• Pond Building: A Guide to Planning, Constructing, and Maintaining Recreational Ponds --: Alabama Cooperative Extension.
  http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/publications/anr/ANR-1114/anr-1114.htm
• Pond Construction-Some Practical Considerations --Virginia Cooperative Extension.
  http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/fisheries/420-011/420-011.html
• Before you build a pond- 10 important questions and answers --University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
  http://hermes.ecn.purdue.edu/cgi/convwqtest?b-2374.me.ascii

More Pond Information/ Pond Management Links

for more information about pond management contact your County Extension Office, and ask to speak with an agent about Pond Management.

There are also a number of Pond Management sites available on the web, visit these links for more information:

Pond Management Links (from Penn State Cooperative Extension Pond Page)
http://www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/water/links.htm#pondlinks