When algae took over their pond, brothers fought back
From fish variety to pH levels, workshop shows pond owners how to take care of their little oasis.
Philip (left) and Aaron Reiff place barley straw in their East Cocalico Township pond to keep algae from growing.
By Ryan Robinson
Published Mar 09, 2006 13:04
But algae and weeds multiplied and the water clouded over time. The pond became less desirable for swimming, and fish numbers dropped.
So the Reiffs decided to do something about it.
Aaron, 17, and his brother Philip, 15, attended a workshop last year on pond management with their mother, Kathleen, who homeschools her five children.
The two boys are using measures they learned to refurbish their quarter-acre pond along East Church Street in East Cocalico Township.
The workshop presenter says more people should improve their ponds.
“When a person builds a pond, it immediately begins to age,” said Thomas McCarty, a Penn State Cooperative Extension educator for Cumberland County. “All ponds attempt to return to dry land. Steps have to be taken to keep it a pond.”
Don McNutt, of the Lancaster County Soil Conservation District, said there are hundreds of ponds here.
He cautioned that some pond activities, like cleaning out sediment, require a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection.
The Reiffs had the most common pond problem — too much algae.
To fight the green wool-like plants last year, the boys used copper sulfate. This spring, they are putting barley straw in the pond to inhibit algae growth as it rots.
They also checked if nutrients were running off fields into the pond, since that would spur plant growth.
The boys are also determining if the pond’s fish population is balanced.
“You want to make sure there are not too many fish in the pond, or they won’t grow,” Aaron said. “You want blue gill, so bass can feed on their young.”
Philip said the pond also had a slightly low pH level, so the boys are keeping an eye on that, too.
Aaron recounted a trick from the workshop: Tall grass, or a low wire, around the pond discourages nuisance geese. They don’t like the extra effort it takes to get by such hindrances.
The boys’ mother said the pond workshop is a good science lesson and a practical tool.
“It was stressed that you own your pond, but not the water,” Kathleen Reiff said. So people should not do anything that hurts water quality for those who live downstream.
McCarty is offering the farm pond management workshop again this year, on Saturday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Lancaster County Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road.
Participants will test their pond’s water, measure models and look at pictures to learn how to take care of weeds, algae and fish in their ponds. They’ll also learn about their watershed and inspecting banks and pipes.
Cost is $25, or $40 for two people from the same address. Coffee and doughnuts, handouts and water-testing supplies are included. Bring a lunch and a sample of pond water.
For more information about the workshop, call McCarty at 240-6500 or e-mail tmccarty@psu.edu.
For more information about ponds, call the erosion and sediment control department at the conservation district, 299-5361, or the division of dam safety at DEP, 787-8554.
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