![]() ![]() In fact, many municipalities require that communities eliminate any cattails growing above, on, or below spillways. Blocking of drain structures and spillways increases the risk of flooding. These include drain structures, emergency spillways, auto-fills, and irrigation intakes. Cattail growth can obstruct critical elements of a pond.Cattails grow vigorously and the resulting biomass can eventually block out the growth of more desirable and less invasive plant species.In ponds where angling is a top priority, fishermen can often increase catch rates by targeting those areas in and around cattail stands. Cattails are commonly used as cover and feeding areas for popular gamefish such as largemouth bass, crappie, and various sunfish species.Cattails provide nesting and breeding habitat for a variety of desirable wildlife, most notably red-winged blackbirds and migratory ducks.Likewise, moderate cattail stands in the upper end of retention ponds slow down heavy storm-water velocities and reduce the risk of erosion. They can help minimize bank erosion on steep or wind swept shorelines. The rhizomes of the cattails are good for stabilizing soil.The base of the cattails catch trash and filter excess nutrients which would otherwise end up in the pond fueling the out of control growth of algae. The extensive vegetative growth network is good for filtering heavy runoff.Therefore, it is best to decide sooner rather than later. Allowing uncontrolled growth significantly increases the long term costs associated with pond management. They eventually realize their mistake a year or two down the road. We have seen numerous instances where a pond owner initially wants to keep the cattails sometimes deliberately planting them in a new pond. We always recommend at least some control measures be taken. These should be used by pond owners to help determine a stance on cattails and decide whether or not they should be controlled. The pros and cons of cattail growth are given below. The growth process starts over the following spring. In the winter, the cattails go dormant and the shoots turn brown, fall over, and decay. This spreads more cattails to other portions of the pond, or even to a neighboring body of water. The seed heads eventually rupture and the seeds are dispersed by wind action. Cattails can reach 10 feet tall by the time the seed heads are produced. The rhizomes produce hundreds of young cattail shoots which elongate and produce seed heads by mid-summer. These rhizomes create an extensive network that can quickly surround a pond. Every dredging method has its place.Unlike most plants, cattails have roots or “rhizomes” that grow laterally. Pond deepening beyond the original bathymetry (contour lines) is possible if done correctly through this method. When removing large quantities of rock, gravel, densely compacted sand, and rooted littoral zone vegetation (phragmites, cattails, water lilies, water shield), this methodology may be the best choice. This solution is not dependent on there being water in the pond to dredge like diver assisted suction dredging and hydraulic dredging. While an expensive and messy endeavor, there are occasions where this is the best or only option. ![]() In some instances, ponds will be dewatered and/or diverted during mechanical dredging, thus making it the less preferred option. Although not our preferred method, every method of dredging has specific applications. Mechanical dredging equipment is robust and doesn’t filter the dredge material. Unlike hydraulic dredging, which uses suction to remove and a pipe to transfer the sediment, mechanical dredging uses heavy equipment such as an excavator to dig out the bed of the body of water and then remove the sediment. ![]()
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