We recently completed our pond build in East Texas and I am concerned about erosion throughout the next several months until we can plant grass.

Any recommendations for a grass that will grow on the dam NOW to help the erosion over the winter and is it cost effective? Should this even be a concern?

As a follow up, what's the general recommendation for grass on/around the dam once the temp warms? Bermuda?

Definitely Bermuda once the weather warms.

Wheat will grow now. If you are farther enough south in Texas you could plant oats if the weather does not freeze. One freeze the oats will be gone. But Texas is a large state.

JC03,

I just completed my pond renovation a couple of months ago and planted Rye Grass and Pasture Wheat on the levee and the watershed section. The grass is about 3" high right now and full. My soil is a silty clay loam and in my yard, next door to pond, and I have wild Bermuda growing. With the severe droubt that we are having, the soil has cracks as big as 3 fingers wide. The Bermuda actually covers the ground as a solid matt and the cracks are fully covered. I will be planting Bermuda all around the pond area coming this coming year. I'm not sure if this helps but wanted to explain what i was planning.

Oh, I am in central Louisiana.

Coupe

Thanks for all the comments! We have to plant something around the pond soon. We've had a lot of slow rain lately and although the pond is filling up nicely, we are getting a lot of big erosion cracks from the water running to the pond. Once full, the very large cracks may provide some good fishing areas, but I feel like our pond is filling up with mud from the runoff. We need something to hold the dirt in place until we can plant bermuda in the spring.

You may want to try the grass mats like the county boys use for roadsides.

I did what Sniper suggested. Using straw and the plastic (degradable) mesh to hold it in place. My application wasn't at my pond but around the construction of the new house on the hill above.
Our local sewer district is very cognizant of any contruction/runoff that is going on and it was their inspector that told me about this.
It has worked well to keep any erosion from sending out mud flows....and we have had the rain recently.

I am in North East Texas & just completed a pond repair/renovation.
I have planted rye every where the soil was disturbed. I also had run off trenches from the last few rains, I placed rock/bricks & blocks in their paths to slow the movement of runoff/dirt into the bottom of the pond, this will also provide excellent structure for your fish. I have mapped anywhere I have placed such a structure to include crossed trees, & removed/replaced stumps.

Big,
I used Brown Top Millet which emerges fast in warm weather, after the rye died out. Frost will kill it. But this stuff grows good here in NC. I have used it on several areas where we did grading, and wanted to get ground cover fast when we were done. Open broadcast worked great on hill areas I couldn't a plow to break ground, and didn't have to use straw cover.
Best o luck,
spinnerbait.

Big, is the rye germinating?

When is a good time to plant coastal bermuda? The weather has been so good lately it feels like Spring but don't want to jump the gun and waste money on seed that won't take root.

Bermuda grass needs soil temps of 65 to 70 degrees to germinate. Then, it has to stay at that temp for awhile to keep from freezing out. We're still due for a blue norther. Make sure that you have at least 6 inches, hopefully more, of moisture.

Try wheat or something like oats if you do not think you will have a freezing night again. Oats and wheat can germinate at cooler temperatures then in April or May go in and plant bermuda grass.

I'm assuming that you have no desire to break up the ground. If so, the cereal grain stalks can help hold some of the bermuda seeds.

I'm in no rush to plant but wondered if it was too early. I planted some winter rye in Oct. and it is doing it's job but need to get something more permanent down. Topsoil was spread over the dam but it never got a chance to get started with the drought that we had over the summer. I'm sure the weeds will come up like crazy in the Spring though.
I don't have the desire nor the means to break up the ground at this time so will have to just spread seed and hope it takes hold. The rye worked well so am hopeful that the bermuda will do as well. I will just wait until the soil temps come up so I know I'll only have to plant once. Sorry for hijacking your thread JC!