Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization Fertilization - Northern Ponds

A Note for Northern Pond Owners about Fertilization.
At a different PBoss topic and post, a couple pond owners from the northern states mentioned a pond management booklet from Michigan. It is a very, very good booklet, esp for northern pond owners. Most of the pond mgmt information from the gov. agencies in the North preach against pond fertilization which is contrary to what we see here and in PBoss Mag.

This below is a quote from Managing Michigan Ponds for Sport Fishing 3rd edition, publ. by Michigan State Univ.. The authors are from MI Dept. Nat. Res., MI Soil Cons. Serv. & Dept Fisheries & Wildl. MSU.
I have added my opinions along with the few things quoted from the booklet.
Page 49. Pond Fertilization.
"QUOTE- Fertilizing a MI pond can do great damage if you wish to maintain it as a pleasant recreational fishery. Recommendations for fertilizing commercial or recreational ponds in southern states are sometimes applied in the North with unfortunate results. Fertilizer is used to increase southern fish production, also to create algal murk so dense that rooted plants are shaded out. But in regions of significant ice cover, this almost assures winter kill of fish." end quote. (Note: They also assume long term snow cover ie. 2-4 mo). QUOTE "It can also cause summerkill, bring on other disadvantages of plant over abundance and buildup nutrients of shallow muds that lead to a continuing problem. If fertilization is done to stimulate such algal turbidity to control weeds, water quality and appearence may become objectionable."

They say in the next paragraph, Quote "Artificial feeding of fish should be avoided or greatly restricted if excessive vegetation is to be prevented. The wisest approach will often be to maintain no more fish than can grow well on the food naturally produced by the pond." End Quote.

These two things seem to be just the opposite of what we hear to do on this website. What gives?
Key here are several things, actually many things, that I do not have enough time now to explain about all of them in detail.
In the 1st sentence, they use "pleasant recreational fishery" which I assume? means to them, "clearish water" visibilities down to 8-20ft (which MI is famous? for) and some good fish to catch. In lg lakes fish and fishing often seem? limitless. It only seems this way, but it is not actually true though.

Fertilizer and nutrients FEED not only fish but plants. Plants need to grow many times more abundantly than the final weight of fish produced. Nature demands/requires it.
Southern pond owners, a few northern pondowners & almost all fish hatcheries, including those in the north, whose goal it is to produce huge amounts and numbers of fish, often get GREAT results by fertilizing. BUT, sometimes, even "experts" fail to maintain or produce a plankton bloom in one or several of their ponds. Plankton blooms are sometimes TRICKY to consistantly produce or maintain because of the complexity of the algal & tiny animal species involved, the pond's chemistry, and the nutrient ratios in the water and sediment that are required to produce & maintain a bloom. Lots of the algae bloom (most of it) is not eaten or assimilated and when it dies, it sinks to the bottom where it accumulates as organic muck usu. black ooze.

Blooms probably work better in southern ponds because of the longer growing season which helps maintain a bloom longer during the year. Whenever the bloom dies the water clears and rooted plants can begin growth. In the north this is from Sept/Oct to Apr/May; 6-8 months! This is a lot of time for cool/cold water plants or cool water type filamentous algae to get growing and estblished before the fertilization season begins again in spring 58-65 deg F. Then when you fertilize in spring, you only stimulate the existing nusiance weeds and not the bloom. Fish hatcheries get around this problem by not filling & fertilizing the pond until 1-3 wks before the fish fingerlings or fry arrive.

The MI booklet also discourages feeding fish because it produces unnatural abundances of fish and decreases the water quality i.e. causes cloudier water and extra plant/algae growth due to excessive nutrient additions. Here again THEIR main goal is clearer, cleanier looking water with a NORMAL/natural amount of fish.

An over abundance or crowding of fish biomass in a pond from feeding pellets can cause problems of water quality, fish population stress, disease, dieoffs and extra plant/algae problems from the continual nutrient/food and resultant extra fish manure additions. The most frequent problem from feeding food pellets to fish is extra weed or filamentous algae/pond scum growth.

Be aware there are risks involved in pond fertilization and daily feeding of fish. If fish are fed regularily, I recommend that some be harvested each year to maintain a healthy population balance within the pond. Healthy population balance is very hard to define and is often dependant on several variables. It also depends on the goals or the size structure of fish you are trying to maintain in the pond. If you don't periodically thin the fish populations NATURE will do it for you and usu. not to your liking.

Keep in mind that the fish hatcheries almost ALWAYS drain the fertilized ponds and let them dry out each winter/off season. This helps them in many ways to properly maintain their ponds. We sportfish pond owners do not have this option and as a result have to deal with the resultant water quality conditions from over fertilization and abundant fish biomass.

The MI pond mgmt. booklet was written with the understanding that nutrient accumulation esp phosphorus is the leading cause of eutrophication (pond aging - filling in/muck accumulation) and degraded pond/lake water quality. So to prevent these two things THEY encourage all forms of nutrient abatement to maintain high water quality. Low nutrients do not grow very many plants or fish per acre. If you want to turn your pond into a feed lot for fish, you can do it, but don't expect to fish in clear water esp like that often seen in the northern states.

So bottom line is, determine the goals for your pond and manage it in that direction.

High nutrients with lots of fish pounds/ac and cloudy water (lots of plants, plankton or weeds) or low nutrients, clear water with fewer fish and low plant growth. It is almost impossible to maintain REAL high fish biomass and clear water consistantly for a real long time(years). You are defying Nature, she? does not like that and wants it only her way! Bill Cody - The Pond Doctor

Thank you Bill great reading! Can't wait to get the booklet.

Jawbone, that is the book I was telling you about in a previous post. I'm not a typist and would spend 3 days typing in what Bill put in his post above. Thanks Bill, and I hope other Northern pond owners see your post and get the book to read.
Dan

Managing Michigan Ponds for SportFishing, Extension Bulletin E-1554: is available for $3.50 from --

MSU Bulletin Office
Co-Operative Extension
10-B Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.

If you live in Michgan, you can go to the local MSU extension office and purchase your copy there.

Bill and Dan,

That extension bulletin sounds like a must add item for the pond library. The check will be in the mail this week. Speaking of mail, I see where Lance Armstrong was in NYC this weekend. Being sponsored by the USPS, perhaps I could get him to "overnight" my check from NY to MI, this way I won't have to wait so long to get the publication .

Until I get the bulletin in hand, I'm curious to know if it discusses the topic of aeration? From the information on this board, I get the impression that fertilization and aeration make for a good combo when dealing with us northern pond owners.

Russ

Russ, Just a few short paragraphs on "Artificially Circulating the Pond Water". Best $3.50 I ever spent. Good luck.
Dan