August 2012
Pond Management for Livestock and Recreation A properly managed pond can provide an excellent source of water for livestock or irrigation, an attraction for wildlife, aesthetic beauty and recreation in the forms of swimming, boating or fishing. How this pond is managed will be determined by the goals you are trying to achieve. Construction Management of an existing pond can be a chore. However, if you have the luxury of building a new pond, how it is constructed can play a key role in the amount of future management that will be required. A poorly constructed pond is always likely to have problems and be difficult to manage. Ponds with shallow areas are prone to have problems with excessive weed growth. Other problems include ponds that leak due to being constructed in the wrong soil types to ponds that remain low because they were constructed in areas with inadequate water sheds. To help alleviate these types of problems, landowners should consult with their local Natural Resources Conservation Service for help prior to pond construction. Stocking What species of fish to stock in a pond will vary according to the size of the pond, the goals of the landowner and the amount of resources that the landowner wants to commit to the operation. It is generally suggested that only catfish be stocked in a pond less than one acre although other species can thrive in an area this size. Many landowners have larger ponds and like to stock other types of sport fish like bass. In this case, a combination of bass and bluegill should be stocked. The bluegills provide a source of food for the bass. This combination will usually provide an excellent fishing