Pond Home Study Course

Welcome to the Penn State Cooperative Extension Pond Home Study Course! This course is designed for pond owners with ponds larger than one quarter acre in size. Lesson materials are available any time. Simply click on the topic title under each lesson and you will go directly to the material to read. You may read the material on screen or print it out for future reference.

The next course is scheduled to begin on April 9, 2008 and will be limited to 50 participants. Click here for more information about the course. To sign up for the course, complete the registration form and mail to the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office in McKean County. Registration deadline is April 2, 2008.

To help you better understand the lesson materials, the Pond Definitions fact sheet will explain some of the terms used in the various fact sheets listed below.

Some publications are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to read and print the publications. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available free of charge from Adobe's website. Click on the icon on the left to get Adobe Acrobate reader.

Lesson 1: Getting to Know Your Pond

• Pond Assessment and Inspection
• Measuring Pond Area and Volume
• Water Quality Concerns for Ponds
• Pond Ecology
• Parts of a Pond
• Management of Fish Ponds in Pennsylvania (pages 1-16)
• Lesson 1 Frequently Asked Questions

Lesson 2: Pond Maintenance

• Pond Agencies and Permits
• Fixing a Leaking Pond
• Farm Pond Safety
• Ice Safety
• Drawdown Permit
• Pond Liming
• Lesson 2 Frequently Asked Questions

Lesson 3: Aquatic Plants and Algae

• Aquatic Plant Fact Sheet Series
• Controlling Aquatic Plants and Algae in Ponds
• Commonly Used Aquatic Herbicides
• State Permit to Apply an Aquatic Herbicide
• Using Barley Straw to Control Algae
• More Barley Straw Information
• Commercial Aquatic Herbicide Applicators in Pennsylvania
• Using Grass Carp to Control Aquatic Plants
• Management of Fish Ponds in Pennsylvania (pages 24-28)
• Lesson 3 Frequently Asked Questions

Lesson 4: Fisheries

• Management of Fish Ponds in Pennsylvania (pages 16-24)
• Approved Grass Carp Hatcheries in Pennsylvania
• Fish for Pennsylvania Ponds
• Pond Fisheries Management
• Lesson 4 Frequently Asked Questions

Lesson 5: Attracting and Managing Wildlife

• Management of Fish Ponds in Pennsylvania (pages 10-11,29-30)
• Wildlife: Habitat Relationships
• Attracting Wildlife: Sources of Assistance
• Vernal Ponds: Seasonal Habitats for Wildlife
• Riparian Buffers for Wildlife
• Attracting Wildlife to Your Pond
• Controlling Ducks, Geese, and Swans
• Controlling Snakes
• Controlling Woodchucks
• Controlling Birds at Aquaculture Facilities
• Turtles
• Crayfish
• Muskrats
• Beavers
• Lesson 5 Frequently Asked Questions

Lesson 6: Pond Management Studies

• Case Study 1: Water Quality and Wildlife Control
• Case Study 2: Aquatic Plants and Structural Maintenance
• Case Study 3: Fisheries Management
• Lesson 6 Frequently Asked Questions

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

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