Anybody near B/CS have this stuff in their pond? Looking to transplant some to some duck ponds. Also looking for some local duck weed, sago pondweed, musk grass, and wigeon grass.
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Bushy Pondweed/ Southern Naiad?
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Last: 3 yr ago by OnlyForNow
OP - my graduate research was on submerged / floating leaf aquatics near Fairfield, and included several of the plants you mentioned. I recommend finding a pond with some combination of southern naiad (Najas guadalupensis), coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), and any of the pondweeds (Potamogeton sp.).
You can use a rake to get a bunch in a cooler and then shove handfuls down into the wet soil, preferably in areas that will stay between 6-18" of water.
I would avoid musk grass (Chara), which is actually a complex algae. It will tend to dominate ponds that have high nutrient inputs, from cattle or fertilizer. It is really only good for invertebrate habitat, as dabbling ducks don't choose this as forage over the others. I this is the only thing they have available, you probably don't want to eat them anyway. Coontail is a native plant that provides similar habitat value for invertebrates (high value for hens in late season).
Sago pondweed does occur in Texas, but it is fairly rare compared to several other pondweed species. I used this in my research, and the other pondweed species outperformed it for biomass production in the water / soils about 1 hour north of B/CS.
Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) is a coastal species that doesn't do well in fresh water. It has been a while since I looked at it, but I'm guessing if you're not in an intermediate marsh with 3-10 ppt salinity, you're not going to get it to grow.
If you ever want to chat about submergents, shoot me a note. My email is in my profile, but I can't message due to no stars.
You can use a rake to get a bunch in a cooler and then shove handfuls down into the wet soil, preferably in areas that will stay between 6-18" of water.
I would avoid musk grass (Chara), which is actually a complex algae. It will tend to dominate ponds that have high nutrient inputs, from cattle or fertilizer. It is really only good for invertebrate habitat, as dabbling ducks don't choose this as forage over the others. I this is the only thing they have available, you probably don't want to eat them anyway. Coontail is a native plant that provides similar habitat value for invertebrates (high value for hens in late season).
Sago pondweed does occur in Texas, but it is fairly rare compared to several other pondweed species. I used this in my research, and the other pondweed species outperformed it for biomass production in the water / soils about 1 hour north of B/CS.
Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) is a coastal species that doesn't do well in fresh water. It has been a while since I looked at it, but I'm guessing if you're not in an intermediate marsh with 3-10 ppt salinity, you're not going to get it to grow.
If you ever want to chat about submergents, shoot me a note. My email is in my profile, but I can't message due to no stars.
Southern niad is pintail and widgeon cocaine.
From my experience, it only grows in really clear water (or the water was clear because it was growing).
From my experience, it only grows in really clear water (or the water was clear because it was growing).
Thanks for all the info! I know a lot of these look similar. So it sounds like what would mostly be found around here would be the naiad?
This is from a pond nearby but it unfortunately has gone dry. Naiad? The gadwalls were on it heavy. Would like to replicate the same on another pond that I'll keep constant level with a solar well pump.
This is from a pond nearby but it unfortunately has gone dry. Naiad? The gadwalls were on it heavy. Would like to replicate the same on another pond that I'll keep constant level with a solar well pump.
Water Turkey knows based on his shotgun's success what gizzard research at Fairfield showed. Southern naiad is a preferred forage plant for wintering dabblers in Texas.
He and I both benefited from a few ponds full of it near Lockhart!
He and I both benefited from a few ponds full of it near Lockhart!
Zooming in on phone, but most of that does appear to be southern naiad. It should come back. To get started it needs to be in the soil, but then can break of, float, and settle and re-root.
You can take handfuls of wet plants and stick them into the mud every few feet and it should do well, as long as it stays wet.
You can take handfuls of wet plants and stick them into the mud every few feet and it should do well, as long as it stays wet.
Thanks.
I currently have these growing in a limited amount. Any idea how they are for waterfowl? Promote growth or zap it?
The one kinda looks kinda like duck potato but seems too narrow in the leaf?
I currently have these growing in a limited amount. Any idea how they are for waterfowl? Promote growth or zap it?
The one kinda looks kinda like duck potato but seems too narrow in the leaf?
CS78 - That appears to be lanceleaf arrowhead aka bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia). It is in the genus that is generally called "duck potato", but that common name is probably mostly associated with S. latifolia. However, I don't think the ducks are taxonomists like botanists, so I'm guessing they'll eat the seeds and tubers of either with similar energy!
Interestingly, the small floating leaved aquatic plant all around it appears to be Potamogeton diversifolia, which is also a great waterfowl plant for the seeds, underwater leaves, and tubers. Seems like you have a fairly diverse emergent and submergent plant community. I tend to have a philosophy of leaving most natives alone to do their thing.
I would recommend being very cautious about any type of herbicide around the pond and trying to manage the nutrient load as much as possible. The only plants I tend to worry about are exotic invasives (e.g., Eurasia water ****oil, Salvinia, hydrilla, etc.) an those few native plants that can become dominant (e.g., cattail, California bulrush, etc.).
