Need advice on next steps moving forward.
Bought property just over a year ago. Paid a crap ton of cash to remediate an old failed pond that didn't hold water. Suspected original pond hit a sand vein or was dug too deep past the claypan layer. Intended to pay for dirtwork to clear out trees and brush, take clay from elsewhere on the property, and pack it down/re-line with clay, but the contractor dug a lot of test holes, found good clay everywhere, couldn't find a sand vein, and couldn't figure out why it didn't hold water, so he recommended - to make absolute certain it will 100% hold water, that we just line it. It's about a 1.7 acre pond. Obviously a significant cost overrun to line it. ...but it sure does hold water now!!
I'd love to stock it with fish and turn it into a fishery for friends and family at some point, but I think I need advice on other issues and order to remediate, and possibly contacts near BCS.
1. Johnsongrass.. the disturbed earth from all the dirt work last year resulted in a jungle of 4' tall Johnsongrass and other weeds, all around it, and spreading out further... Banks are too steep for my ztr mower and for my comfort on the tractor, so I'm slowly in piecemeal on foot trying to cut it down with a brush cutter blade attachment on my trimmer, rake up the cuttings, and burn it, as it's all dormant for the winter. ..when it inevitably starts all its regrowth very soon, I will try to spray the whole area with Sertay (which I think is a generic version of Outrider). Outrider was really expensive and it seems to require an applicators license. ...so- I'm assuming getting this under control is the first order of business but - 1) could runoff from this herbicide contaminate the pond for future fish, and 2) what do I do to maintain if the Sartay works to make sure the jgrass doesn't return? Is there some native grass seeding I should attempt to spread all around the banks of the pond to help with both runnoff / erosion but also to overtake the jgrass rhizomes and prevent massive weeds and johnsongrass from returning? Maybe a spring Sertay broadcast spray followed by a summer follow-up? Should I look into bringing in some gravel on parts of the banks to tamp down and prevent growth?
2. Habitat... this pond is just a hole with a poly / plastic liner. I assume I need to be submerging habitat for the fish before I start calling fishery companies to come stock fish? Suggestions? Recommendations? Do I need to buy a little flatbottom jon boat to bring felled trees on the property out to the middle of the pond and submerge? Or start building some artificial habitat with pvc, poly hoses, and cement? Spread gravel? Can/should the pond/fish companies do this for me? ...or is habitat optional?
Bought property just over a year ago. Paid a crap ton of cash to remediate an old failed pond that didn't hold water. Suspected original pond hit a sand vein or was dug too deep past the claypan layer. Intended to pay for dirtwork to clear out trees and brush, take clay from elsewhere on the property, and pack it down/re-line with clay, but the contractor dug a lot of test holes, found good clay everywhere, couldn't find a sand vein, and couldn't figure out why it didn't hold water, so he recommended - to make absolute certain it will 100% hold water, that we just line it. It's about a 1.7 acre pond. Obviously a significant cost overrun to line it. ...but it sure does hold water now!!
I'd love to stock it with fish and turn it into a fishery for friends and family at some point, but I think I need advice on other issues and order to remediate, and possibly contacts near BCS.
1. Johnsongrass.. the disturbed earth from all the dirt work last year resulted in a jungle of 4' tall Johnsongrass and other weeds, all around it, and spreading out further... Banks are too steep for my ztr mower and for my comfort on the tractor, so I'm slowly in piecemeal on foot trying to cut it down with a brush cutter blade attachment on my trimmer, rake up the cuttings, and burn it, as it's all dormant for the winter. ..when it inevitably starts all its regrowth very soon, I will try to spray the whole area with Sertay (which I think is a generic version of Outrider). Outrider was really expensive and it seems to require an applicators license. ...so- I'm assuming getting this under control is the first order of business but - 1) could runoff from this herbicide contaminate the pond for future fish, and 2) what do I do to maintain if the Sartay works to make sure the jgrass doesn't return? Is there some native grass seeding I should attempt to spread all around the banks of the pond to help with both runnoff / erosion but also to overtake the jgrass rhizomes and prevent massive weeds and johnsongrass from returning? Maybe a spring Sertay broadcast spray followed by a summer follow-up? Should I look into bringing in some gravel on parts of the banks to tamp down and prevent growth?
2. Habitat... this pond is just a hole with a poly / plastic liner. I assume I need to be submerging habitat for the fish before I start calling fishery companies to come stock fish? Suggestions? Recommendations? Do I need to buy a little flatbottom jon boat to bring felled trees on the property out to the middle of the pond and submerge? Or start building some artificial habitat with pvc, poly hoses, and cement? Spread gravel? Can/should the pond/fish companies do this for me? ...or is habitat optional?