# Pond dredging. Fish kill



## CatBassCrap (Apr 25, 2008)

Ok, there's a pond that I have fished frequently for the past few years which isn't private but also isn't too well known. This isn't your average round farm pond but a larger creek fed old farm pond in which a residential area was built around. I had heard from a resident of the area that they were planning on dredging the pond and draining it. I went today and checked it out and sure enough they were draining it. I asked one of the guys working what they were planning on doing with the fish in the pond, as i could already see numbers of distressed ones. He said as far as he knew they would be killed as they plan on completely draining the thing. This bothers me from the fact that I know this pond contains a large population of largemouth bass including several five lbrs and a seven lbr, big white and black crappie including a 2.5 lbr my fiancee caught, and tons of sunfish, cats, carp, koi, and turtles. I would really like to try to find a way for the fish to be relocated and not destroyed but truly have no idea where to turn. I figured I could ask a few thousand of my fishing friends here. Thanks


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

That is the decision of the land owner. I doubt they want a big crowd of bucket fillers, and that's what you're going to get here.


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## cfioritto (Mar 25, 2012)

It sucks that they can do that given all of the groups wanting to protect the environment and save the animals, but I guess money talks.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

cfioritto said:


> It sucks that they can do that given all of the groups wanting to protect the environment and save the animals, but I guess money talks.


It's a private pond, not wetlands.


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## cfioritto (Mar 25, 2012)

His post says it isn't private and I was just saying it sucks to kill the fish and turtles. Don't make more of it then what I was simply stating.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

cfioritto said:


> His post says it isn't private and I was just saying it sucks to kill the fish and turtles. Don't make more of it then what I was simply stating.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is unfortunate that a fertile pond/lake along with the fish and other wildlife will be destroyed for a housing development but that is progress and happens regularly. But in many instances these same developments create additional bodies of water that can be fished.

I doubt that Mike was reading more into the statement as you did into his. 

Since a developer is going to build on both sides of the creek, stream, or whatever, he or someone else must own the property which includes the land under the water. A body of water created artificially as this pond has been described does not seem to fit the EPA definition of wetlands.

*Wetlands Definitions*

Generally, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (Cowardin, December 1979). Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils, topography, climate, hydrology, water chemistry, vegetation, and other factors, including human disturbance. Indeed, wetlands are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every continent except Antarctica.

For regulatory purposes under the Clean Water Act, the term wetlands means "those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas."

[taken from the EPA Regulations listed at 40 CFR 230.3(t)]

Wetlands Overview (PDF) (4 pp, 928K, About PDF)


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> I doubt that Mike was reading more into the statement as you did into his.


Thanks Ron, I think thats exactly right. 

I went back and read the original post, and nowhere does it say its not private. And with the facts given, it almost certainly is privately owned. Unfortunately, ponds are drained every day, but at the same time new ones are built every day. The land owner owns the pond and the fish in it, and if they have the need or desire to drain it, thats their choice. Theyre the ones paying the taxes and insurance on it. The OP also doesnt state why the pond is being drained, and I doubt he asked. Thats very important. Its not unusual for the Corp of Army Engineers to force the demolition of a pond because how it effects a flood zone, even if the pond has been there for decades. The fact is no one here knows why the pond is being drained, nor can they do anything about it. Its got nothing to do with money, the bunny (fishy) huggers will have to find another crusade.


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## cfioritto (Mar 25, 2012)

The first sentence says "isn't private".
I am considering private as you can not fish it and not private as you can fish it. Of course someone owns the land whether it be an individual or a group, community or city.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

cfioritto said:


> The first sentence says "isn't private".
> I am considering private as you can not fish it and not private as you can fish it. Of course someone owns the land whether it be an individual or a group, community or city.


Okay, I see what youre saying. But its still privately owned, even if people are allowed to fish there.


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## cfioritto (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm glad we agree. Good talk.


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## CatBassCrap (Apr 25, 2008)

It's a public pond located in a residential area. Not one of those housing development ponds. It's just not very well known. It was a farm pond built over 70 years ago along with a nice house. The landowner sold the land around his house and houses were built around it and the pond about 15 years ago. It's just obvious that no concern was given to the wildlife in the area. This may seem selfish as I obviously value this spot, but it's a whole lot more than that. I have lots of memories here with my family and friends and just hate to see a habitat like this destroyed. Obviously not trying to cause any arguments over the situation just really bothered by it.


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## CatBassCrap (Apr 25, 2008)

M.Magis said:


> the bunny (fishy) huggers will have to find another crusade.


Ok, first of all I'm no "fishy hugger" but thanks for being the guy to make an unnecessary comment. I was asking for some advice or opinions not to be insulted for no reason. Apparently you can't give a **** anymore about wildlife without being called a tree hugging hippy by somebody.


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## cfioritto (Mar 25, 2012)

Where I live our neighborhood lake was drained very low and dredged, but that was to improve the overall quality, depth and the fish habitat. I hope that is the intent at your pond.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

CatBassCrap said:


> Ok, first of all I'm no "fishy hugger" but thanks for being the guy to make an unnecessary comment. I was asking for some advice or opinions not to be insulted for no reason. Apparently you can't give a **** anymore about wildlife without being called a tree hugging hippy by somebody.


That wasnt in reference to you at all. Settle down.


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## tadluvadd (Feb 19, 2012)

are we there yet?spring i mean.


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