Fountains and aerators can help maintain good water quality. Plants also play a role – in improving or degrading water quality. Dulcet Fountains can help you determine the right balance for a beautiful and healthy pond or lake.
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Pond & Lake Management
POND & LAKE MANAGEMENT
POND & LAKE PROJECT GALLERY
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT SOME LAKES AND PONDS HAVE MORE PLANT GROWTH THAN OTHERS?
A pond goes through many different stages in its lifetime. Over thousands of years sediment, made up of decaying plants, animal matter and eroded soil from the shoreline builds up at the bottom. This sediment contains the essential nutrients that plant life needs to flourish. The less depth to the pond, the more sediment is available for the plants to root and feed from.
Plants grow in a layer of the pond called the Littoral Zone. This is a zone that is a shallow area between the dry land and the open water area of the pond. This usually extends from the shoreline to about 15 feet depth in the water.
WHAT KINDS OF PLANTS LIVE IN MY POND?
ALGAE
ALGAE is a plant that has no roots, stems or leaves. It will range in size and is a free floating multi-celled organism.
SUBMERGENT PLANTS
SUBMERGENT PLANTS have stems and leaves that grow completely underwater. Some may have floating leaves. These types of plants grow best at the deepest part of the Littoral Zone.
FLOATING-LEAF PLANTS
FLOATING-LEAF PLANTS root themselves in the bottom of the lake but their stems and their flowers lay on the top surface. An example would be the well-known waterlily.
EMERGENT PLANTS
EMERGENT PLANTS have their roots in the bottom of the lake. Their stems and leaves extending out of the water. Cattails are an emergent plant. Purple loosestrife is an invasive emergent plant.
HAVING A HEALTHY BALANCE OF PLANT LIFE IN YOUR POND IS IMPORTANT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE OVERGROWTH?
Two primary methods of removing unwanted plants are through mechanical control or through the use of chemicals. The cost of these methods depends on the size and type of the situation.
In Minnesota, aquatic plants growing in public waters are owned by the state. To protect native vegetation and the aquatic environment from unnecessary harm while allowing lakeshore homeowners to control some aquatic vegetation for water access, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) developed an Aquatic Plant Management Program.
The use of chemicals in lakes to control submerged vegetation or aquatic nuisances, the use of automated plant control devices, or the destruction of emergent vegetation by any means, require DNR permits. You can apply for a permit online or contact the DNR at 651.259.5092 for more information.
Some aquatic plants in Minnesota are not native and they may cause problems. Control of these species may be done to reduce interference with boating or swimming, to reduce the risk of spread of invasive species to other water bodies, or in some situations to attempt to produce ecological benefits such as increases in native plants. Management of invasive aquatic plants that involves either mechanical removal of plants or application of herbicides to public waters requires a permit from the DNR.
Dulcet Fountains technicians are certified in chemical application and can secure permits on your behalf. Call us to discuss your pond or lake management needs.