Ponds, fish, and Great Blue Heron

[oosik]

"Ribeye in the sky" - you have GOT to be kidding. A seagull would taste better than a cormorant. At one time or other I get them all in my pond - river otter, cormorant, heron, raccoon, sea gulls AND I still have more bass than an army could consume.

 

[boggen]

before clean out, at current depth, i would be more concerned about oxygen levels both in hot summer, and also a complete freeze over and causing massive fish death. this also applies to causing massive vegetation killing. such as using chemicals to kill weeds and like, or just cutting all the weeds and letting them rot within the water.

fountains, air stones, and other forms of getting oxygen in water all work. but "water current is key", with lake so shallow. you would be better off creating a large whirlpool / tornado like current within the pond. that causes the entire body of water to rotate in a single given direction. this will end up causing more water to come in contact with the surface, and in that get more oxygen into the water.

you would not need a large pressure pump. but a HIGH GPH, low head/foot pressure pump. this primarly rules out all sump pumps, trash pumps, utilty pumps, bilge pumps, etc... look at some koi/goldfish liner pond pumps. they tend to fit this high GPH / low head / constantly running 24/7 better.

just aim the outlet on the pump down one of the banks. so the water coming out of the pipe points nearly parallel to the bank. maybe slightly (couple degrees) in towards the center of lake. the pipe outlet only needs to be say 2 to 3 feet off the side of bank.

the inlet on pump were pump sucks water. really does not matter were it is position (it does not really create current within the a lake/pond). get the outlet pipe at min 4 feet depth of water or further out. so weeds are not being sucked up into the outlet.

there are some better "air lift" pump setups. that could be even better. than a standard water pump. but that is a bit more complicated in how to DIY / piping the air in and inlet/outlets.

after clean out. it will be a completely different monster.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

No the fish will reproduce much faster than a single Heron can eat them. Just leave him alone and enjoy his beauty.

That has NOT been my experience!!!

SR

 

[Dadnatron]

I appreciate your responses and thoughts.

Currently, the pond is probably about 40-50yo. It has been fed by a spring which runs 100% of the time, but to signficantly varying levels. The small hills around it have been rowcropped for 20-30 years at least. So, the silt is associate with runoff, there is no doubt. I will be remedying that with bluegrass/orchard grass sod this year and hopefully keep more on the hills.

I'm not worried about its shape right now. I know it is poor and I plan on completely cleaning it out. I wish I could keep the turtles and whatnot, but, in order to really clean it out, I've had recommended, that I break the dam and completely clean it out, top to bottom. I think this is the best way to go about it. If there was a way to trap the turtles and transplant them, I'd do it. I am pretty sure I have a few big ones in the pond.

I'm glad that the heron won't be too much of a problem. I just hope I can get it cleaned out and enough water/fish in it to keep him around. I really like seeing him around.

Eddie, since I am NOT much of a fisherman, and unless there are some people around who will take up the flame, I won't be keeping the 'population' prime, I suspect... what can I do? What would be your recommendation for a relatively 'non-fisherman' to keep his pond in good shape? It isn't that I can't fish, it is just that growing up in SW Colorado, we didn't have much water to be fishing in, when I grew up. The Dolores River and a few reservoirs were all we had around, and I had too many bulls to ride, to think fishing was a fun pastime.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Around here, folks that have ponds, the herons flat clean the ponds out!

My neighbor put 230 blue gills & perch fish in his new(er) pond last summer, (that he bought) he went out there and checked them every day after chores... When he went out there he did see a heron fly out, and in a matter of several days, ALL of his fish were gone!

Folks here, get permits to shoot herons, as we all learned long ago, if left alone, they WILL clean a pond out!

A guy near the city (neighbor of my friends girl friend) had several thousand dollars of "coy" in a small pond near their yard, they saw a heron fly in before they left for the weekend and when they got back, his several thousand dollars was gone!!

I have three bigger ponds, so I'm NOT guessing here!

BTW, they eat all of your frogs too...

SR

 

[rustyshakelford]

I appreciate your responses and thoughts.

