Basin Maintenance Information

Below is information from Forevergreen regarding the status of the basins and the fish kill in one northern basin. Eugene Braig from The Ohio State University is the one that was consulted on this. The Board has also voted to move forward with the additional program, as recommended, to manage the decaying organic matter.

There are certain taxa of algae that are copper resistant, especially the genus Pithophora which grows as stout filaments. Eugene Also mentioned on the phone with me that the fact that the PH is fluctuating so drastically, along with the Phosphate level changing drastically as well indicates that there are underlying issues with the basins. He recommended that a program be instituted to manage the decaying organic matter at the base of the basin which will improve the overall health of the basins as well as improve the amount of algae being produced. After discussing this I asked the question of the fish Kill that happened in Basin 4. I explained the entire situation, provided the size, estimated water volume, and treatment history fort the season, explained what treatment I had done, and then shared water quality finding that I pulled 2 days after the treatment was completed. He explained that the following factors ALL contributed to the fish kill and that no single factor caused it, but rather the combination of all these things caused the fish kill:

1. 1. With a low volume of water, and high water temperature due to high heat in the summer months, this pond was under stress and had no replenishment of water due to no rain.
2. 1. Overstocking or overpopulation of fish in a basin with such a low volume of water can cause oxygen levels to fall below safe levels
3. 1. Along with fish excessive vegetation in a small basin can deplete the oxygen in the basin.
4. Decomposing organic matter, decomposing algae from previous treatments can deplete oxygen.
5. 1. The application of copper affects the oxygen levels in the basin.

When all of these factors come together at one time in a basin, it unfortunately causes or can cause a fish kill. No one single factor caused the problem, and the unfortunate thing is that visually we applied a product then the fish died. Unless someone has formal training and is aware of the different affects of all of these factors all they can do is assume.

2024 Annual Meeting Presentation The annual meeting handout is also available under the Documents tab once logged in. 

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