Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond vote; election primaries

OK pondmeisters, here's a survey plan that I think we need to execute as a team. I've been thinkin' about how to best go about this, and this is where I'm at.
-
The survey question is very simple: Why do you own a pond?
-
This forum is based largely on owning and maintaining private fishin' holes. There is a base core of PB posters that eat, sleep, and drink the pond fishin' stuff. I wonder about the rest of the 3700-some other forum members. In my mind, the real common and binding thread is the pond itself. It just so happens that the most popular by-product is fish and fishing. This makes me wonder what the other pond uses are and who is using and enjoying them for those other reasons. Is it possible that, given a large enough sampling of the pondmeister cross-section, we might find pond-use applications that rival fishing? I say "let's find out".
-
So, here is my plan. We will do this in 2 steps. The first step will be to gather a list of the many reasons that one owns a pond. I started to create this list on my own, but it quickly became apparent that I would never be able to anticipate all the potential reasons...so...I decided to enlist my PB brethren to create a list. This thread that you are reading will be where this list is created. This is step #1. We will allow this thread to accumulate forum input for about one week. Then, the "reasons to own a pond" input will be boiled down and itemized as a numbered list in preparation for step #2.
-
Step #2 will be a second thread for official voting. We will gather every forum member's reasons for owning a pond. Each member will be allowed to choose only from the itemized list of reasons. We will request "the top 5 reasons for owning a pond" as a forum post from each member (to be listed in order of importance: first choice being most important). A post-vote will look something like this: 6, 14, 5, 9, 21. This thread #2 will be allowed to run for, well, as long as we want it to. Since the input will be well organized and numbered, a tally can be generated at any time.
-
Some notes and afterthoughts...
From a purely scientific standpoint, this survey plan should run like clockwork...except...we're talking about a survey of the PondBoss forum. As the designated Devil's advocate, I anticipate a number of short-shifts and U-turns. Knowing this, I propose that along with the top 5 reasons in Step #2, we include "Other". This vote option, Other, will allow a vote for something that we completely missed during the "reason collection process" in Step #1. It should be designated on the ballot as "Other: voter, fill in this blank with your own reason". So, perhaps a post-vote will sometimes look like this: 6, 14, 5, 9, 21, other: skinny-dipping.
Another thought will be those with multiple ponds. They should be allowed to cast a post-vote for each of their ponds.
What about those in the planning stages or currently constructing? I want to be all-inclusive with the forum, so I believe these folks need to add their voices, too. Maybe with the caveat that the construction will occur within the next 3 years...?
-
Alrighty then, there ya go. Sure, this might very well crash and burn; at least I tried. On the chance that we can collectively create a detailed snapshot of our common cross-section, I submit the first ideas for Reasons To Own a Pond:

private fishery
to increase land value
ornamental landscaping
waterfowl hunting
waterfowl preservation
fish hatchery
swimming hole
to study aquaculture
to water livestock
to irrigate crops
powered water sports (ie; skiing, wakeboard)

All the posts to follow in this thread will be for the sole purpose of collecting ideas on how to best collect and organize the information we seek. PLEASE DO NOT VOTE ON THIS THREAD.

This will be an interesting survey.

My primary reasons for owning a pond:

Private Fishery
Ornamental Landscaping
To Attract Wildlife

Because when renting, one never builds up any equity.

Good starter list, Brettski. I submit the following:

-Relaxation (just by being there)

-Reduce local insect population (a stocked pond is a hole in the bugs)

-(You didn't exactly in my mind include) Growing large or interesting fish

-Non-powered water sports (canoeing, rowing)

-Wildlife attractor (for aesthetics or hunting)

-Erosion control

I agreee this will be a very interesting survey.

My reasons are:
Private fishery
Ornamental Landscaping
Enjoying the sound of the waterfall
Peace and serenity
The challenge of doing it right

yeah o.k. b'ski, admirable effort that i will whole heartedly support.....your work is obviously not keeping you busy , but you stay productive for us .......thanks......

my top five (containing one you did not mention and variations of others):

1) fish raising/aquaculture and harvesting (for sport, hobby, and food)
2) water storage for fire safety/prevention
3) biological diversity/wildlife attractant (waterfowl inclusive but not limited to)
4) enhance property value
5) ornamental landscape/i.e. per theo....to just have, sit, and ponder

OK, everybody....remember....
this thread is only to collect the other reasons that nobody else has submitted yet. The actual collection of post-votes for your top 5 will occur in about a week on an entirely different thread. (after I sort thru the offering of reasons and itemize them as candidates)

Like me this is simple one word

PEACE

For me they go something like this.