Currently, the pond is probably about 40-50yo. It has been fed by a spring which runs 100% of the time, but to signficantly varying levels. The small hills around it have been rowcropped for 20-30 years at least. So, the silt is associate with runoff, there is no doubt. I will be remedying that with bluegrass/orchard grass sod this year and hopefully keep more on the hills.

I'm not worried about its shape right now. I know it is poor and I plan on completely cleaning it out. I wish I could keep the turtles and whatnot, but, in order to really clean it out, I've had recommended, that I break the dam and completely clean it out, top to bottom. I think this is the best way to go about it. If there was a way to trap the turtles and transplant them, I'd do it. I am pretty sure I have a few big ones in the pond.

I'm glad that the heron won't be too much of a problem. I just hope I can get it cleaned out and enough water/fish in it to keep him around. I really like seeing him around.

Eddie, since I am NOT much of a fisherman, and unless there are some people around who will take up the flame, I won't be keeping the 'population' prime, I suspect... what can I do? What would be your recommendation for a relatively 'non-fisherman' to keep his pond in good shape? It isn't that I can't fish, it is just that growing up in SW Colorado, we didn't have much water to be fishing in, when I grew up. The Dolores River and a few reservoirs were all we had around, and I had too many bulls to ride, to think fishing was a fun pastime.

Surely there's others options to drain than busting a dam. Seems it's held well for so long youll be hard pressed to get that lucky twice unless spending some big money.

Brett

 

[CajunRider]

"Ribeye in the sky" - you have GOT to be kidding. A seagull would taste better than a cormorant. At one time or other I get them all in my pond - river otter, cormorant, heron, raccoon, sea gulls AND I still have more bass than an army could consume.

Nope. A seagull does not taste better than a cormorant. DAMHIKT. Of course they are both far far far from ribeye steaks.
PS: I need you secret to bass population!

 

[Dadnatron]

Brett,

That's a good point. I said this because, according to the excavator with whom I have spoken, he recommended this way to get the silt out of the pond.

He said he would 'break the dam' on one edge, let the water drain for about a week, then starting at the top/shallow end, he would link 2 DK7s together at the blade and begin pushing the 'pudding/silt' while staying on "dry land". He said, when you begin pushing, the mud simply flows out of the dam breach and you just keep pushing until its all out. Then you clean it up, shape it as desired, and rebuild the dam breach. When I bought the place, there already was a breach of several feet, which had been the overflow that was disregarded for many years. I decided to fill it one day, and by just dumping dirt with my FEL and running over it, It seems to have actually completely fixed the dam. I have no leaks and the level has risen about 2ft. Currently, its about 6" from my pipe overflow top.

It is too big to get into with even a long arm excavator, without leaving a significant island in the middle. Which wouldn't be the worst thing, and I could barge a little more dirt out there and create a 'true island'. I'd kind of like to have a couple swans if I could get them to stay. But, that is just a minimal thought. If the heron won't eat everything I might just 'keep him' and skip the swans. I don't know. Lots of options, most of which I don't have much control. heh

 

[EddieWalker]

Around here, folks that have ponds, the herons flat clean the ponds out!

My neighbor put 230 blue gills & perch fish in his new(er) pond last summer, (that he bought) he went out there and checked them every day after chores... When he went out there he did see a heron fly out, and in a matter of several days, ALL of his fish were gone!

Did your friend talk to a fish biologist before deciding what to stock his pond with? How big where they when released? Did they come from a fishery or was he stocking grown fish that he caught from one pond and letting them go in his pond? Fingerlings are way to small to see after you stock them. Here, my local biologist suggested 1,000 fingerlings per surface acre to get the pond started and to not put in any predator fish for at least six months. I released 4,000 copper nose bluegill fingerlings that where about the same size as golf ball, along with 20 pounds of fathead minnows. Did your friend release any type of fish for the bluegill and perch to feed on, or where they having to live off of plant life to survive?

 

[mcfarmall]

"Ribeye in the sky" - you have GOT to be kidding. A seagull would taste better than a cormorant. At one time or other I get them all in my pond - river otter, cormorant, heron, raccoon, sea gulls AND I still have more bass than an army could consume.

My bad. I was thinking of Sandhill Cranes...they're the ribeye in the sky. I get the two mixed up in my head.