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 love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,