Dennis - If you cut the weeds/sunflowers and burn them the nutrients are still there because the ash is there.
I'll drag the weeds out. I don't want them to change the natural PH of the pond. Ash is pretty acid.
My buddy that has a couple of acres in Osage county, ( in their lingo, its several thousands of acres)
had some ponds that got a spring kill. Heavily forested around it, and the drainage coming to it.
All of the blackjack leaves that fall in the spring vs the fall collected in the pond and the resulting fermentation killed the ponds.
At the time we thought somebody had poisoned it to take the fish, but the GW in the area told us about the spring kill .
Rotting vegetation can produce the same results as a summer/drought kill. No Oxygen.
Get rid of the trees or clear cut enough to open air ways to allow the wind to blow across the pond. I ordered a blower today for a pond kill that I am working on. I hope to get the aeration installed this weekend.
Tonight I received an update on the die off at Salt Plains. It is accelerating and the hydrogen sulfide gas is strong below the dam. Hundred of dead catfish are in the approach channel behind the dam. It is sickening. The lake is literally drying up. A flattie of around 35 pounds was spotted as well as some 15's that were bloated. Tommorrow will be worse. A reliable source tonight confirmed that the lake will NOT be restocked with catfish or any other fish. This will be, to my knowledge, the first lake of significant size in Oklahoma that has aged to the point that its life is over.
Tonight I received an update on the die off at Salt Plains. It is accelerating and the hydrogen sulfide gas is strong below the dam. Hundred of dead catfish are in the approach channel behind the dam. It is sickening. The lake is literally drying up. A flattie of around 35 pounds was spotted as well as some 15's that were bloated. Tommorrow will be worse. A reliable source tonight confirmed that the lake will NOT be restocked with catfish or any other fish. This will be, to my knowledge, the first lake of significant size in Oklahoma that has aged to the point that its life is over.
That is a real shame. I grew up in a town called Waukomis (south of enid) and my parents and grandparents took us to Salt Plain Lake all the time. We trotlined a lot in the flats where the mud/silt was deeper than the water, but still caught the cats. Also my brother and I and friends deer and goose hunted up there. With the lake dieing I wonder what affect it will have on the wildlife.
I figure the geese will still be there this winter just standing around gawking at each other and honkin away.
Its over. The lake is dead.
This is sad to hear, growing up in Enid we used to go up there in high school to catch catfish below the dam. Sad day.
Wow, very depressing news. Like others, Ive been catfishing there several times. The lake took a hit about 5 years ago due to drought and lost a bunch of fish. Was under the assumption things things had been improving until this year. Very sad.
The lake died in 2006 and the stockings plus natural reproduction had brought the lake back some what. Now it is dead. Some natural reproduction may occur from a few survivors this next spring IF any make it in the 1 or 2 tributaries.
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