The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present the webinar “Pond Management Myths” from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 15.

A young woman in waders holds a bucket and stands at the edge of a pond.
Pond management myths and mistakes will be the topic of an Oct. 15 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service webinar. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Cost is $35, and advanced registration is required at https://tx.ag/PondMyths. Following registration, an email will be sent with instructions on how to access the webinar.

The featured speakers will be Todd Sink, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension aquaculture specialist and director of the AgriLife Extension Aquatic Diagnostics Laboratory, Bryan-College Station, and Brittany Chesser, AgriLife Extension aquatic vegetation management program specialist and lead diagnostic scientist at the laboratory.

Sink is also an associate professor and Chesser a doctoral student in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management

About the webinar

Sink said it can be difficult to dispel long-held myths related to pond management, so the webinar will focus on the science and reasoning behind correct management strategies.

“Many times, pond management misinformation is handed down from generation to generation, even if it is incorrect or illegal,” he said. “The proliferation of incorrect information on the internet is also a big issue. Many people don’t know how to seek out science-based practices recommended by universities, state and federal agencies, or extension programming.”

Ultimately, Sink said implementing management actions guided by science-backed information will save landowners time and money while ensuring the health of the pond and livestock and wildlife that use it.

Myths and topics to be covered

Specific topics and associated myths to be discussed include:

  • Whether fish need rooted aquatic vegetation.
  • The use of barley straw as a cure for common pond issues.
  • The need for pond aeration.
  • Fish stocking and catch and release.
  • The impact of turtles on fish populations.
  • Using drywall to clear a pond.
  • Using well water in a pond.
  • Use of terrestrial and aquatic herbicides in ponds.
  • Using grass carp to control filamentous algae.

Numerous other pond myths will be addressed, and there will be a 30-minute Q&A session to conclude the webinar.

For questions or additional event details, contact Chesser at [email protected].

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