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| Ponds: A fountain of youth (Summer 2007) |
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More than just a puddle, ponds offer year-round recreation and beauty
By Jim Grace
If you were lucky enough to have grown
up in the country, or live there now, you
probably savor memories of running
through fields, exploring the hayloft of
the barn, and handling young animals.
You might also recall time spent at a pond,
fishing, picnicking, swimming, and playing
year-round. For hard-working country folks,
ponds remain great places to play and relax.
And as a refuge from the concerns of daily
life, ponds restore body and spirit, and enable
folks of all ages to be young again.
Man-made ponds are a recent introduction
to the rural landscape; their widespread
construction began following the Dust Bowl of
the 1930s. Since then, millions of ponds have
been built for erosion and flood control, livestock water supply, fishing, and recreation.
Visiting a pond, whether natural or
man-made, can be a pleasant break from the
daily terrestrial lives of most country folks.
Although many ponds are nice to look at,
how successfully they meet human needs is
determined by how well they are managed.
The most crucial consideration for any pond,
especially if used for recreation, is safety.
Pond water needs to be kept clean. This
requires that livestock access be restricted,
and the immediate watershed of the pond
must be free of pollutants or waste products
that might drain into the water. Providing safe
swimming areas, docks, picnic areas, shade,
privacy, and curtailing trespassing are all important considerations. State and federal
conservation agencies have many programs
to assist landowners with designing, building,
and managing ponds.
Design it with a dock.
Nothing enhances a
pond for recreation more than a well-designed
dock. It provides a clean, easy entry and
exit for swimmers. In an afternoon, a group
of laughing children can find a thousand
ways to jump off and climb onto a dock, and
still be thinking of new ones when they are
called home. From a dock, fishermen enjoy
weed-free access to the water. Boaters have
a perfect launch. Sunbathers find an ideal
deck, and nature observers can get out over
the water to view the pond’s wild residents.
Swimming in a pond is different from
swimming in a pool. The common public
pool is an impoundment of clear, chlorinated,
temperature-regulated, wildlife-free water. In
a pond, nature sets the water temperature.
Springtime swimming favors hardy souls
who thrive on goose-bumps. As the
season progresses and the temperatures
warm, cool dips are refreshing. By
mid-summer, swimmers are treated to
surface water as therapeutic as a warm bath.
But a deep dive will usually elicit squeals.
The water is still cold down there.
Boating has best results when the size
of the boat matches the size of the pond. For
kids, what constitutes a boat is not easily
defined. For them, a boat is anything that floats. A log, pallet, inner-tube, overturned
canoe, surfboard, air mattress, able adult, or
willing dog becomes a first-class ship to be
captained. Most ships are then attacked in
a fracas involving splashing and water-gun
assaults, amid much yelling and laughter.
Ask fishermen about their first fish, and
odds are they'll recall ponds from their youth.
Many kids begin a lifelong enjoyment of fishing
and nature with a parent or grandparent
as teacher, at a pond. They may later fish
rivers, lakes, and oceans, but the first excited,
"I got one! I got one!" was likely shouted
across a pond. As out-the-backdoor fishing
destinations, ponds offer the readiest private
fishing opportunities you can find.
The pond habitat is a distinct environment
providing niches for organisms with special
requirements for food and shelter. Ponds support
aquatic plants and assortments of invertebrates,
insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals—from snails and bass to
herons and beaver. In addition, ponds lure all
kinds of local wildlife with the promise of a
ready gulp of water.
On summer evenings, you may find flocks
of swallows feeding on insects over the pond,
skimming the surface for drinks and returning
to nest sites near the water. As darkness falls,
bats dart erratically, homing in on their insect
meals. Fish surface feed with a splash. Dragonflies
careen about. Over the shore, fireflies
flicker alluringly to mates—and to kids who
love to chase and catch them. In surrounding
grasses and trees, katydids and whippoorwills
tirelessly repeat their refrains.
Responding to autumn frosts, pond
wildlife quiets down or heads south.
Each new day brings waves of migrants
from the north. Arriving first
are the shorebirds and wading birds,
followed by ducks and geese, and then the
winter residents. Every passing day offers
surprises, a new set of neighbors. Turtles,
frogs, and fish can be seen moving languidly
under new ice. Winter birds glean seeds still
clinging to weeds along the shore. During the
harshest weather, wildlife may not be seen,
but a snowy walk along the pond edge will reveal
small tracks of foraging mice and birds,
and larger tracks of animals hunting for mice
and birds. There is wildlife viewing for the
committed naturalist, serious nature photographer,
or casual observer.
People use ponds less in winter, but activity
doesn’t have to stop. The well-frozen pond
and winter landscape are a unique setting
for play. For most, the open expanse of ice is perfect for sliding or skating. Would-be
Olympians can cut wobbly figure-eights, and
able skaters with the necessary equipment
can rough it up in a pick-up game of hockey.
Those lacking the hockey gear can employ
all the old brooms in the corner of the garage
for a rousing game of broomball. A nice fire
at the pond’s edge simmers hot chocolate and
keeps at least one side of the athletes warm.
Activity in nature gradually increases
as spring arrives, then explodes like
a thunderstorm. Migrating birds stop
by on their return travels—here today
and likely gone tomorrow—probably
some of them the same individuals that
dropped in the previous fall.
Summer birds arrive, singing vigorously
and laying claims to territories for nesting. Frogs and toads summon mates, each species
uttering its own distinct call. The pond is
again a noisy, teeming, web of life.
As nature's cycles bring renewal to the
country, so does a visit to a pond for country
dwellers. They need only look around
to revive a lifetime of memories. Trees that
were transplanted as seedlings now provide
shade, and perhaps even anchor a rope swing
over the water. On these banks, generations
of family and friends have convened, sharing
picnics, and celebrating birthdays, anniversaries,
and holidays. The water brings memories
of cool swims, first fish, wild hockey games,
and laughing children. On any given day, the
sights, sounds, and delights of a pond rejuvenate
all who come to enjoy its waters—providing
a genuine fountain of youth.
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