Bill, thank you for your input.
IMO also, the CC are a predator fish. After 13 years w/o management ie. feeding, the CC looked to be extremely healthy. I knew they had to be eating something.
Concerning eutrophication.... the largest amount shows up in what I call the "shallows". I have read on here about adding Tilapia,GC,chemical procedures. As I mentioned earlier, my dad was a cropduster, and I know what he done to kill off veg, but will not say that I will do it for fear of incriminating myself.Derivitives of aluminum and copper scare me more than atrazine though.I also understand that energy cannot be created or destroyed.Killing off of veg. through chemical warfare, or turning it into fish manure merely changes the state in which the nutrients are suspended.And until you get it out, it will be there.
Before dear old dad died, he built siltation ponds,deeper ponds, tall fescue grass buffer strips, and levies to prevent direct runoff from adjacent corn ground. I am led to believe that the majority of the nutrients that are in the BOW, are probably the remnants of nutrients that contaminated prior to more extensive erosion control. I have considered ways to reduce the amount of existing abundant nutrients.
1. dredging
2. I can get an excavator into the shallows, remove large amounts of muck, and truck away.Worth the trouble? I will probably do it anyway, to put silt back up on the hill,where it will have some use.
I can guesstimate that the majority of my vegetation is in the shallows, and 15% of my total can be removed with an excavator.
I assume that you have a bit of chemistry training in your arsenal.I do not,I only have ask and listen! Would using urea, instead of ammonium nitrate, be of much benefit for fertilizing the ag land? My understanding is that urea goes up, amm. nitrate goes down, thus reducing the possibility or amount of nitrogen entering the BOW. My brothers and I still practice deep tillage, so urea incorporation is as easy as ammonium nitrate incorporation. Or is most aquatic veg from phosporous and potash? Would a water analysis tell me, or should I get a sample from the muck, or soil beneath it?
I will also add that I am waiting to see what the 3' addition in depth will do for aquatic veg. I'm hoping that the deeper water, and increased distance between the soil and sunlight penetration will help to reduce aquat. growth. But I still remember E=MC2!
Bill it has been an honor to receive your acknowledgement!
