Greetings, Pond Boss forum!
What a weird winter! Or, mostly a lack of winter! This latest surge of coldness seems out of character, compared to the rest of the season.
I was being interviewed for a magazine story a few weeks ago, and the writer, a long time friend, Tim Matson, from Vermont, asked me how Texas fared during its drought back in 2011-2015. There were many profound things about that drought. I saw 150 year old red oak trees die. I watched big percentages of east Texas forests wilt, and die. Ponds dried up. Reservoirs shrunk to historic lows. I told him that if we aren't in a drought, we will be. Then, I said, "Every drought is broken by a flood." I didn't really think about that comment. He stopped there, and repeated what I'd just said. He asked, "What do you mean, 'Every drought is broken by a flood'?" That's exactly what I meant. A drought isn't broken by average rains. Normal, average rains just wet the surface.
Is your pond in a drought? Or, a flood? You can take that question literally, or figuratively.
Spring time is here. Your pond/lake will respond to the stimulus of weather, its climate, and the surrounding environment, plus the environment under its glistening surface.
For spring, as the days grow longer and temperatures rise, nature does some amazing things. Plants grow, fish reproduce, plankton grows, or doesn't. You'll see nature doing what it does and your pond will go off into its own direction, if you let it.
My encouragement to you is to watch what is happening with your favorite water hole. Read what the water is telling you. Seeing filamentous algae right now? Feel the need to get rid of it?
A Pond Boss reader sent me a photo of his pond yesterday. Had big blobs of filamentous algae burgeoning along the entire perimeter. Of the four photos he sent, I noticed one picture with something a bit different. Enlarging the image, in the midst of the algae, was a growing mat of bushy pondweed. His question was, "I'd like to take out the algae with copper sulfate. Which brand should I use?"
My answer was, "If you kill the algae, the bushy pondweed will explode."
As you embrace this new season, keep learning about these simple little nuances and you will become the best pondmeister you can be.
My challenge today is to think beyond the obvious. Don't study things to paralysis, but learn enough to make wise decisions.
If we do nothing to take care of our waters, we are the ones in a drought. If we overthink, and then overdo, our brains contribute to a flood.
Had this recent pondmeister treated his algae today, he'd be overloaded with bushy pondweed in two weeks. Had he identified the pondweed, he could think through the consequences. In his somewhat-isolated case, he needed to leave the algae alone for another three or four weeks. It is shading the sunlight off the bushy pondweed, preventing its rapid growth. By leaving it be, he will have just the right amount of nursery habitat for newly hatched baby fish in a few weeks. Then, if the algae persists, take it out.
I want to offer personal thanks to each of you for spending time on the forum.
And, if you haven't done it, offer a word of thanks to the moderators. These guys are brilliant, passionate guys who love their waters and love this forum. Their job is sometimes pretty hard...they keep the forum friendly and nice. A word of thanks to them will go a long way.
One of my pet peeves about this forum is when someone comes on, asks a question, receives a valuable answer, then doesn't accept those responses with humility. Folks, our seasoned members, especially the moderators, deserve a standing ovation and a kind word now and then.
Send them a PM, or let them know publicly, how much they are appreciated. These guys are volunteers, this forum is free, and part of what this community does is to offer enough knowledge to keep your learning curve from a drought. The rest is up to you.
In the "Questions and Observations" forum, I've asked a question that I'd sincerely appreciate an honest response. Thanks in advance.
Make this spring the best one, yet.
