• Unfortunately, it also means that a lot of the aquatic weeds are beginning to harden off and become tougher to kill. It would be a good idea to get started on it now, before it gets much later. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get rid of them, and the more it will cost!

• If you have a dock, a boathouse, or a or a boat ramp in need of repair, you might want to look at the water level now, and the long range weather forecast, and start planning that before the rain returns.

• If you have not already done so, it is the time of year to start thinking ahead about fall maintenance. If you are planning any major renovation work, you should be planning it now. If you want to lower your pond or lakes water level to dredge the edges, or get rid of aquatic weeds by redoing the bottom, it will take some planning, and coordination to get it done.

• If you haven’t had your pH level checked in a while, it would be good to get some idea of what it is, and start planning toward liming in the fall. If your impound is at the right pH in the spring, and you start your fertilizer program on time and follow up consistently, you will have a much better chance of preventing weed problems.

• You might also think about removing brush in the area, allowing for better access to the water and better water quality.

• If you plan to lower the fertility of an over fertilized body of water, you should be thinking of planting a good vegetative barrier at the end of the lake or pond where water enters, and around any area that provides watershed. bare areas should be made into grassy waterways.

There are hundreds of small lakes and ponds dotting the landscape of East Texas. Many of these were ranch stock tanks, or farm ponds. As more of our agricultural land becomes real estate, property management begins to take on an aquatic side.

There is a good chance that if you own property with a lake or a pond on it, that you will need to manage it at some point. These bodies of water can easily become problem areas if too many aquatic weeds, or invasive exotic lake and pond weeds take over. Mosquitoes and other insects will follow if conditions allow.

Aquatic information resources.

Ponds and lakes, like lawns and landscapes must be cared for if the desired results are to be achieved. You can find a lot of information related to aquatic management on this website and at Aquaplant, a site brought to you by the good folks at Texas A&M, the Extension Service, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. If you find that you need help in maintaining your pond or lake, we also provide lake management services and lake and pond weed control services in the East Texas area.