Maintaining Your Floating Wetland
Floating wetlands are buoyant platforms that allow plants to grow in water that is typically too deep for them. Plants can grow above the water level on the mat while their roots extend directly...
Category: Ponds
Shorescaping Freshwater Shorelines
Shorescapes South Carolina is blessed to have an abundance of water resources in the form of rivers, lakes, ponds, and estuaries, and many residents own properties that adjoin these beautiful...
Repurposing Christmas Trees To Benefit Wildlife
After the holiday season, many residents are left wondering what can be done with their discarded “live” Christmas tree. There are several options to repurpose the trees to benefit wildlife, a yard,...
Stocking & Harvesting Recreational Fish Ponds
Proper stocking and harvesting of recreational fish ponds is paramount to the long-term success and enjoyment of recreational fish ponds. Some pond managers attempt natural stocking and/or...
Do It Yourself: Visual Indicators, Stick Test, and Jar Test for Cyanobacteria
If your pond experiences a suspected cyanobacteria bloom (figure 1), limiting contact with the water is safest until it is confirmed as safe. The most accurate way to determine if a bloom is...
Chemical Control of Aquatic Weeds
Aquatic weeds in ponds or lakes can be controlled by physical removal, biological control, or herbicides. The method or combination of methods used will depend on factors such as target weeds,...
Pond Turnover and Dissolved Oxygen
Turnover in ponds and lakes is a natural phenomenon that is a result of the influence of thermal stratification on dissolved oxygen levels in a water body. Sometimes, pond turnovers can result in...
Benefits of Riparian Buffers Along Waterways
Approximately 6% of South Carolina is covered by water, with 30,000 miles of rivers and streams carving through the state’s rolling hillside, pastoral farmland, historic cities, and saltmarsh-laced...
Aquatic & Shoreline Plant Selection
Aquatic plant selection is extremely important in the development of aquatic pools. You must have some degree of balance between plants and animals in your pool so that the water remains clear and...
Improving Fish Populations in Recreational Ponds
All ponds are unique, including the management strategies and overall goal of the pond owner. For some pond owners, management for increased fish production is at the top of their list. Common...
Herbicide Application: The Label Is the Law
Phone calls from landowners having problems with aquatic weeds are common for Extension Agents every spring. This is especially true following mild winters when temperatures may not have gotten low...
Duckweed and Watermeal
Clemson Extension Agents get many calls each year from landowners having problems with aquatic weeds in their ponds. One of the more common plants we receive calls about is duckweed (Lemna spp.)....