Jan. 6, 2006

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OVERTON – "You know it's dry when your fish have ticks," quips a Texas Cooperative Extension expert.

But though Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist, looks for a silver lining, it's a serious matter this winter for many pond owners, he said.

"Numerous ponds have or will go dry if runoff rainfall does not fall within next 30 to 60 days, even in normally rainfall-blessed East Texas," Higginbotham said.

With a few exceptions because of the heavy rainfall from Hurricane Rita, most East Texas counties have had an extremely dry year, he said.

"The rest of East Texas remains as bone dry as the rest of the state, and the ponds show it," he said.

That's the bad news as far as fish-stocked ponds are concerned. The good news, he said, is that ponds with low-water levels can sustain fish longer in the winter than the summer. This is associated with the fact that cold water holds more dissolved oxygen. Also, fish, being cold blooded, have slower metabolisms in cool water and thus require less oxygen.

"In fact, in ponds managed for largemouth bass, we routinely recommend a winter draw down of 3 to 4 feet to increase the availability of forage fish to the bass population," Higginbotham said. "However, we also want those ponds to refill during February in order to be ready for the spring spawning season."

Other advantages posed by low-water levels include the ease of renovation and weed control, he said.

With low-water, it's easier for pond owners to repair or build shore-side structures such as fishing docks or boathouses.

"In addition, extremely shallow areas prone to summer weed infestations can be deepened now to a minimum of 2 to 3 feet to remove habitat for many undesirable weed species that otherwise would flourish during the upcoming summer," Higginbotham said.

And low-water levels may give some control of aquatic weeds by exposing them to below freezing temperatures.

But the silver linings of low-water levels go only so far.

"Our current low water levels may be able to sustain fish populations in January and February, whereas these same levels in July and August will be disastrous for some heavily stocked ponds," he said.

Higginbotham continues to get phone calls from concerned pond owners looking for remedies. The situation is so dire in certain areas that some pond owners have resorted to filling ponds with well water.

This remedy will work as long as pond owners find a way to dissipate any gases such as carbon dioxide present in the well water and increase its oxygen content before it enters the pond. Aerating the well water by directing it to splash against a barrier, such as rocks or a board, should do the trick, Higginbotham said.

"It's also a good idea to know the quality of the well water prior to pumping it on top of your fish. Just because it's good to drink does not necessarily mean it's good for fish," he said. "Parameters such as pH, total alkalinity and total hardness should be tested to make sure that you are not creating more problems than you solve by adding water."

Because of the volume of water needed, replenishment from a well is an expensive proposition, Higginbotham noted. Not all ponds may merit the expense. Pond owners should ask themselves if the fish population is worth saving or if livestock depend upon it for a source of drinking water. If the answer to both questions is "no," then it might be a better choice to wait until the water level is replenished by rain; then restock with fish.

"With appropriated stocking and management strategies, restocking can result in good fish populations in as little as one growing season," he said.