(Area) Aquatic vegetation is popping up and can be a cause for concern for pond owners.
Spring is a good time to take control of the situation according to Fisheries Biologist Bryan Hayes. “If you had a pond last summer that was really hard to fish because of aquatic plants, now is the time to do the scouting and make a plan to do some control measures on those aquatic plants.”
It’s easier to control plants early, before they become too large. “There are certain areas of the pond where you access the pond that you may want to create some fishing lanes with fewer plants or no plants so you can utilize it all year long. There’s ponds that potentially grow excess plants. You get to where 80-90% of the pond is vegetated and that really can impact the balance of your fish population by providing too much cover and so those plants would need to be controlled and brought back to more of a manageable level.”
Hayes cautions against removing all aquatic vegetation. “Aquatic plants are part of a healthy pond. You pond needs some aquatic plants. Ideally you want about 25% vegetated. That provides about the right amount of cover for small fish. It also takes nutrients away from algae so your pond doesn’t turn really green. Plants are a part of a healthy pond, so you don’t want to eliminate them all.”
Mechanical means, barrier products, dyes, and herbicides can all be used to control aquatic vegetation.
