Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Watershield dieoff causing murky water?

Have noticed my pond is getting murkier over last couple weeks. Typically have 2' of visabilty - lately more like 18" or less despite the fact we have had little rain lately. It has watershield growing in all areas 6' and shallower. I see some of the watershield is starting to turn yellow and suspect that it is starting to die off causing the murky water. The fish have not been biting and when hand feeding the bluegill they seem to have moved into deeper water and are not feeding very aggressively. Does anyone else have this going on now? My pond is spring feed enough to keep water level stable but not much of water is going out into spillway area unless it rains.

Something is causing stress. May be low DO or a combination of things.. Beings you treated chemically, I'd stop feeding for a little while to make sure you don't add to the issue with uneaten feed.
If your spring is not running as normal you may need some circulation of some sort to help keep things in check O2 wise.

Water level is normal and I haven't been adding chemicals.

I have found the feeding activity at my pond falls off when one or a combination of the following occur...

1.) DO levels drop (as Snipe mentioned). Not necessarily to bad levels, just a drop.
2.) Water temps get high or a rather quick change either direction.
3.) Clarity changes to a murkier condition.
4.) When surface scums are present.

Murky conditions at my pond are often caused by...

1.) Animals stirring up the bottom - carp, crawdads, turtles, etc.
2.) Algae blooms.
3.) Heavy inflows.


I don't hear about typical pond plants cycles (ignoring algae) causing this, but I suppose extreme conditions should not be ignored. My take is that normal seasonal die-backs happen gradual enough that the water can take it without noticeable effect. Going from 24 to 18" should not be alarming, at least not at my pond...it just went the opposite way from 12 to 20 in the matter of 3 days.

Is it normal this time of year for the watershield to die back?

Do you take temp and water condition readings periodically?

What types of fish, or otherwise, do you have in the pond, or could have?

Are you using a secchi disk for your clarity readings?

I have found that the water can be very deceiving to the naked eye. There have been times that I thought the water was clearing, or the opposite, just to have my secchi disk indicate otherwise. Surface conditions and algae blooms can throw my perception off...the secchi disk takes alot of my perception out of the equation.

Just my thoughts,

This is first year I've owned the property so can't tell if this is normal but I think it is normal for it to die in fall. Looks to be turning colors like leaves on a tree.

I don't have a secchi disk - just guesstimating

Bluegills are not waiting for food in usual spot by dock - they are feeding to some degree farther out in pond as if they are suspended in deeper water. Bass and crappie still aren't biting.

I have noticed that the bass bite best when water is clearer.

Pond has black crappie, bass, bluegill, possibly redears (stocked fingerlings earlier this year) and white perch.

I'm leaning towards using 2. 4-D granules to kill the watershield on about 50% of shoreline next spring. Will leave it be in places as fish habitat.