Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bamboo on Dam--settle the argument

Long time lurker, first post! Background...Bought this place in 2016, one year after the catastrophic 27 inch rain in 12 hours here that took out so many ponds, destroying dams in the flooding. Our dam withstood the event with water flowing over the length of the dam. It is a 2.75 acre very strong spring fed pond, fully stocked LMB, Brim, underwater brush nonexistant, just pond weeds.

4 years renovating house and starting to manage the pond. Already had 4-7 lb LMB. Stocking grass carp 2 of the last 3 years to control weeds, sunk 10 Christmas trees in Jan for fish structure, building floating islands this year. PB ideas and guidance on here is just awesome for a new pond owner.

Question is, the dam has lots of bamboo at the back side (neighbor planted it years ago between his pond and ours). We mow the 2 acres beside the dam and keep the growth in check out from behind the dam and keep it about 2 ft down from the top of the dam. We keep the deciduous and pines from growing on the back side of the dam by cutting down every year or so.

He says, she says.....so, I say the bamboo is not hurting the dam, if anything, it is securing the dirt since the mat of bamboo roots has been used as erosion control for centuries. The bed of bamboo is years old, firmly established, already 10-15 ft easily above the dam level.

My husband says it must go, it will turn into trees and continue to grow in height. I asked him if he'd believe you all since "I get no respect" lol.

The bamboo will hold together the soil and re-enforce the dam, IMHO. Tell him it is not a tree, but a grass, so there are not any deep roots to bother the integrity of the dam. Bamboo roots can be blocked underground with a 4' deep barrier, so they are never deeper than that. The bamboo might get water from the pond, but will not pose a threat to the dam. Bamboo stunts easily - it needs ideal conditions to reach its potential size. It sounds like you have the spreading type, so KEEP MOWING to keep it contained.

I agree, leave it there.

I would personally choose native plants over an exotic, but we have a small patch of bamboo that we started because my son wanted it when he was young. It's cool but not much value to wildlife. We mow all around it to keep in contained.

I agree with leaving it there. It will not turn into trees.

Is it of the size to make cane poles?

It appears that the Pond Boss consensus is to leave the bamboo. (I add one more "yes" vote to that tally.)

However, I don't think that your husband literally meant "it" (the bamboo) will turn into trees.

In my situation (Kansas plains), our tallgrass prairie WILL turn into trees. I must burn or mow the grassland portions of our farm periodically or trees will get established and then start spreading.





Are you cutting down just the small trees that you observe growing on the back side of the dam, or are you cutting down the bamboo every year - and necessarily getting all of the invasive trees in the process?

If not cutting all of the bamboo, then your husband may be correct that trees WILL grow in the bamboo patch. If you are diligent, then you might get all of the trees while they are still small. However, if you miss a few, then there are some species of trees that could have a serious tap root by the time they reach 15' in height (and you finally catch the sneaky b*stards). THOSE trees would pose a small risk to your dam.

I know zero about bamboo management. If feasible, I would cut it short every other year, or burn sections such that 100% gets burned over a 3-year rotation, to guarantee I controlled the trees on the dam.