Category Archives: Ponds

Fish Facts

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  • In northern climates, largemouth bass may live to be 18-20 years old.
  • Hybrid bluegills are a sterile cross between a bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and a green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). This hybrid attains a larger size and exhibits more robust growth than either parent. Because they are sterile, hybrids won’t overpopulate a pond like true bluegills.
  • Fathead minnows lay their eggs on the underside of floating objects, such as logs and lily pad leaves. Fathead minnow spawning can be enhanced in your pond by adding a few floating boards.
  • Walleyes spawn on windswept rocky shorelines or on flooded vegetation in river bottom marshes, thus they seldom successfully spawn in small lakes and ponds.
  • Aeration can prevent winter fish kills. It will also increase the fish carrying-capacity of your pond, as well as fish growth rates.
  • Yellow perch, bluegill and crappie feed heavily on the larvae of mayflies, caddisflies, midges and other insects. A non-aerated pond typically lacks sufficient oxygen in the depths to support a healthy insect forage base

Article originally published in the Cason & Associates Spring 2010 newsletter.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass

Are You Concerned About the Health of Your Pond?

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Cason & Associates, LLC

Is it safe to swim in? Are the fish safe to eat? Do you want to know why your pond grows so many weeds or so much algae? The biolo- gists at Cason & Associates can help you answer these questions with a Professional Pond Assessment. During a visit to your pond, one of our biologists will meet with you to discuss your specific concerns about your pond. We will then collect information about the pond. This will typically include measuring the surface area and depth of the pond, identifying problem weeds and algae, testing water clarity, assessing dissolved oxy- gen concentrations, and measuring pH, alka- linity and hardness. If warranted we can also test the following:

  • Nitrogen and Phosphorus concentrations to assess nutrient loading
  • Chlorophyll concentrations to measure algal abundance
  • Residual Pesticide concentrations in both water and sediments
  • Fecal Coliform levels to assess if septic wastes or manure runoff enter the pond
  • Several additional water pollution indicators

After analyzing the results of the pond assessment, your biologist will put together a set of recommendations for dealing with your spe- cific pond management concerns. Cason & Associates charges $90/hour for a Professional Pond Assessment, including ‘round trip travel from our office in Berlin, Wisconsin. Pond assessments typical take 1-2 hours onsite. Ad- ditional laboratory analysis fees apply to certain parameters that cannot be tested in the field.

A Professional Pond Assessment will help ad- dress your pond concerns and will allow you to use scientific data, not trial and error, to man- age your pond. Call to schedule an assessment today!

Article originally published in the Cason & Associates Spring 2010 newsletter