This is my neighborhood retention pond...where unfortunately this week we had a major fish kill occur.
Let's try and analyze how and why this happened and perhaps we can talk ourselves into believing no one is at fault.
Retention pond...commonly used in suburban developments to collect and retain water. All the water from the streets and surrounding land drains into this lovely pond. The pond acts as a focal point for the development. It displays a lovely fountain designed to be esthetically appealing and also circulate and oxygenate the water. Rip rap rocks are strategically placed all around the pond to slow erosion and keep weeds down.
This lovely common ground is a selling point for our community. For me, it is my classroom.
I use this pond for fly casting lessons. It is a small, private pond, stocked with bass and bluegill making this a perfect place to introduce fly fishing to my students.
Perfect, until one day this happens! There was a problem with the lighting at the main entrance. The power must be shut off to repair the lights. During this power outage the fountain also must be shut off.
This results in a major fish kill!
Let's review what our expert told us:
Overcast days= no sun=less oxygen
Rainy season= more lawn chemicals and fertilizers used=more chemicals end up in the pond=less oxygen
chemical treatment in the pond to keep algae down=pretty blue color=less oxygen
Fountain shut off= No circulation=less oxygen
Less Oxygen=DEAD FISH!
Wake up everyone...this is just a very small example of what we are doing to our rivers and streams.
Imagine the chemicals being dumped into our rivers from agriculture. Drugs and solid waste are also polluting and contaminating our waters. It is our responsibility to take care of our natural resources.
Pollution doesn't just happen....we allow it to happen!
