Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Winter Draw Down - I have a questions

Dr. Mark Mitchell has a two part article on Draw Down which concluded in the new November/December 2008 Pond Boss.

I plan to start drawing down my 3 acre pond starting next week. I had planned to start around the first of October, but one of my Grandson's called and asked if he could bring a few of his friends out on November 1 to help his celebrate his 10th birthday. I just didn't have the heart to tell him no, and besides that it will be an opportunity to show 10 or 12 "city Kids" the joy of fishing.

My Central Illinois pond is about 20 feet at the deepest, and I plan to draw it down six or seven feet. This is the third time I have done so in the last 10 years, although it has been five or six years since the last time.

I believe my pond has benefitted as follows: Generally less FA and other plants for a year or two after the draw down; easier to clean up around the banks, install Porqupine, christmas tree, and other habitat; dry out some of the foot or so of muck in the back of a couple of coves that aeration and bacteria/enzyme hasn't handled yet; exposing muskrat dens so they either leave or create dens at the lowered level which are then flooded in the spring; the "on faith" opinion that when the water column is smaller that the bigguns eat more of the younguns.


Now the questions: How many others of us do this draw down? How deep is your pond and how far do you draw it down? How long do you try to keep the water drawn down? are there other benefits that you have seen?

Thanks,

Bing

I am building my pond with the intention of doing a drawdown. It will be 12 feet deep and I will be able to draw it down about 6 feet. I will probably only draw it down 3 feet though. The banks are steeper than I was expecting so I may not have to draw it down that much.

Here are a couple of threads.


http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=22273&fpart=1

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post67598

But I would caution anyone doing this over winter to first check on the effects of low O2 under the ice. With more fish in less water and ice over the chance of winter kill is increased.

Bing,
I have been seriously researching myself as to doing a drawdown of my 15 acre lake. The deepest part is 13 feet. In the summer time the milfoil around the shoreline is out about 100 to 150 feet (big problem). The muck is ridicously deep and is anywhere from 1 foot to over 8 feet deep. The lake is approximately 40 years old and has some of the best bluegill fishing around. My goal is to keep the fish popluation in tact, but reduce the muck and milfoil problem. For the last 2 years I have been aerating like crazy thinking this would help. There may have been some benefits by aerating but my goals are more short term that what aerating is providing. I'd like to drain the lake down to about 6-7 feet deep and keep my aeration system going all winter long (looking for input on this one). This drawndown would uncover most of the area that I would like to excavate with my doser. I too am curious as to any one having success with this drawdown. It's a little scarry to say the least. Looking for input. Thanks.
Bob

Bob: I'm not the expert here, just looking for input and answers as you are. Two things I'd look into if I were you would be 1) How about a summer draw down rather than winter. With your 13 feet, and what I've read about needing to maintain 8 + or - feet in order to avoid winter kill, if you drew it down in the spring or early summer you would avoid that risk, and the warmer weather would dry up the muck you have acculumated and make it easier to deal with. 2) You need an expert's input on running the aerator in the winter. Seems like it can super cool the lake and make it tough on the fish. I am sure one of this sites experts will chime in here.

See these threads wrt super cooling - winter aeration and drawdowns.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post50778

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...true#Post104919

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post98517

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post32979