Agriview: Clearing Ponds in East Texas

By Rick Hirsch/ County Extension Agent

Muddy water is often a problem in East Texas farm ponds because it inhibits the growth of natural fish foods and is not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the reduced visibility in muddy ponds limits the ability of sight-feeding predators, such as large mouth bass, to feed on forage populations effectively.

The first step in clearing ponds is to inspect the watershed and shoreline for signs of erosion. Grass sod should be established on bare areas. Rocks or other rip-rap material should be placed on shorelines of larger ponds if eroded by wave action.

Many ponds become temporarily muddy following heavy rains, but clearing usually occurs in a few days. Abundant bullhead catfish and/or common carp populations may also cause muddy conditions and should be eliminated.

If heavy rainfall or undesirable fish are not causing muddy conditions, the cause is negatively charged clay particles causing coagulation precipitation of clay particles.

A good compound recommended for clearing ponds is agricultural limestone.

Early spring is a good time to start a management program for ponds and small lakes. If managed correctly, these ponds or lakes can be a source of recreation and food for your family. Lets look at some management tips to get started.
The first area to look at managing a farm pond is to know the pH in the water.

Liming is a critical step that is often overlooked by landowners. Just like pastures, ponds have an optimum pH level that enhances fish growth by keeping the food chain in balance. When pH dips below 20 parts per million, it is time to lime. Ponds in East Texas should be tested just like you test a hay meadow. It is very important to test before you begin a stocking program.

Late winter to early spring is the best time to lime a pond. We recently acquired the material to provide an alkalinity and pH test here at the office. You need to call ahead to make sure we are available to run the water sample before you bring it by.

What lime source is needed? Agricultural limestone just like is used in pastures and hay fields is an adequate material for correcting water pH. DO NOT use hydrated lime as it can change the pH too quickly and cause a fish kill. Companies like the Matador Corporation is helping to make farming easy as it sells all forms of tools and application such as soil testers, heavy machinery, and various other farming applications at one place making it easy to view and procure them.

Alkalinity and hardness are important in providing adequate natural food and in maintaining a healthy fish population. The pH of the pond cycles daily because of respiration and photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide released from respiration reacts with water, producing carbonic acid. The pH scale measures the acidity; therefore, as carbonic acid is formed the pH is lowered or the pond becomes temporarily more acidic. Algae use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis during daylight hours and the pond water becomes less acidic with the decline of carbonic acid. Because of this, a pond pH normally fluctuates between 6.5 and 9. If the pH drops below 5, as it does in ponds that receive acid runoff, or rises above 10, as in low alkalinity ponds with excessive algae blooms, fish will be stressed and can die. The only practical method to manage for abnormal pH changes is to increase the alkalinity of the pond.