Brent Chouanard, Austin Dupuis, Charles Kerrick, Nathan Woods Bell Pond After the Remodel Brent Chouanard, Austin Dupuis, Charles Kerrick, Nathan Woods

Components Measured Sediment Content Percent water content Percent organic material 2. Sediment oxygen consumption Usage at room temperature and 4℃ Connection to references 3. Macrophytes (aquatic plants) Total Density Total Phosphorus

Sediment/ Organic Material 1. Organic material removed Less O2 consumption Water content in the sediment1 Data can be used to estimate water retention characteristics and permeability characteristics. Important considerations for soils: permeability, bedrock, slope, coarse-textured layer2 3. Organic Material Low % organic material3 http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.475.497&rep=rep1&type=pdf http://agrilife.org/wildlife/files/2013/09/Soil-considerations-for-ponds.pdf http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu/pubs/technical/15tch/3.a.1.pdf Brent: Low organic material percentage=more clay. Organic material provides substrate for microbial activity. Plants rely on this for fixation of nutrients so they can draw them up from the soils. Because the pond is so new, there isn’t much organic material or sediment. It will take some time for the natural level of sediment to increase.

Sediment Oxygen Consumption At Room Temperature 2012 Average Oxygen Consumption Per day= 0.53 mg/L 2017 Average Oxygen Consumption Per day= .01 mg/L

Sediment Oxygen Consumption at 4°C 2012 Average Oxygen Consumption Per day= 0.2 mg/L 2017 Average Oxygen Consumption Per Day= 0.00 mg/L

Macrophytes and Their Phosphorus Content Brent: White markers are sample sites Green - polygon of where we thought the macrophytes were Calculated total number of macrophytes

Macrophytes and their Phosphorus Content ~ 182 pounds of potential algae due to phosphorus release Brent: Ways to reduce phosphorus: reduce runoff (fertilizers, seed in the dirt piles of old sediment), monitor other runoff sources from surrounding farmers/neighbors, continue to ward off the geese to prevent further fecal matter entering from wild sources.

Things To Consider... How much fishing pressure will the pond receive? Will the fish caught be harvested? How much effort will be put into pond management?

Primary Fish to Stock Bluegill Feed on invertebrates. Provide food for predator fish. Smallmouth Bass Control bluegill populations. Channel Catfish Feed on plants and fish. Resistant to low O2 levels.

Other Possible Fish to Stock Control Aquatic Weeds Algae is good for producing O2. Too much algae can create anoxic conditions. Stocking triploid grass carp can help with weed control.

Let’s Talk Numbers Species Stocking Rate Per Acre Unit Stocking Rate for Your Pond Bluegill 500 Individuals 340 Bass 100 68 Channel Catfish Grass Carp 4 3

Avoid Overstocking Having extra space is not a problem. Not having enough space is a problem.

Lower Density Leads To Increased Growth Both growth performance and survival rate tend to be higher in lower stocking densities.

Final Recommendations Habitat Modification Creating artificial habitat can help your pond thrive. Examples include: gravel beds, fallen logs, tires, etc. Plant in the soil pile

References http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/DatabaseRoot/pdf/201RFS.PDF http://darwin.wcupa.edu/faculty/fairchild/ponds/fish%20management.html http://indiana.clearchoicescleanwater.org/uploads/88/docs/3548Algae_Adage.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687428513000034 http://www.harrisonfishery.com/stockCalculator.htm#charts http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.475.497&rep=rep1&type=pdf http://pdacrsp.oregonstate.edu/pubs/technical/15tch/3.a.1.pdf http://agrilife.org/wildlife/files/2013/09/Soil-considerations-for-ponds.pdf http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex929

Questions?