Is this a willow? Regardless of what it is should i pull it or cut it before it get's any larger?

Wide shot:



Close up:

Yes, that is a willow. Grow crazy fast. I have large (30 feet tall) willow trees all around my pond that I would like to cut down but the wife won't let me. If it was further out in your pond and provided a little bit of cover for your fish I would say leave it for a while but being almost completely out of the water I would cut it down. I have been told that a willow tree can suck up 100 gallons of water a day.

Yes, that's a willow. Grows fast, sheds often, not a preferred tree. At maturity, will transpire more than 100 gallons of water daily on hot summer days. I'd eliminate it.

Great minds think alike Bob.

+1 on willow. There are a lot of willow species, but I'd say that is one of the more bushy kind. If so, it will not get real tall (or suck up a lot of water), but rather bush-like in appearance. It does not appear to be near the dam so "take it or leave it". Are there other willows near by? One more thing to consider is that one willow will make a lot more willows every year. I personally like willow trees so long as they are where I want them. My pond is not necessarily where I would want them.

An interesting fact about willows is that you can make willow tea (or willow water) which helps root growth on newly started tree cuttings. If you are into propagating trees from their branches or just want to stimulate root growth on your potted plants, dice up the new years growth from the branches, make some willow tea and water your trees/plants with the water. The tea actually smells good, but I can't get myself to take a slug for fear of a case of the urgencies.

SNKETR...looks like a willow tree to me.

Ya don't want willows near a dam.
Generally I think Willows are not the best around ponds...but

I have one willow tree at water's edge and I like it.
I trimmed off all the bottom branches and I think it looks kind of cool in the summer.

It's waking up again as I took this pic this month.

I seldom have water level problems, so if it drinks some water...so be it.

If it starts spreading I will deal with it.



BTW....below pic is my Willow before I trimmed bottom of it.
Now it's my "Willow that wears a wig".
When only the top fills out again..I think it looks neat.

My corkscrew willows do not seem to spread from seed making them better suited to my desires.

Thanks everyone. I'm probably gonna get rid of it next chance i get. I already have water level issues and the more factors i can get rid of the better.

One more thing to add, if you truly want to get rid of it pull it out, don't cut it off. They can re-shoot from the roots if you leave them in.

I like them for wildlife and have propagated them by simply cutting off a branch in spring and sticking it in the ground where I want one.

Unless you have a continuous flow of water into the pond I would remove it.