Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Should I add vegetation?

I read over the AL plant part of the pond mgmt guide. It is a pretty standard discussion similar to that of most all state agencies. I quote: "Aquatic plants from water gardens or ornamental ponds should never be placed in a fish pond." As just one example, it is sort of like saying "don't ever drive a car - you could get lost or even killed". Both quotes have pros and cons. There are several reasons for that standard govrnmt statement about plants that deal with pros and cons of adding plants as I mentioned in my post above. Those governmental guidelines are common statements and intended for pondowners who know little and have limited experience about pond/lake mgmt. General guidelines as basic information. They basically want to protect you from yourself. Too often private citizens make mistakes that are often preventable. This is also why I and 'esshup' mentioned above to DO your homework, become knowledgable and get 1, 2, or 3 professional opinions - then decide what if anything to do. So far, it is your pond to do mostly what you want with it. But that may change in the future if a new congressional bill gets approved and passed into law.

You are very welcome to come back here for advice when weeds are a problem in your pond. Your pond will always want to grow lots of plants/weeds based on pond fertility, water depth, and water clarity. Even the government can't stop lots of plants from growing in your pond. After you have lived with your pond for 5-10 years you will learn who is most correct. Plus govrnmt will not come out and physically fix the problem for you which is one of the numerous reasons they sugggest not adding any plants because they assume you do not know what you are doing. Again they are trying to save you from yourself. IMO the same basic guidelines can be applied to what you put into your body. The human body and a pond are basically living ecosystems, both similar in many ways. We can choose to put in them what we want. Hopefully we choose wisely.