I have cut my dam to allow drainage until I can repair the leak. Asking to know how to prepare for the fix and get a list of priorities. There are several 4ft tall bushes and small willows that are far away from my dam but would end up under water. I would consider that to be a good thing, or am I wrong? Should I bushhog before the water fills.

Most folks, myself included will probably recommend removing the willows while it's easy to get access to them. Willow roots are invasive and they can really rob a lot of water from the pond when they get bigger. With that being said, Willow trees look really nice in my opinion and I actually planted some in specific locations on my property (well away from my pond). They grow fast so if you want to have a Willow I would recommend putting it in a place where it can be enjoyed but will not interfere with the pond.

I left some willows in the water as the pond filled and it has been a hassle ever since. The willows will drop leaves and start up new trees all around. I would suggest you get rid of them, if you can.

I use Remedy and diesel, applied to the trunk' to kill willows. They spread by both seeds and root.

Painted on the stump?
I've got a good number of willows to kill.
Only want to do the job once.
Remedy is $100 a gallon around here.
Worth it?

Tordon from you local farm store is about 15$ for a quart bottle (thera abouts) and is some tree killing stuff. I DON"T know if it should be used around a pond though...you'll have to look into that yourself.

It's great stuff, but has the potential to kill off tress within the range of the undesired tree's root system. This has not happened to me except if the surrounding tree/s are of the same species. I once killed several honey locust trees and several more a distance away also died. I didn't mind, those thorny buggars are hateful.

I put the tordon in a spray bottle and just spray the woody portion around the bark area after I cut the tree down. It saves a lot of poison compared to squirting it straight out of the bottle. It does not take much to do the job.

https://www.domyown.com/tordon-rtu-specialty-herbicide-questions-pq-3481.html

The FAQ states that Tordon should not be used near ponds. Willow is not a species that it's listed to work with.
Too bad, it looks like good stuff otherwise.

Looks like Rodeo is recommended for use around water.

OK, thanks guys. I will look out for the Tordon as I wouldn't mind a fish kill. There's only about 2ft left in the bottom of the bowl. The dam is still cut and I doubt I will have the funds available to recore and seal it before next Tax year. I will look to Tordon the willows. What about the rest of the overgrown grass and thickets?

I mix Remedy with diesel and spray from ground up to about a foot with it. Or, it can be mixed with water and used as a foliar.

The bottom line is that it works every time.

I wear nurse gloves.

I know it is not labeled for pond use but I have used Roundup many times to kill willow trees up to 6 feet tall. I am careful to get as little as possible in the water and I've never had a problem with it. Also works great on cattails at low pool in the summertime when many of them are out of the water a bit.

I do the same Poppy, cut and squirt works, we have been doing that this past week.

Biologist told me that Roundup is generally pretty safe around ponds. Don't put in water directly, but okay around edge of pond.

Roundup (glyphosate) is available in a formulation that is labeled for use around ponds. I get it at the farm store. There are various trade names, but one is Shore Klear. I have used it frequently on small willows and it works well. Best to apply in the early fall when the plants are drawing the nutrients out of the leaves down to the roots. Beware, it will kill the grass around the willows also. The Remedy will spare the grass.

I use Dave's mixture in a hand quart spray bottle for the sprouts around the edge of the pond. If water is low works easiest. Use a hooked stick bending the sprout towards the bank and wearing rubber boots I am able to spray from the pond towards the bank getting none of the mixture in the water. Kills em dead to the roots. If you mow or pull them they just come back from the roots.

What kind of rubber shoes do you use?
I'm interested in the brand and model, my last boots the moisture for some reason.
Thanks in advance.

I wear just about any kind of rubber boot

Outside of Willows would you all suggest mowing down tall grass.

The two schools of though are that

1)It would die off and add organic matter decaying.

2)We all try hard to establish grass in our ponds, why cut what you have?