![]() If you have a bass-crowded pond, follow the recommendations to correct the situation, and do not use winter drawdowns until pond balance is restored. Routine annual drawdowns can help maintain a balanced bass/bluegill fishery.ĭrawdowns can make bass-crowded situations worse. The increased feeding by largemouth bass on bluegill reduces bluegill numbers and provides more food for the bass. This is a good technique to use in ponds having “crowded bluegill” but still containing viable bass populations. By reducing the water level and pond area, you drive forage fish, such as bluegill, out of shallow water refuges and concentrate them in open water, making them more available for bass to eat. Winter drawdown is also a good fish population management technique in largemouth bass/bluegill ponds. The combination of a winter drawdown, shoreline deepening, and effective early-spring herbicide application usually eliminates or greatly reduces aquatic weed infestations. After reflooding, if weeds persist and begin to sprout, apply an appropriate herbicide. This reduces the likelihood of weeds returning. ![]() If necessary, deepen the shoreline to 3 feet deep while water levels are reduced. Maximum drawdown should be accomplished by mid- to late November, and the water level should remain low through February. Usually, water levels are reduced enough to expose 35 to 50 percent of the pond bottom, but this percentage may vary greatly, depending on topography and design of the pond. This can be an effective weed control technique, especially if done in successive years.įor effective weed control, drop the water level of the pond to expose aquatic weeds in the shallower portions of the pond. Winter drawdown exposes weeds to air-drying and freezing temperatures. Of the four basic weed control methods (physical, mechanical, biological, and chemical), physical control can be the least expensive and most convenient if it consists of a winter drawdown. Drawdown for Aquatic Weed ControlĪquatic weed problems are common in farm ponds and usually are challenging to manage. Ponds without a drainpipe can be retrofitted. To perform a winter drawdown, make sure the pond has a drain pipe that lets the water levels be lowered and kept down throughout the winter. They are also useful when repairing, redesigning, and liming ponds. Winter drawdowns can be useful in controlling aquatic weeds and can help manipulate fish populations. One of the most useful and inexpensive pond management practices is called a “winter drawdown.” Water levels are reduced in a pond to some predetermined level, generally exposing 35 to 50 percent of the pond-bottom area. ![]() EffectsĪquifer drawdown or overdrafting and the pumping of fossil water may be a contributing factor to sea-level rise.Winter Drawdowns Using Water Level Drawdowns In either case, drawdown is the change in head or water level relative to background condition, indicating the difference in head which has occurred at a given location relative an initial time at the same location.Ī record of hydraulic head through time is more generally called a hydrograph (in both groundwater and surface water). In surface water hydrology and civil engineering, drawdown refers to the lowering of the water level in a man-made reservoir or tank. ![]()
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