Interestingly, the small floating leaved aquatic plant all around it appears to be Potamogeton diversifolia, which is also a great waterfowl plant for the seeds, underwater leaves, and tubers. Seems like you have a fairly diverse emergent and submergent plant community. I tend to have a philosophy of leaving most natives alone to do their thing.
I would recommend being very cautious about any type of herbicide around the pond and trying to manage the nutrient load as much as possible. The only plants I tend to worry about are exotic invasives (e.g., Eurasia water ****oil, Salvinia, hydrilla, etc.) an those few native plants that can become dominant (e.g., cattail, California bulrush, etc.).
Not sure what kind of grass I have in this pond but it's in 2-3 feet of water and has a stem that goes down to the mud. Good fish habitat but not sure about duck food on the seed heads.
Did you do your Masters at A&M? I studied grass carp and various invasive aquatics. Curious which professor you worked with.
That's potamagetum. Someone will correct my horrible spelling.
That's a great food source for dabblers, it produces seeds that the ducks eat and I believe they'll also pull it up and eat it's tubers.
That's a great food source for dabblers, it produces seeds that the ducks eat and I believe they'll also pull it up and eat it's tubers.
Yes. BS '91 WFSC. MS '94 WFSC. Studied wetland restoration on post-mine areas. Graduate advisor was Milton Weller. Committee was Nova Silvy and Stephan Hatch (Range), with additional support from Fred Smeins (Range).
OnlyForNow is correct. Long-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus aka P. americanus). Ducks will eat seeds and below water vegetation. Most submerged plants are also key for invertebrate habitat, and in the later part of the season hens will start eating those to prepare for egg production, so most submerged plants are good for that too.
tamc91 said:
Yes. BS '91 WFSC. MS '94 WFSC. Studied wetland restoration on post-mine areas. Graduate advisor was Milton Weller. Committee was Nova Silvy and Stephan Hatch (Range), with additional support from Fred Smeins (Range).
You do any consulting? The only contact I had at A&M retired in the last year or two when I inquired about restoring former sand mining sites
I help lead the regional environmental consulting practice at HDR. Feel free to send a note to the email in my profile.
I do consulting too.
Very cool, I figured 91 meant graduating year but some odd folks like to use the year they were born. I worked with Michael Masser and Dan Roelke, both of which I believe came after your time.
Thanks for the help with weed I d. This one grows in deeper water up to 5 feet and gets worse as the spring and summer go by. I hoped the hard freeze would knock it back but no luck. It gets bad enough to constantly stop a trolling motor and is difficult to pull fish out of. By September it starts to cycle out.
Is this a weed I could target to take out with something?
That looks like coontail. Not great food source for ducks on its own, but great invertebrate habitat for late winter ducks. However, it is hell trying to fish in it.
I believe you also have some filamentous algae (i.e., pond moss) mixed in. It has been 20+ yrs since I've used it, but I believe copper sulfate mix will knock back the algae temporarily and other soft leaved plants. However, based on my experience, it won't do much damage to coontail. Of course, if you have that much coontail and algae, it is likely your issue is too much nutrient load. If you have cattle in this area you may want to figure out where the primary stormwater flow enters and allow a wide area of grass to grow to help capture some before it runs into the pond.
Beyond that, for fishing pond management, I'm not your guy. I like to fish, as long as it doesn't screw up my duck habitat! Hopefully one of the fisheries / pond management types on here can chime in.
I believe you also have some filamentous algae (i.e., pond moss) mixed in. It has been 20+ yrs since I've used it, but I believe copper sulfate mix will knock back the algae temporarily and other soft leaved plants. However, based on my experience, it won't do much damage to coontail. Of course, if you have that much coontail and algae, it is likely your issue is too much nutrient load. If you have cattle in this area you may want to figure out where the primary stormwater flow enters and allow a wide area of grass to grow to help capture some before it runs into the pond.
Beyond that, for fishing pond management, I'm not your guy. I like to fish, as long as it doesn't screw up my duck habitat! Hopefully one of the fisheries / pond management types on here can chime in.
Copper sulfate is what we used to knock back our Kara in our tanks.
Glad to know it helped. Makes sense. Chara is interesting as it looks sort of like a vascular plant, almost half way between coontail and southern naiad, but it is a complex algae.
My understanding (from reading up on it 20+ yrs) ago is the Copper sulfate breaks down the cell walls of algae. What I never tested (and don't remember) is if it will damage desirable, vascular plants. small fish, or invertebrates if applied too often or in too high of a concentration.
Maybe one of our resident fisheries / lake management types cam enlighten us on risks of CuSO4.
My understanding (from reading up on it 20+ yrs) ago is the Copper sulfate breaks down the cell walls of algae. What I never tested (and don't remember) is if it will damage desirable, vascular plants. small fish, or invertebrates if applied too often or in too high of a concentration.
Maybe one of our resident fisheries / lake management types cam enlighten us on risks of CuSO4.
It didn't hurt our fishery. But then again we applied it to a 1 acre pond. And killed about half the Chara.
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