Winter Pond And Lake Maintenance

Winter Pond And Lake Maintenance

Winter lake weed control

Just because it is cold, and there are no lake and pond weed problems visible, does not meant that the lake and pond weed problems you had last year have disappeared. They are busy under the surface, soaking up nutrients, gaining energy in each node, preparing for that first warming, chlorophyll forming sunlight to get through when spring is sprung. The sunlight is the problem. Not that it is bad, but if it can reach the lake bottom, weeds will grow. Even pond scum starts at the bottom.

The weeds are preparing, but what are you doing to prepare for your battle with them?

To give yourself an advantage in the weed wars, there are a few things you can do during this season, at least if you are living in the warmer regions of the country.

Pond and lake pH

Check your lake or pond’s pH. If the pH is lower than 6.8, it is too low to support the plankton algae bloom that prevents sunlight from reaching the bottom of the lake during the warm season. Even if you don’t have lake weed problems, low pH should be resolved. The single cell algae that colors your water green also provides food for the micro invertebrates that feed the bugs and the fish that eat them. This plankton is the beginning of the visible life cycle in your pond or lake.

Lime

You can solve your low pH problems with agricultural lime. If the lime is spread evenly over the bottom of the reservoir, it will provide a barrier to the acidic elements rising from the bottom. This can be done from a tractor and fertilizer spreader set to a headland setting if the body of water is small enough for the spreader to reach halfway.

If you are industrious and want to drain your lake or pond, you can apply the lime directly to the bottom. Draining the water is not necessary though, since the lime will eventually drift through the water to the bottom, and settle there.

Lime can also be spread with shovels from a plywood sheet on the top of your favorite boat. This can be a lot of work. A pump and hose can be used to wash the lime from the plywood if you want to make the job physically less taxing.

One of the nicest innovations of our time is liquid lime which can now be purchased at many agriculture supply stores. You simply purchase the required amount for your acreage, and apply it from your watercraft. It can be poured slowly into the prop wash, or you can poke several holes in the bottom of the container, loosen the lid, and pull it behind the boat until the container is empty. If you use this method, you will need to criss cross the lake several times to assure even coverage. The water will turn a milky white so it is easy to see where you have been.

Treating now with lime will aid any lake fertilization program you use during the warm season.

Dredging

If the reason you have lake weeds is that your reservoir is shallow, that is, under 2 feet deep in places, this is a good time of year to dredge to increase the depth. Water depth is a key factor in lake weed control. Once again, sunlight is the key. The deeper the water, the less the penetration, and the fewer the weeds.

Lake structure repairs

This can also be a good time of the year to repair docks, boat houses, boats, and any other equipment you use in or on the water. So, replace those weak boards and rails, repair the lift, and repair that boat or motor now while you have the time, and in the spring, all you will have to do is enjoy the fishing!

Share on Facebook