Maintaining Your Sparkle. Maintenance Issues. by Kathy Danforth

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1 Maintaining Your Sparkle Maintenance Issues by Kathy Danforth Whether it s a natural feature or a constructed retention pond, many communities are endowed with bodies of water for which they are the caretakers. These lakes and ponds can be an attractive asset, regardless of their origin and purpose. However, with Florida s warmth and sunlight they can also blossom into a murky ecosystem that may offend the eyes and noses of discerning residents. Clem Foley was in property management before joining Lake Masters Aquatic Weed Control five years ago and has dealt with the maintenance of HOA water bodies as a manager and contractor. Aesthetics are very important in HOAs, he observes. Communities, like individual human beings, like to keep up with the Joneses, so if the neighbor s pond across the street is looking pristine, you want yours to also. 24 Sep 2012 FLCAJ

2 Though communities vary widely, Foley says, What you typically have in Florida are retention ponds with an average depth of eight feet. Many that we deal with are one-half to one acre in size, and there may be three or four in the community. The most common problem, Foley reports, is the filamentous algae that sits on top of the water. The abundance of algae can result from a number of factors, and control is an ongoing process to inhibit this natural growth. Foley points out, All that weeds need are water, sunlight, and nutrients. Because of the year-round heat and sunlight, you re going to have lots of growth. Anyone with a pond will need lake maintenance. Some lakes are dug to only a four-foot depth, so if the sun hits the bottom they will have an algae issue all the time. Most of the time excess algal growth is caused by fertilizer, Foley points out. Either it runs into the ponds when it rains or landscape maintenance workers blow grass clippings into the water. You get more algae when you have high phosphorus levels, and phosphorus is a component of fertilizer. Foley reminds associations to also control any activities that will contribute trash or chemicals to the stormwater runoff. Don t wash the car and let the detergent wash down into the lake, he cautions. What goes on the ground may wash into the storm sewer at some point and reach your retention pond/neighborhood lake, so lake maintenance begins throughout the drainage area. The landscape maintenance in a community should follow Best Management Practices. Fertilizer has to be put down by a certified individual, Foley notes, and communities need to make sure their landscapers have proper certification. Regulations dictate how close fertilizer can be used to water (usually not closer than 10 feet), what chemicals can be used, etc. Another aspect is that submersed aquatic weeds may sit on the bottom, and after the algae blooms, it will sit on top of those, according to Foley. A lot of people don t see those. Controlling these exotic (non-native) weeds is a growing industry. In killing algae with chemicals, Foley explains, The algae will turn brown and sink and end up on the bottom. It can t sink if there are submersed weeds, so you have to take care of those first if you want a clean result. FLCAJ Sep

3 Two common submersed weeds are hydrilla and vallisneria (eelgrass), which can produce underground meadows. Boat propellers can get tangled in these so we ll have to remove them, but like weeds in your backyard, they will return. One way to remove them is harvesting physically cutting and removing it. Chemical treatment is preferred and causes them to deaden in place. It goes down to the root and then they decay over time. They can be physically removed after being treated also, but that can get expensive. Though low-water levels can be a problem for communities that aren t able to pump water into their ponds, the situation is also an opportunity. Foley recommends, When water levels are down, it s a great time to take care of submerged vegetation. You have exposed banks that you can t get to all the time so we like to spray chemicals then to get extra control. Adding some natural consumers of the undesirable lake flora can help control weeds and algae. Triploid grass carp will take care of some submersed weeds, according to Foley. They are sterile but can live ten years and will eat plants at the bottom. We like to put them in with chemicals to help keep growth back between treatments, Foley explains. Tilapia is good as more than a menu item algae are their preferred food. The problem of mosquitoes can be diminished by stocking lakes with gambusia, a mosquito larvae-loving native fish. If a community is maintaining a pond for fishing purposes, they may have a warmer view of algae and plants as food for the fish. Foley comments that some communities may stock a less-visible lake at the back with fish such as bass, brim, and catfish for sport fishing. In that case, catering to the fish may take precedence over clear water. For clarity and oxygen level, aeration is the most important thing for a pond, Foley states. While fountains add to the ambiance, they basically just break the surface of the water and do little to aerate the depths. Aeration helps with the issue of algae, though it won t prevent it totally, according to Foley. Aeration is based on the depth and acreage of a pond and may require from a one-half-horsepower motor to ten-horsepower or above. An average one-acre pond may take a $1,500 investment with an annual electricity cost of $750 to $1,000. It s not going to solve all your problems, but it s beneficial, Foley states. Plantings at the water s edge can serve multiple purposes: 26 Sep 2012 FLCAJ

4 erosion control, nutrient control, bird habitat, and general good looks. Primarily, the littoral shelves (the area near the water s edge) are planted for erosion control, according to Foley. Many times, we see banks of HOA lakes take a beating from wash-off, heavy rains, or bad drainage during construction. There are several plants that are hardy and can survive some with no water, but some you have to plant at the water s edge. Eleocharis, pickerelweed, and arrowhead are really good as the roots will bind around the soil and sandy area and keep it intact. All plants will create a barrier between what s happening in the grass and what goes into the water, Foley observes. These plants will take in nutrients and other chemicals that are better kept out of the water. Maintenance is required on the littoral shelves, too, to spray unwanted plants such as torpedo grass that can choke out the desirable plants. Some people love plants at the water s edge because it creates a nesting ground for wading birds, Foley adds. A lot of HOAs don t realize that cattails can become an issue, Foley states. There are ordinances that cattails are not allowed to cover over 10 percent of the waterway. A lot of associations don t realize until they are warned that they can be fined. Carole Inman with Aquatic Weed Control, Inc. explains, Cattails are attractive, filter unwanted nutrients, and aid in preventing shoreline erosion like the pickerel, but these benefits do not last long before their natural tendencies begin to take over. Cattails can reach heights of three to ten feet and grow in clusters. These thick stands become shelter for birds and other animals, but once established, they reproduce quickly and can multiply in a matter of weeks. Clusters often spread out along the shoreline and will start to branch out into the waterway, where they can block water flow and managed aquatic systems. Their benefits quickly become too much of a good thing, as Inman observes, When they become invasive, and they will, they can choke out beneficial plants nearby because they grow in tight clusters or stands that block the sunlight and absorb all the nutrients. They can also grow tall enough to block views, so the beneficial period quickly gives way to trying to control the growth a path to avoid. FLCAJ Sep

5 28 Sep 2012 FLCAJ However, a variety of plants on the littoral shelves can attractively and effectively benefit most bodies of water. Foley describes one arrangement Typically, sand cord grass is planted on the top near the grass area. Then you would have golden canna. Below that, pickerel weed and arrowhead fill in and on into the water would come eleocharis and blue flag iris. It gives a nice tiered effect with the colors of the gold canna, purple pickerel weed, and blue iris. Inman recommends pickerelweed as a plant that adds beauty and weed control. They are planted in shallow water, usually less than oneand-one-half-feet deep along the shoreline, preferring full sun and very soggy, wet soil, she advises. The heart-shaped leaves provide cover for fish and wildlife; produce seeds for birds; and attract insects, bees, and butterflies with blue-lavender flowers. They bloom continuously from June through November, and may die back a little in the winter, but will send up new stems in the spring, she notes. These native plants effectively filter nutrients from reaching the waterway without taking over the waterfront. In Florida, sun and water are going to come together. While it would be nice if these natural features like bodies of water would achieve an attractive ecological balance on their own, the influence of chemicals, invasive species, and other factors make it unlikely. Fortunately, proactive lake maintenance measures can curb stagnation and keep lakes and ponds a bright focal point in the community.