Smith Creek Fish Farm Seasonal Maintenance Services
The Lake and Pond Managers at Smith Creek Fish Farm will design a comprehensive management program and provide each client with a practical maintenance plan for the future.
Our goal is to preserve the natural beauty and balance of our clients' ecosystem. In the case where the client is experiencing issues with their lake or pond, we will custom tailor a plan to restore the balance of the ecosystem.
Often a plan will include algae and weed control along with a natural biological component. In many cases, a portion of the management plan will include the client applying the “Pond Care Kit” portion of the program and our DEC certified applicators and managers handle the more technical aspects including the algae and weed control and water quality monitoring.
Lakes and ponds are the centerpieces of a property. Having a property with a beautiful lake/pond view and or access increases the property value greatly. Conversely, a property with a troubled aquatic ecosystem would surely limit the property value. Smith Creek Fish Farm uses the latest technology and equipment to expedite the diagnosing process and to ensure the process is done safely and with the health of the environment as the number one priority.
Retention & Detention Pond Management
Retention, Detention, and Engineered Wetlands are increasingly being regulated and required for any point source runoff. A point source runoff can be a condo complex, farm, or shopping mall parking lot. By design, these water collection structures are created to collect runoff that we do not want to pour directly into a lake or river. They are also used to prevent flooding of structures and roads. But just because these structures are meant to collect wastewater does not mean we cannot design or manage them to be aesthetically pleasing at minimum, and possibly used for recreational purposes.
If you are planning a new project, Smith Creek Fish Farm can help you design the properly sized structure to comply with DEC SPDES regulations. We can also handle compliance on an existing structure. Compliance inspections and maintenance would include inspection and cleaning of incoming and outgoing pipes and weirs, sediment depth monitoring for estimating volume, budgeting for a full clean-out situation, and weed and algae management.
We also offer suction dredging and geotextile bag containment of the sediment. This is often an affordable option compared to complete mechanical dredging. Fountains can often turn a retention pond into a focal point of the property rather than a cattail choked swamp, and stocking fish will help with mosquito control
Weed and Algae Control
As a full-service lake and pond management company, a large portion of our commercial and private clients contact us with an existing situation or problem. Many of our clients are private homeowners whose aquatic ecosystems have become unbalanced. We use the best management techniques to identify the existing problem and target the invasive, nuisance species that need to be controlled. Algae and aquatic weeds can cause water quality issues, and in some cases can be a health hazard to pets and sometimes even humans. Weed and algae blooms can stifle the fishery and make recreation impossible. Once the initial problem is brought under control, the focus is shifted to management and prevention of future ecological imbalance. Our management plans will often include increasing circulation and aeration with a fountain and or a diffuser style aerator. Triploid grass carp in conjunction with nutrient/muck reducing products and pond dye can stabilize and start the process of reclaiming a struggling aquatic ecosystem
Fisheries Management & Pond Stocking
As an aquatic management company, Smith Creek Fish Farm knows that an aeration system is one of, if not the most important, piece of equipment you can invest in for the long-term health of your pond or lake. Many variables will determine what type of aeration will give you the best results in your situation and the best value for your money. If you look at our selection of aeration equipment you may be a bit overwhelmed by your options, but we at Smith Creek Fish Farm can help you choose the proper aeration system for your situation. In the Western New York area, we can even do the full installation of your system. We also can custom design any size aeration system. Solar and wind-powered aerators are also available.
Fisheries Management starts with stocking your pond or lake. Once you are stocked, using proper stocking rates, the actual management begins. The first step is to establish realistic goals. The goal of one pond owner may be to have a fun pond for his or her grandkids to swim and fish. Another goal could be to have trophy bass, and still another goal could be to have harvestable fish for the dinner table. No matter what your goal is, the Smith Creek Fish Farm management service will help you reach and exceed it.
Some services we provide are Habitat Building, Bathymetric Mapping, Supplemental Forage Stockings, Electrofishing, Species Ratio Management and Developing Catch & Release vs. Harvest Plans. We often tell clients that “catch and release” is not a comprehensive management plan. In many cases, culling low-quality fish or overly large fish will improve the overall health and quality of the fishery.
Please contact one of our experts here at Smith Creek Fish Farm to find out more about our Seasonal Lake and Pond Management Services.