Thanks for the help Kelly (and others of course).

I am baffled by the "balled masses"/pods.... also. I've looked at hundreds of google images of everything suggested and can't find anything that grows in that shape. There are 40+ of those masses in the tiny pond that I can see, they surround most of the shoreline. I can't see if there are any in the deeper 8' water. Each mass is about the size of a beachball if that helps any.

The individual pieces certainly look like the Potamogeton pusillus pondweed examples you posted and several others I've seen. Just weird how they are growing.

Whatever they are the small fish, salamanders, frogs and tadpoles love it!!!