I have just a few thoughts.

1. The dam may leak again. The photos seemed to show there is a tree growing on the dam.

2. Were it me. I would clear trees giving around 50 feet of space between the trunks and the water. The one on the dam, I am perplexed about what to do and will allow others to make suggestions. If you kill it, it may make the dam leak sooner as opposed to later. On the other hand, leaving it there will result in more extensive damage.

3. Aeration will reduce duckweed but won't probably help with what replaces it. It will change what grows predominately, but that's the extent of it. Herbicides are a really bad idea. They won't do anything about the nutrients in the pond and then other wildlife may be affected.

4. I'd go the path of least resistance. Do not pick a fight with your pond ... it isn't your enemy ... you just need to get to know it in order to appreciate its unique character. If it grows duckweed, leverage that with a fish that prefers duckweed and will grow fat on it. If it is subject to fish kill, then stock with a fish that kills out every year but grows large enough to harvest in the same year. Stock enough fish to fill the carrying capacity by fall and try harvest them all if possible to enjoy and subsidize the cost of their duckweed/algae control. Ideal fish for this purpose are blue or nile tilapia fingerlings about 15 to 30 days old. If you pond is 1/4 acre, probably 600 of them would be ideal ... and should be stocked after waters warm above 70 degrees. This would offer the following benefits:

1. Duckweed would be the preferred food for them and would be first to go.
2. The TP would be around 1/2 lb in weight and easily fileted or pan dressed.
3. The TP you remove will lower the nutrients in the pond.
4. A fair portion of the TP you don't harvest will feed wildlife (also removing the nutrients)
5. There will be no adverse influences from herbicides/algaecides in your pond or downstream. There might be fewer frogs and mosquitos, however, if you can live with that.

What not to do. Don't feed that pond with formulated feed. It's fertile enough. If after several years you've removed enough nutrients that the TP are not making acceptable gains by fall ... then by all means either reduce the TP number stocked or feed them enough to make up the difference.

I could not find information prohibiting TP in Connecticut. I think that they are probably allowed. You could call Solitude Lake Management, a company that manages water in your state. I am sure they would know whether they are permitted in your state or not.


It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers