Whether you’re interested in creating a prized trophy fishery or just want to improve the health and longevity of your fishing pond, electrofishing is an essential tool for fisheries managers. This method is the primary sampling technique used to gather necessary information about the current state of a waterbody and determine what can be done to meet or exceed the goals of the specific fishery.

What exactly is electrofishing?

Electrofishing helps biologists track reproductive success and survival rates of fish species. The assessment is performed by sending an electric current into the water in order to safely stun any nearby fish. Stunned fish can then be easily scooped up in a net and placed in a temporary holding tank where they can revive and be observed for data collection. Most often, fish are measured, weighed and marked with PIT or Floy tags, which are used to determine the health and growth of the fish year over year. Then, they are released back into the water completely unharmed.

SOLitude Lake Management is pleased to officially welcome ten of its newest hires to the company’s growing team. These accomplished professionals, spanning from the Northeast to the South to the West Coast, bring extensive industry experience and a passion for restoring the health, beauty and longevity of aquatic ecosystems in their local communities.

How far we’ve come—from a one-man operation to a team of more than 350 scientists and aquatic management professionals. As we greet 2019, two of SOLitude’s leading lake and pond experts each celebrate the completion of 25 years in the field. With half a century of knowledge and experience between them, they reflect on the infancy of the freshwater management industry and forecast the exciting innovations held in the future.

Marc Bellaud, SOLitude President, has been a leader in the lake and pond management industry since 1993. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in biological sciences and a concentration in natural resources, Marc worked for two non-profit organizations before joining Aquatic Control Technology (now SOLitude Lake Management). He started as a field biologist and quickly became immersed in every aspect of the business. His roles and responsibilities expanded as the company continued to grow and he was named SePRO Applicator of the Year in 2006. He was later promoted to company President in 2013. Throughout his career, Marc has been actively involved in advancing the science of the aquatics industry as a good steward and widely-respected thought leader.

Glenn Sullivan, Certified Lake Manager and Environmental Scientist, has more than 25 years of hands-on freshwater management and industry leadership experience. Glenn Sullivan joined the lake and pond management industry in 1993 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Before joining SOLitude, Glenn served clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic as the President of Allied Biological. He is very active in the industry and has won several SePRO awards for his environmental stewardship and best practices approach to lake and pond management, including the Aquatic Environmental Stewardship Award (2003), Best Management Practices Award (2005), Sustainable Leadership Award (2008), and, most recently, the 2015 Applicator of the Year.

How has freshwater management changed since you joined the industry 25 years ago?

Marc: For me, the biggest overarching change that I’ve witnessed is the industry movement towards

SOLitude Lake Management is pleased to announce the company’s selection as a “Best & Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation” by the National Association for Business Resources. The 2018 national winning companies were chosen out of 2,400 total nominations.

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This competition scores potential winners based on regional data of company performance and a set standard across the nation. This national program

Through its corporate volunteering program, The SOLution, SOLitude Lake Management has named Florida Regional Leader Alberto Florez the Volunteer of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2018. Alberto demonstrated a true mission to serve through his many personal and team volunteering events in his local community in Florida.

In the fall, Alberto served as an official volunteer at the Yesteryear Village LagoonFest in Palm Beach, FL. The annual festival seeks to spotlight the delicate waterways and estuaries in the region and generate interest in preserving and protecting the aquatic ecosystems for generations to enjoy. Alberto focused on educating attendees about estuaries and their unique

SOLitude Lake Management is pleased to announce the record-breaking results of the company’s 2018 charitable initiatives through The SOLution, SOLitude's dedicated volunteerism and community outreach program. 

SOLitude colleagues, friends, clients, and vendor partners contributed $81,595 in donations of goods and in-kind services to non-profits, environmental projects and natural disaster victims last year. The contributions were supported by 3,577 collective volunteer hours through SOLitude’s Earth Day, Love Your Lake, Little GOBBLERS, and HOLiday Cheer programs, as well as

AS SEEN IN Common Ground™ magazine: Written by Industry Expert Brea Arvidson, Aquatic Biologist 

In communities with lakes and ponds, managers need to be vigilant to prevent cyanobacteria - also known as blue green algae. Algae is a natural component of any lake or pond system. But in more and more communities that include water features, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly common. Whether naturally occurring or human induced, large concentrations of algae blooms can threaten a pond system’s chemical balance and create conditions that could be toxic to humans or wildlife. Environmental changes or pond nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) imbalances in the water can encourage and intensify toxic algae.

Cyanobacteria are the primary culprits of HABs. For this reason, many states are adopting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) cyanobacteria guidelines to

Written by Industry Expert J. Wesley Allen, Environmental Scientist & Regional Leader

Winter seems to be the time of year that we all think about goals. Whether it’s assessing how successful we were at achieving previously made goals or setting new milestones to achieve, the long cold nights seem to make us all reflect a little more. This time of year is also perfect for evaluating and setting long-term goals for lakes, ponds, and stormwater facilities. As aquatic resource management consultants, these goals are critical to deciding the who, what, when, where, why and how of managing each client’s waterbody.

Setting and exceeding long-term goals for freshwater resources requires the understanding and discussion of many factors. Each waterbody is unique, and each client is unique. In order not to get lost, focusing on the following five factors can make your goals measurable and, ultimately, achievable:

Written by Industry Expert Joe Holz, International Sales Manager at Kasco Marine

The winter season is here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize and enjoy your waterbody. If you live in a region that experiences freezing temperatures, it’s worth considering a de-icer to help protect docks and fountain equipment, and keep water open for increased winter safety and oxygenation benefits. Never heard of a de-icer? Below are some common uses. 

Kasco de-icers are known for their quality, durability and effectiveness and provide the best performance in ice prevention and property protection. 

Shallow Water De-icing

A de-icer helps prevent pond ice formation throughout the winter by bringing warmer, denser water from the bottom of a waterbody upward to the surface. By positioning a de-icer near the area of greatest depth and mounting it to angle back toward the targeted areas of your waterbody, you can successfully circulate the warmer water in to shallower areas. To do this in tidal waters, you will need to split the difference in water depth, so the de-icer is in shallow water at low tide and deep water at high tide. Another option is to tie your de-icer to a boat or floating dock and allow the boat/dock and de-icer to rise and fall with the tide.

This holiday season, SOLitude Lake Management has continued its annual HOLiday Cheer efforts through The SOLution, SOLitude’s corporate volunteering and outreach program. This year, SOLitude donated $8,280 worth of toys, clothes and other necessities to hospitalized children as well as five under-resourced families located throughout the country, bringing total donations through the HOLiday Cheer program to $37,540 since its inception in 2013. In addition, SOLitude’s Massachusetts office served as a drop-off location for Toys for Tots, collecting more than $10,000 worth of donated gifts from the surrounding community.

The HOLiday Cheer families “adopted” this year reside in North Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. These families, which include 16 children in total, were selected by the SOLitude team based on nominations showing a true