AS SEEN IN Golf Course Management: Written by Benjamin Chen, Fisheries Biologist 

Golf courses are picturesque with their landscaped green fairways and winding paths. While turf management is usually the first order of business for superintendents, lakes, ponds and water features aid in irrigation and help accentuate the beauty of the environment. Without proper management, however, they can cause water quality problems that may become a huge detriment to the golfing experience. In other words, if your greens and your ponds are the same color, we have a lot to talk about.

Luckily, proactive strategies and new innovative technologies are making lake management without traditional herbicides or algaecides easier than ever—with results that last longer.

AS SEEN IN Bass Master: Written by Fisheries Biologist Vic DiCenzo, PhD

Fisheries biologists consider aquatic plants to be an important component for healthy aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic plants serve a variety of functions including production of oxygen, recycling nutrients, reducing turbidity and providing food, spawning substrate and habitat for invertebrates and fish. However, while anglers and hunters favor an abundance of aquatic plants in reservoirs, many lake users prefer little to no vegetation. These differences challenge reservoir managers when developing management plans.

A survey of 1,299 reservoirs in the U.S. identified excessive plant coverage was a management concern in only 10 percent of the reservoirs surveyed, and not enough plant coverage was a concern in more than 25 percent.

How much aquatic vegetation should be in the lake? It depends on which stakeholder you ask. On U.S. reservoirs, stakeholders include anglers, hunters, boaters, swimmers, homeowners, commercial interests, wildlife watchers, state and federal agencies, real estate agents, just to name a few. Each of these groups likely has a unique tolerance for aquatic vegetation and reservoir managers must face the challenge of recognizing those differences.

How do decision makers manage aquatic plants for different stakeholder values? Is there a level of plant coverage acceptable to all stakeholders? How do invasive species affect management options? What does a successful aquatic plant management plan look like?

Written by Bob Revolinski, Aquatic Biologist and Regional Manager

2019 marked the start of my 36th year in the lake management industry. It’s a career that is constantly evolving, due to the vast number of variables associated with aquatic ecosystems. Every now and then, a novel and completely unexpected problem or species will appear, requiring the implementation of new and adaptive lake management strategies. One of my strangest encounters occurred about 15 years ago in Arizona, when I came across golden algae (Prymnesium parvum) for the first time.

Golden algae occur worldwide, but the first blooms identified in North America were confirmed in Texas in 1985. They arrived in Arizona around 2004 and then eventually appeared in California in 2013. In 2018, golden algae were reported in more than a dozen states!

Written by Fisheries & Wildlife Scientist Daniel Hood

As a Fisheries and Wildlife Scientist who regularly travels to client properties, people often recognize me as an aquatic consultant at gas stations or while I’m parked getting lunch. Sometimes people will approach me to ask a question, and it tends to be the same one every time: “Hey, I have some weeds in my pond that have taken over in the past few years. What can I do to get rid of them?” It is a well-intentioned and welcome question, but often one which cannot be answered as quickly and simply as the inquirer expects. Aquatic weed control is a nuanced problem, and the best approach is usually influenced by many different variables. 

Lake and pond management professionals generally refrain from making recommendations until they have a chance to conduct an official aquatic weed survey. An onsite evaluation is the most direct, effective way to identify important physical factors within the waterbody, determine potential problem species, and consider the management goals of the property owner or community. Each of these variables is equally important in its own regard and require a

Written by Industry Expert Brea Arvidson, Aquatic Biologist

Regions across the US are waging war on invasive aquatic plants, with a particular focus on preserving water access and usage. Unless designed for a specific safety purpose, waterbodies are supposed to support aquatic biota, including plants. However, many of these invading species are often mistaken for native plants that are important for a balanced or natural ecosystem. How can pond owners, community associations, and recreational users distinguish between them? What signs help reveal that a plant is ‘invasive’?

Foremost, a large amount of growth in a confined area can be a primary indicator of an unbalanced plant community – often suggesting non-native or invasive growth. Dense growth removes open-water habitat or may decrease the potential species diversity a system can support. Understanding a balance of biota is also key to preserving or restoring an aquatic ecosystem.

Action towards awareness of invaders is also important. Questioning whether or not a species is supposed to be in the waterbody is a great step to take, especially when widespread or ‘new’ growth is present. New plant growth in a lake or pond may indicate the presence of an invasive species, potentially brought in by recreation, urban development or wildlife.

Written by Industry Expert Nic Butler, Aquatic Specialist 

Aquatic management plans vary as no two waterbodies or properties are alike, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to lake and pond management. Several years ago, we came across a particularly interesting opportunity that exemplifies how our team is able to successfully utilize a variety of aquatic management strategies to develop an effective and customized plan for the restoration of an aquatic ecosystem.

In 2014, the homeowners association of a large community in North Carolina approached SOLitude for help with restoring balance to their system of waterbodies. The 500-acre development consists of a 56-acre canal system, an 11-acre lake and 11 other small ponds interspersed throughout the community. Significant populations of nuisance bladderwort (Utricularia) and proliferating spikerush (Eleocharis baldwinii) were observed through the waterbodies, along with several algal blooms of both the planktonic and filamentous varieties.

Our first step was to

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 Robert Truax, Natural Resources Scientist

Many southern states experienced Torpedograss infestations this year. Torpedograss (Panicum littorale), also known as quack grass and bullet grass, is an invasive species that was first introduced to the United States in 1876 near Mobile, Alabama. It has since spread throughout the South.

Torpedograss is a perennial grass, and the first step to proper control is correctly identifying it. It can grow up to three feet tall and, unlike some grasses, is commonly identified by its creeping rhizomatous root structure and rigid sharp pointed (torpedo-like) tips. Upper leaf sheaths can also have hairs on their upper edges. A unique characteristic used to identify torpedograss are the

AS SEEN IN Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society Nor’Easter Newsletter

Written by Industry Experts Emily Mayer, Aquatic Biologist and Kate Arnao, seasonal team member 

As its name suggests, mudmat (Glossostigma cleistanthum) is an invasive aquatic plant species that forms dense, green mats in littoral zones. The iconic bunny ear-shaped leaves of mudmat serve as a unique characteristic when identifying this species. The leaves grow in pairs along thin rhizomes, with narrowing stems at the base and widen into an oval shape at the tips.

Mudmat can thrive both as a submerged and emergent plant depending upon the location within the waterbody. This species generally prefers oligotrophic conditions, consisting of high transparency readings, low pH, and low pond nutrients. They can form “carpet-like” mats along the bottom of waterbodies, averaging from 10,000 to 25,000 plants per square meter, and can reach depths of up to two meters.

Written by Erin Stewart, Territory Leader & Aquatic Biologist

Nutrients are required for all living things to survive. They are metabolized for energy or fuel so organisms can develop and grow. The nutrients humans and animals need are provided by the food we eat. When food is consumed and digested, it provides the fuel to synthesize or produce direct energy. Similarly, plants take up the nutrients they need from soil and the atmosphere through roots and leaves. In lakes and ponds, these nutrients are found suspended in the water and within bottom sediments. Aquatic plants absorb nutrients through roots down in the sediments or leaves. Submerged plants also absorb (CO2) from the water and sunlight that penetrates below the water surface.