J. Wesley Allen, Environmental Scientist and Regional Manager 

When development companies design community associations with lakes and stormwater ponds, they envision them as beautiful aquatic resources to attract homeowners, connect with nature and enhance the surrounding property. Without proper management, however, these waterbodies can quickly become eye-sores that produce harmful algae and bad odors, lead to damaged and eroded shorelines, and result in displeased community members.

Most aquatic management professionals will tell you that when a property manager calls about an issue at their waterbody, it’s often past the point of a quick fix. This is regularly the case when we arrive onsite to look at an erosion issue on a lake or pond embankment. Rather than finding a few problematic patches of rock or soil, we discover steep, unstable banks, deep washouts and extensive bottom muck caused by years without an erosion control plan in place.

SOLitude Lake Management has been named one of the 50 fastest growing companies in the Commonwealth by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. SOLitude ranked 12th out of 50 companies honored during their 2019 awards dinner in Chantilly, VA, last week.

SOLitude Lake Management is an industry-leading environmental firm dedicated to providing sustainable solutions rooted in technological and scientific research and innovation. From the beginning, SOLitude has focused on preserving the natural ecological balance of our aquatic ecosystems while providing clients with superior value and expertise in lake, stormwater pond, wetland and fisheries management.

Now in its 24th year, the Fantastic 50 program is the only annual statewide award celebrating Virginia’s fastest growing businesses.

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 Parks and Rec Business Magazine: Written by Trent Nelson, Aquatic Specialist and Business Development Consultant

Most people have heard the adage that no two snowflakes are the same, but did you know this truth also applies to bodies of water? No two lakes or ponds are the same—and location, the size, water use, aquatic vegetation coverage and type, pond nutrient levels, and water depth are all factors that can combine in unique ways to influence the health of a community waterbody. Oftentimes, odor and water color can reveal a lot; however, the unique characteristics of a lake or pond are not always this simple to observe.

A professional lake manager tests water quality to determine the unique attributes that make up a waterbody and uses the data to create a totally customized lake or pond management plan. Many different and important parameters can be tested, but the basic values are pH, alkalinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and nutrient levels.

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?

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.

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

Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

When picturing a perfect day on the water, do you envision the warm sun on your face with a gentle breeze in the air and the relaxing sound of small waves rolling against the shoreline? Or is it the sound of children laughing as they play with a bullfrog being held captive by their curiosity? Maybe it’s the anticipation of the next trophy fish you will catch as you pursue another lasting memory on the water. Regardless, lake and pond owners don’t need to look far to find motivation.

Unfortunately for many property owners, the achievement of goals is not easy, and the path can become plagued with struggles that negatively impact the desired outcome. This is because each aquatic resource is a complex system that experiences continuous physical and chemical changes. As a result, each waterbody is at a unique place in time relative to its own historical experiences. Due to this, people run the risk of making assumptions and drawing conclusions from their past experiences, rather than gathering the facts required to make the right decisions.

To successfully manage lakes, ponds and fisheries, you must first

AS SEEN IN Quorum, Washington Metropolitan Chapter and Community Associations Institute: Written by Industry Expert Shannon Junior, Aquatic Ecologist

The last decade has brought major changes to the pond and lake management industry. Every community that has privately maintained ponds, lakes or stormwater best management practices has responsibilities to manage the structural, functional and aesthetic integrity of the facilities. The primary ongoing maintenance issue in these facilities is typically the prevention and control of nuisance aquatic vegetation.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

Chasing the dream of growing trophy caliber Largemouth Bass is becoming more common throughout America. Although managing for trophy bass is an acquired skill that takes years of practice (and patience), we live in a time where pond owners can learn, via a variety of sources, enough to figure out a reasonable plan for success. As many have come to realize, managing for trophy bass can seem as much art as a science. There are multiple paths a pond owner can take to achieve a trophy fishery, none of which is guaranteed to work. Although you can implement various processes and still find success, some strategies are better than others.