Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants Believe it's BushyPondweed (Southern Naiad).

This stuff has emerged up to 6-12" under the surface on over 2/3 of the pond (1 acre pond), effectively making 2/3 of the pond unfishable except in the early morning/late evening when the bass are busting bugs on the surface.

I bought this property last year so this is the first full summer I'm experiencing with it and would love to get this stuff under control and make at least 50% of the pond fishable. The water depth should be approximately 3-4' in these pics but you can see the weeds are just about 12" under the surface. The dam-end of the pond has the stuff but the water is approximately 6-8 feet there so the stuff hasn't emerged there except around the edges.

Looking at the last 2/3 of the pond:








I'm a complete novice to this process...are there chemicals out there that would reduce the grass but not affect the fish population? This pond was extremely fished out while the property was in foreclosure by trespassers & poachers and I put some significant time into restocking it via transporting fish. The fishery is recovering nicely but again, the fish are concentrated in one end of the pond due to the grass.

I can't make out the submerged plant specie from your photos above, but it doesn't strike me as the typical southern naiad growth-pattern (I could be wrong). Can you get a close-up/focused photo of a small plant-sample in your hand (not a handfull)?
As for treating any significant plant-mass during this time of the season; there's no completely safe approach. The herbicide-options generally pose no direct threat to your fish (from a toxicity standpoint). But, decomposing plant-material can cause your pond's oxygen level to crater - especially if the O2 is already low due to elevated water-temps.

Will do, I'll try to get a close up of some in my hand.

It's not scummy/slimy growth. It's actual grass that's actually "crisp" when you break it up with your hands.

If it makes it any easier for you, here are some comparative photos of southern naiad. Note that the leaves are arranged oppositely from each other along the main stem. If a plant looks similar to southern naiad, but has its leaves alternately arranged along the main stem, it is likely slender naiad. Though they're similar in appearance, the management of the two species may differ.

I believe we emailed last year but the simple approach if you want it all gone is about 10 grass carp. Good luck.

Here you go guys....better pics.

Greg, I was thinking the same thing and would love to add them if they'd help take care of this

Looks like Chara, though somewhat different from the appearance I'm used to seeing.
Try crushing a hand-full, and then take a sniff. You'll know it's Chara if you immediately throw it down and begin trying to clean your hand.

Yes, I read that in another post so I did that about a week ago. There wasn't a noticeable foul smell from it.

The grass is "crisp" and breaks very easily in my hands.

Is it "rooted" in sediment - or is a root-structure not present?
The in-hand photo of a single specimen is good, but would yield better clues if the branchlets were spread out (tough to do when it is wet).
Possibly one of the Nitella spp - especially based on your "brittleness" comment.