Aquatic Weed Control Lake Weed Control Questions
Aquatic Weed Control Lake Weed Control Questions
This is a list of questions we have received in years of dealing with lake management issues, and the answers deemed to be most appropriate. Aquatic weed control issues are almost like political issues, and in most cases they produce a lot of heat but very little light. In this, as in most issues, the key is balance. Some people believe that all lake weeds are good, some, that all lake weeds should be destroyed, the truth is, that some vegetation is needed, and some types of vegetation are not. These questions and answers should provide a good starting place for your aquatic weed concerns.
If you would like to ask a question that is not addressed here, feel free to do so in the comment section.
Question:
What is the best way to control aquatic weeds?
Answer:
The best way to control aquatic weeds is to prevent them from the start. Make sure that none are introduced to your lake, and make sure that your lake will not reproduce them, if they do find their way to you. Clean equipment, deep water, and good algae bloom are the best methods of preventing lake weeds, and are therefore, the best control method. See: Lake Management Lake Weed Control Water Depth Secchi Depth
Question:
Isn't a little hydrilla good for bass fishing?
Answer:
This question is asked so often that I am thinking of making a form letter to answer it.
First off, any reasonable amount of cover makes bass fishing better. Any amount of hydrilla is bad. There are hundreds of other lake plants which will serve the purpose of bass cover better than hydrilla. Even if hydrilla was the best cover for bass, it would still be a mistake to use it. Hydrilla is invasive, and it can take over a lake in a matter of weeks if conditions favor it's growth, a condition which will make fishing difficult, or impossible. Once you have it, it is notoriously difficult, and expensive to get rid of. The irony here is that people who try to make better bass fishing by using "a little hydrilla", usually end up ruining their bass fishing forever!
Question:
I used the recommended chemical treatment for my lake weed problem, but the weeds are coming back. Did I do something wrong?
Answer:
The answer is both yes and no. No. If the chemical treatment took the weeds down, it did it's job. Yes. Yes, you made an error of omission. You did not solve the problem which allows the weeds to grow in the first place. That problem is most likely either: Lack of plankton producing fertility, or your lake or pond is too shallow. No matter what method of weed control you use, if you don't get rid of the cause, they will be back.
Question:
How much vegetation do I need for a healthy lake?
Answer:
The standard answer is around 20 or 25 %. There are a few variables. If all your vegetation is invasive, exotic vegetation, it would be best to get rid of all of it and start over.
Question:
Why do we need vegetation in the water at all?
Answer:
Vegetation provides oxygen for the water, and cover for fish.
Question:
Why did that green slimy stuff grow after the weeds died?
Answer:
The degrading weeds acted as fertilizer, causing an excessive amount of alge growth, this will not be a serious problem if everything else is brought into balance.
Question:
Won't dyes color the water and keep the weeds from growing up?
Answer:
Yes, but they do not provide the food for the bugs that provide food for the fish, and oxygen for the water that fertilization will cause.
Question:
I have a lake full of weeds, but oxygen is low. Why is this?
Answer:
Weeds transpire oxygen, and use carbon dioxide to make it. This is good. Unfortunately they may re absorb oxygen at some points in the evening. They also restrict the flow of oxygenated water when there are too many present.
Question:
Why do I need to lime my pond?
Answer:
If the water has the proper pH, everything else you do to manage your pond or lake will work together, and work better.
Question:
Why do I need to get rid of my weeds before I fertilize my pond?
Answer:
To stop them from robbing the water of nutrients needed to produce plankton, which reduces light, which, in turn, reduces weeds. If you get rid of the weeds growing around your garden plants, your plants will outgrow the weeds, and eventually shade most of them out.
Question:
If I fertilize my lake, won't that just cause more weed problems?
Answer:
No, not if done correctly. Ideally, the fertilization will encourage the growth of plankton in the water, which will shade the bottom, helping to prevent further weed problems.
Question:
Is all vegetation bad?
Answer:
Yes and no.
No, some vegetation in a pond is good, and is needed for providing oxygen to the water. People who practice chemical vegetation control are often accused of wanting to get rid of all vegetation in a lake or pond. This is patently false! It may be due to a misunderstanding. No one wants to kill everything.
Yes, aquatic weed control specialists would like to eradicate invasive exotics. We are talking apples and atomic bombs here. People who say such things obviously do not understand the situation.