1. Sanity from the world.
2. Erosion control (what else do you do with a 25' deep gully?)
3. Property values
4. Ornamental landscape
5. Beaver Blood

a scientific laboratory:

where else could you evaluate and quantify the transitory flight of perciverous yolk masses and subsequent relocation of gill breathing fauna via bird's feet?

Good idea Brettski!

Here are my 10 reasons for a pond.

1. Safe fresh fish source (I've posted before about the many problems we have with hormones, intersex fish, fish sores, PCBs, heavy metals, and near extinction of BG and SMB in my formerly most favorite public fishing spots in the world.).

2. Emergency water source for fire protection (I'm 20 miles from the closest fire hydrant).

3. Just one more passion (err . . . hobby) that provides brain stimulation while providing relaxation, but, that can be neglected for days or weeks without serious consequences or guilt complexes.

4. Good quality fishing -- monster bluegills, soon-to-be reasonable catfish, and large winter trout not consistently available in public waters.

5. A place to just relax after a very long day.

6. Expanding a quality wildlife ecosystem for finned, winged, legged, and non-legged critters and bugs of all types.

7. A fun place to gather for guests, from grandchildren to grand parents, and for all ages of friends in between those age groups -- for fishing, hot dog and marshmallow roasting, story telling, and just having a good time.

8. Irrigation for fruit and vegetables.

9. A swimming hole on hot summer days.

10. A reason to be a Pond Boss member (maybe this should be higher in the list).

Enjoy your pond,
Ken

My reasons are:

1)private fishery
2)to increase land value
3)swimming hole

".....your work is obviously not keeping you busy , but you stay productive for us .......thanks......"

D.I.E.D., that's going to keep me laughing for about a day.

Brettski, so if someone mentions "private fishery" for instance, then I don't need to list it? Only list what others haven't come up with yet? Like brainstorming for all reasons?

-Vibing with another dimension.
-A big complex toy
-A great place to party
-A generational legacy

One step closer to being self sufficient. One less reason to go to a grocery store.

Great idea Brettski!
Couple of subliminal reasons to add...

Do something that lasts. (with technology today, (updates to the PB forum aside)stuff is changing so fast, it is good have and work on something that will outlast our short pilgrimage here.

Build Stuff. I love the creativity of this group; the bug whackers, fish and fly condo's, aeration, dams and piping, tractors and equipment. What isn't there to love about our liquid filled depressions!

I am late to this thread. Good job folks.

stimulate the mind
exercise
family
marvel in God's creation

Sit back; have a cool one and watch. It is seldom as tranquil in the water as one might think.
I guess this might be called nature study.

1) Learning new dance steps every year.

- 2005 - Rain Dance 101

- 2006 - Rain Dance Advanced

- 2007 - "Whoa there - save some for later" Dance

I love fishing!

OK folks, read the rules, only what hasnt already been listed.
I'll have to get back wit cha after a coupla jack and 7s.

Actually, I dont even have a pond; I hate fish and fishing. I am only on the forum to harass Brettski. Is it working?

BEAVER BLOOD??

Yeah, I forgot to ask what Beaver Blood means. Do we really want to know? There may be no going back.

Don't think I duplicated any already posted but I could have missed one.-- Good luck B'ski sorting this list out.

Let's see, reasons to own a pond.......

1- Sanity Maintenance (Tied with Single Barrel Jack but that's not pond
related for your purposes - But they sure go together nice in my world)

2- Catching fish- (never keep 'em & don't eat 'em)

Dan

The pond is somewhere useful to throw the crickets you catch in the garage.

Not to vote, but you gotta include my reason:

My .00001 acre glass-lined bluegill pond is stoking the fire!

Or, is this a reason I WILL own a pond some day? I guess I could vote for both "Peace" (I won't fish in Lake Jet-Ski) and "Private Fishery" (sure would like to recreate in some small way the nearly untouched fishery I've experienced in Northern Michigan). It's hard to find a cubby hole....

Great topic Brettski!

We built our pond in order to fulfill a dream.
Our pond has given us a great project to work on together.

Sunil, what does "vibe with another dimemsion [sic]" mean exactly? What is going on at your pond????

claybird, that one may take a while to answer, but let me try to briefly clarify.

We live in "air" and everything that is under water can be considered another dimension to some degree.

Imagine if you took the water/air interface, and and made it vertical, as opposed to horizontal. Then, if you could stand there, and reach through (from the air into the water) and grab things, and pull them over to the air side...

Does anyone know what I mean?