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second edition • Nebraska Pond Management • 75 gently releases the fish, instead of tossing it into the water. Extensive disease outbreaks or parasite problems are rare, usually occurring when a particular fish species approaches its carrying capacity. Follow recommended stocking rates and strategies and you shouldn't have any problems. In catfish- or wiper-only ponds and some backyard ponds, where fish are kept and fed at a high density, diseases are much more common. In these situations, special medicated feeds may prevent serious problems. Shoreline Erosion Most ponds will be protected from erosion by establishing well-vegetated shorelines. Where grass or aquatic vegetation isn't sufficient to protect a shoreline, rock rip-rap should be used. Football-size rocks or pieces of broken concrete can be placed along the dam, or other eroding shorelines, several feet above and below the water line. A steep, eroded bank may first have to be graded and engineering cloth laid to create a stable base for the rip-rap; otherwise, erosion could persist and possibly cause rip-rap to collapse into the pond. Logs, rocks, or trees, placed several feet out in the water and parallel to shore, will absorb the energy of waves and prevent shoreline erosion, or facilitate healing of eroded areas. Emmergent plants and willows should be used to expedite healing. During early spring, rootstock from emergent plants can be dug up, cut or pulled apart into sections (two nodes/new shoots per section) and planted in combination with 18- inch long willow sections between the shoreline and wave-absorbing materials. Leaking Ponds Some water loss can be expected in new ponds until the basin and immediate shoreline become saturated. In older ponds, a 6-inch to 1-foot loss due to evaporation during a dry month is normal. If your pond loses more than a foot of water in a month and there is no withdrawal of water from the pond or nearby well, you should look for a leak. Ponds usually leak through a porous layer of sand, gravel, or broken rock extending under the dam. The water may come to the surface some distance below the dam. If you find places below the dam that are often soggy, even in dry weather, investigate further. The seepage could be due to a spring, unrelated to your pond. Leaks are difficult to locate. If the water level stops dropping, you can assume that the leak originates at or above that water level and efforts to seal the leak can be concentrated there. Pond dams with a well compacted clay core tied into an existing clay substrate rarely leak. One cause of leakage is a failure to place anti-seep collars along drainpipes through the dam. These collars prevent water from seeping through the dam alongside the drainpipes. Repair of a leaky dam or pond bottom often is difficult, expensive, and usually requires draining the pond. Adding a blanket of clay or bentonite to the bottom normally seals leaks. A bulldozer can be used to remove material in a problem area and then add and compact 1 to 2 feet of soil that has a high clay content. Bentonite For more information on the state's more common fish diseases and parasites, contact the Commission and request a copy of "What's Bugging That Fish? An Angler's Guide to Fish Diseases and Parasites," or go online to Commissions website — see page 88. Willow Plantings for Shoreline Stability Willow Plantings for Shoreline Stability