Beasts

We have a half acre pond in our backyard in which I am trying to develop a more complete ecosystem. It currently has a large population of mature blue gill and catfish. Over the past 3 years I have planted lilies, lotuses, rushes, Potamageton and Vallisneria gigantea. As they fill in the shallow areas I hope to encourage the blue gill breeding and fry survival rates to the point where I can introduce large mouth bass and provide them with a food source.
I currently aerate 24/7 through the warm months and use no dyes or herbicides. We feed pellets once a day just to supplement the food supply. My goal is to reach a point wher the pond is self-sufficient in that it requires no food inputs and stays clean and clear with just the aeration. (Can you imagine the filter which would be necessary for what I calculate to be more than 5 million gallons of water?! Especially with a flock of domestic geese using the pond as well.)
My question? Are there folks in the audience with experience with such a project? Has anyone ever created a bog system to help filter their pond? Any thoughts, comments, suggestions. etc. would be appreciated.
Beasts

dennis

A healthy and established pond should be fairly self sustaining, providing you help it along. My first recommendation is loose the geese. They can really crud up a pond very quickly and the around of fecal matter they release into the bond can be quite amazing and detrimental. Using bog/wetlands is a terrific way to "filter" but also to protect the pond. Natural or man-made riparian buffers are a terrific way to keep outside pollutants and nutrients out of the water. Basically, creating a small wetland/marginal area all around most of the pond will help protect and maintain it.

There is a lot of info floating around on the net about this. There are also tons of papers and articles of a scholarly type though you may have to be affiliated with a university to access many of them. If you find one that looks promising, let me know and I can try to get it for you. I would be interested in that also. Depending on where you live, your local university may have someone knowledgable in this or be able to point you to someone willing to help.

The relocation and re-creation of wetlands is becoming pretty popular for a variety of reasons, the largest being the need for building sites in populated areas. In the next town over for me, the only thing keeping out a second Super Walmart is toad and a turtle, both facing local extripation, that depend on the wetland Walmart wants to destroy. Go nature, go!

Anyway, a little google searching should give you tons of info and a call to your local college Enviromental Science department and maybe to the local branch of the state's department of ag or wildlife may be helpful. Keep in mind though that the state departments may find issues you are not aware of and give you lots of grief

Just do me one favor, stay away from plants that are not local to your area. We don't need any more invasive species and articulating to anyone you talk to that you understand that, you will probably get more help and interest in your project.

Sounds like a great project though . Photos?

dennis

Looks like a google search for riparian is a good start.

DelawareJim

There is tons of information available on the web. Google "riparian buffer" , "wetland restoration", and "constructed wetland". Most is geared towards wastewater treatment but the technique is the same for establishing a "balanced" aquatic ecosystem.

There's a book I've used at work titled "Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment; Municipal, Industrial, and Agricultural" edited by Donald A. Hammer. ISBN 0-87371-184-X. Lewis Publishers Inc., 121 South Main Street, Chelsea Michigan, 48118.

My copy is almost 20 years old now, but I'm sure more current volumes are available.

Also check with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the USDA. We work with them all the time where they provide techical assistance in design and construction. Your local county office should be listed in the Blue Pages under USDA Service Centers. Or on-line at:

Natural Resources Conservation Service

If you live on a farm you may be eligible for cost-shares for installing a raparian buffer or developing suitable wildlife habitat through the USDA Farm Service Agency. They will be in the same USDA Service Center. On-line at:

FSA Home

Click on "Conservation Programs" for more information.

Also, check with the folks at your nearest Ducks Unlimited. They do a lot of work with USDA and State agencies in developing suitable wildlife habitat.

Wetlands Conservation, Waterfowl Habitat Restoration, Research - Ducks Unlimited & Conservation

Cheers.
Jim

Beasts

Jim and Dennis,
To be honest, I wasn't expecting nearly so much help! Thank you very much. It appears that I have a lot of research to do.
A couple of comments: The geese stay. We have raised them from day old hatchlings and, in spite of their bad qualities (they also love to destroy the plants in our gardens), they stay. Do either of you know of a source for Schoenoplectus subterminalis (also sometimes listed in the genus Scirpus)? It is native to Ohio but, after an extensive search, I have been unable to find any. Our state pond people are so used to people who are interested in keeping fish in sterile ponds without plants that they aren't very helpful if you would prefer not to use dyes and herbicides. They are very friendly and informative but they just aren't ready to help establish a functioning ecosystem. Pictures will be forthcoming once I become more capable of turning my film images into good electronic ones. Thanks again.
Beasts

dennis

Beasts,

You in Ohio? What part if I may ask. I was born and raised in SE Ohio and will be back for a week starting tomorrow. Anyway....

As for the plant yous eek, it sounds familiar. Its a serge or paper rush right? Your best bet would be to collect it locally. I know many frown upon that but many lakes in my area are drained in the fall for flood control. Seneca Lake is a good example of that. Another option is to find a company that grows plants for wetlands reclimation and construction. A call to a local branch of one of Jim's links may get you some leads. If your in Ohio, a few well placed calls to Ohio State and/or some time on their website should get you some leads and you may make a friend in the process.

If your willing to pay shipping also, there are many such businesses in the NY, Ma, Ct area that specialize in native aquatics and marginals. One local to me is New England Aquatic Plants (or Wetland Plants, I forget) and they even have a website. Generally these companies are not very public with the advertising as they focus on govn't and large scale contractors.

dennis

This guy or the Dr he mentions might warrent an email if your in Ohio.

Flow : information for Okavango Delta planning: Ohio State University wetland research park

DelawareJim

I don't know of any cultivated sources. It's a fairly common bullrush, so you might end up having to transplant a few specimens.

I'll check my contacts and see if any is available in the Chesapeake bay region.

Cheers.
Jim

Beasts

Dennis,
We are in northwest Ohio near Kalida. It would be nice to be in the more hilly SE area of Ohio. We moved here from Colorado and it is just a bit too flat for us. Would love to visit with you but that would be quite a long drive.
The people whom I have been working with most consistenly are employed at OSU and are Ohio's designated pond representatives. I have spoken with and attended a seminar given by Bill Lynch who is very helpful and offers a lot of good information but simply doesn't have much demand for the kind of information I am looking for. I have specifically asked him about a source for Schoenoplectus and he was unable to find any. I have contacted about a dozen different pond suppliers and state agencies, in different states, with no success. I will contact Jim's suggested sources and keep hoping. If you find any, I am definitely willing to pay shipping.
Yes, Schoenoplectus is a rush with a soft grass like leaf which grows to 6 feet tall and, in shallow water lays across the surface. From the picture and description I have seen it has a golden yellow hue and reflects sunlight to create a beautiful effect.
Beasts

Beasts

Dennis,
I found New England Wetland Plants on the web. They do not have Schoenoplectus subterminalis listed but I sent an email asking whether they might have any information anyway. They don't seem to really get into the submersed plants as much as bog and erosion control species.
Beasts (Bill)