OUTDOOR CORNER: MDC HELPS `POND-ER' PROBLEMS

It's that time again. You're tired of being cooped up in the house. The days may be getting warmer. You want and need to get outside. You're thinking of spring and fishing.

If you are a pondowner, it's also the time of year to think about the problems you encountered last year with your pond. Whether it is a problem with aquatic vegetation or poor fishing, the Missouri Department of Conservation can assist you.

Missouri has more than 316,000 private ponds and lakes totaling 282,000 acres (45 percent of the impounded water in Missouri), so there are thousands of pond owners in the state.

The Department's goal is to help landowners obtain the maximum benefits from their ponds. We answer questions and requests for information on a wide range of topics, such as aquatic vegetation control, muddy water, fish kills, fish parasites, fish population management and stocking. Fortunately, because of the high demand for information, most problems can be solved over the telephone. Sometimes, we'll mail you specific, detailed information about a particular pond problem.

We prefer to give advice to landowners before a pond is even built. By providing preimpoundment advice, we hope to reduce problems with aquatic plants, muddy water, undesirable fish species and poor watershed management. We do not design or pay for ponds, but we will provide advice on location, desirable watershed size and establishing fish habitat.

For more complex problems a biologist may ask you to provide additional information. If a fish population problem is suspected, the biologist may ask you to keep records of the number and sizes of fish caught for one year. After one year the biologist will then examine the records and try to make specific management recommendations.

If aquatic vegetation is a serious problem, the biologist may ask the pond owner to mail a sample of the plants in a sealed ziplock plastic bag (keep moist). The plants can then be accurately identified and proper recommendations can then be made to control the plant. In situations where problems cannot be handled by telephone or through the mail, a biologist will then make on-site visits. We can check fish populations by electrofishing or seining. We can also assist in renovating a pond if the fish population is too far out of balance.

We also conduct workshops throughout the state to help pondowners manage their ponds. Locally, a pond management workshop will be held at the Department of Conservation office in North County Park in Cape Girardeau on March 20 from 7-9:30 p.m. Topics to be discussed include pond construction and design, leaking ponds, fish stocking, population management, aquatic vegetation control and other common pond problems.

There is no fee to attend this workshop; however, pre-registration is required. To pre-register or for more information or assistance in managing your pond, contact the Conservation Department in Cape Girardeau at (573)290-5730.

Brad Pobst is an aquatic services biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.