Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Phragmites, watershield, and lilies. Oh my.

I have a small (half-acre) natural pond, stream fed. Maximum depth is about 10 feet, but average is probably 6 feet.

I have several issues (my wife would say "many", but I'll limit things to aquatic vegetation, for now)...

• phragmites (common reed) forms a band 10-15 feet wide around 50% of the perimeter. The sunniest, shallowest 50%.
• watershield covers just about all open water by midsummer.
• spatterdock and white lilies pop up here and there throughout.
• mat algae which shows up here and there on some of the submerged rocks.
• a few cattails, but I've been watching them for a couple years and I harvest the seedheads every year before maturity. I've counted the stalks each year (less than 15), and they don't seem to be spreading.

My goal is to have a fishable and possibly swimmable pond. The kids like to catch the sunfish and bluegills already, but the watershield is a big problem. We don't swim in it currently, for the same reason.

Any suggestions on a smart approach to getting these guys under control? I understand it is a long term process. I'm willing to use herbicides as necessary (subject to Connecticut DEEP regulations), but we do have vegetable gardens and livestock nearby. Also I'd like to avoid major fish death if possible (the herons love 'em, but I might have to ignore that).

I've been fighting the phragmites first. They're the biggest and most visible. For two seasons, I've pulled all individual stalks (cames?) up around half of the pond. This does seem to be having a positive effect on next-year regrowth, but this spring/summer will tell me a lot more. It's a huge amount of work, easily a half day per week, and so far I've been doing the "easy" part of the pond. It might be time for herbicide.

The watershield is next on my list. I think this will mean herbicides, because a razor and rake is probably just not practical. Irregular shape, lots of rocks, etc. I'm looking into Connecticut-legal aquatic herbicides for these guys too.

Another concern is that I might knock one down just to have another problematic plant take its place. They're all established, I think, just competing for resources. Would it be smarter to hit the whole thing with a cocktail of chemicals and then prevent new growth? Would that even work?

Or is it all hopeless and should I just get used to enjoying the wet spot with reeds while it fills itself in over the next couple decades?


Thanks for any ideas you can offer. I'm very new at this stuff. Obviously!

I don't know your soils, so this may not be an option for you. But in our area where we have good clay and do not worry about a pond holding water, a backhoe or preferably a trackhoe would be how I would handle the reeds. They grow in shallow water/ wet ground. Get rid of the shallow water by digging the pond deeper around the edges (keep a 3 to 1 slope for safety) and you not only get rid of the reeds, you get rid of a bunch of old nutrients too, which is no doubt part of your ongoing problem.

Beware though. If you are in an area that requires a clay liner because your soils will not hold water, doing what I said would likely cause your pond to leak and ruin it. So before digging, make sure to consult a local pond builder to see that it would be an acceptable practice for your area. Deepening the outer part of the pond will also take care of a lot of cat tail problems.

If you do this, you will also need a place for the dirt to go.

Just one alternative you may not have thought of.

We have very rocky loamy soils. I don't know whether the pond would withstand that sort of disturbance.

The pond banks vary from gentle beach-like slopes (8-1 or so) to five foot "cliffs" presently. Unfortunately even on the cliffs, the pond depth at the edge might be only a foot or two. There are also deeper edges and they have much less of a phragmites problem, like you said.

The pond edges aren't nice and clean, either. It's a natural pond, and rather irregular. Also lots of birch trees at the edge. It might not be accessible for larger equipment.

What I really want is an amphibious shallow-draught fanboat with a sickle mower and integrated incinerator. I've had trouble pricing them online.

Is Rodeo on the approved list for your state?

http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld4TN009.pdf

Rodeo is "approved" here[1], but Connecticut is a very highly regulated state, so that doesn't mean quite the same thing that it might elsewhere.

I would need a permit ($200 nonrefundable fee!) for any aquatic herbicide, and it looks like it would require professional application.

The permit application[2] also requires a NDDB (national diversity database) species review application forms, which can take 6-8 weeks, and probably has a fee too.

I found a web page[3] linked from ct.gov[4] that lists licensed applicators, and breaks the list down by certification type ("aquatic pest control"? sounds like zebra mussels...).

I also found a 2013 aquatic herbicide permit report[5], which indicates that very little glyphosate is permitted in the state...like, less than a single quart in some decently-sized, fairly rural towns. I'm not sure whether this means that the permitting process is especially strict, or that applying for proper permits is rare.

I'm going to call around on Monday to see if I can get a professional opinion on the viability of herbicide in my location, and a quote for same.

If "better living through chemistry" doesn't work out, I'll be back to researching physical control strategies. Any recommended resources?

Thank you!

PS: Links, in case they're useful for other Connecticut folks.

[1] http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/pesticides/restrictedpermitusepesticides.pdf
[2] http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/Permits_and_Licenses/Waste_Permits/aquatic_app.pdf
[3] http://www.kellysolutions.com/CT/
[4] http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2710&q=324266&deepNav_GID=1712
[5] http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/pesticides/aquaticpesticideusetown2013.pdf

Hi im new to this site and posted some questions and was told I might want to repost over here. We have been having major issues with phragmites in our pond which 300x400 and approximately 30 ft deep in the middle. We have cut them down and had our pond guy treat the pond didnt work. We have dug them out with a loader that just seemed to make it worse. Alot of people around Here have been telling us to use Karmex but ive been hearing alot of bad things about that. yesterday we cut and burned all the way around the pond and would appreciate and input on how to deal with this problem before they start growing back.

I am reposting my reply as well!

Welcome to PBF!

I am not a pro....FWIW a while back I was researching types of plants to start in my pond. IIRC application of glyphosate late in the season followed by burning can help control these reeds. As far as I know, there is no permanent fix. Hopefully, one of the experts will reply with more experienced advice.

I decided not to plant them by the way!

Again,

Welcome!

Bill D.

Countrygirlreid,

I see Esshup already recommends Rodeo for control earlier in this thread. I believe that product contains glyphosate. FWIW I think there are some other products that do as well. You might want to check if one of them is approved for use in your state.

Bill D

Welcome to the best forum around.
There are some very smart folks around here that can help you with any problems that come up, and there will be many. I'm so new on here that I can barely keep from walking backwards.
Again welcome


Pat

Besides Rodeo (glyphosate), other alternatives are (if state allowed) Habitat (imazapyr) or Clearcast (imazamox) as alternatives for treating common reed, have heard that mowing also can keep them in control.

Thank you guys for the warm welcomes and all the help. It has been greatly appreciated