Saturday, May 24, 2014

Rock Nine Pond....Grass Carp??

 The Heart of Americas Rock Nine in my opinion is one of the best par 3 courses out there.  However every year around this time the pond that is located in the middle of the course begins to turn UGLY!!  Every kind of aquatic plant (weed) seems to be growing in this shallow pond.  There are several products/chemicals out there that claim to cure all, and I have tried a few of them with no luck. So, this year I am taking a different approach.  Grass Carp!!  From what I have researched Grass Carp are the most common and effective biological control for aquatic weeds.  Because they are so dominant they are outlawed in several states. Lucky for us they are legal in the state of Missouri.  Grass Carp will not be an instant cure as I am told the extent of control often does not become apparent until 18-24 months. So, we will not see immediate results but once they have time I hope to never purchase an aquatic chemical again. We have just under 2 acres and the recommended rate is 10-12 fish per acre which is why 20 Carp were put in the pond.  The fish were 10-12 inches in size and purchased from a local fishery.    I am hopeful that next year we will have an after picture of a clean pond. Below are photos of the fish and our ugly water.