The Great Escape
The warm days of Spring are upon us. I have finally come to terms with the end of Winter- albeit reluctantly. I am now ready to again venture out to explore the outside world especially that which involves water. So on a recent Sunday, I decided to leave this world for a while. No, I am not talking about jumping out a perfectly good airplane to skydive (maybe someday but not this time), but another
Winter Weather?
If you are a Weather Channel devotee like I am, you probably have noticed that their current storyline is not about winter, but the lack thereof. I would guess that ratings are hurting without the normal winter weather extremes that draw folks to the tube. I would also guess that industries that depend on cold winters are hurting as well. It is probably not a good time to get into the snow removal business up
2012 Southeastern NALMS Lake & Watershed Conference
The 21st annual Southeastern North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) Lake & Watershed Conference will be held May 13-15, 2012 at the Ironworks Trade Center in Columbus, GA. This year’s theme is “Ripple Effect: Balancing the Needs of Water Resources for a Sustainable Future.” For more information and to register, visit the event page on the Georgia Lakes Society website.
Buffer Benefits
The USGA (United States Golf Association) Green Section recently published an article advocating the use of vegetated buffers for golf course water features (Fore the Golfer, June 3, 2011). As the article points out, golfers have traditionally preferred the look of closely mown grass all the way to water’s edge, but turf grass management professionals now recognize that there are economical as well as environmental benefits to allowing vegetation in the buffer area. Even within
Swan Lake
The image of a swan gliding regally across a lake has a certain iconic appeal. All swans are in the same biological family as ducks and geese (Anatidae). The Mute Swan, which has white plumage, an orange bill and a long, curved neck, is the most common non-migratory swan species in Georgia. Introduced to North America in the late 19th century for ornamentation, Mute Swans are considered a non-native invasive species here, although they are
Congratulations to our Summer Chair Giveaway winner!
Janet Jankowski of Seven Oaks HOA was the winner of our Summer Chair Giveaway contest. Janet entered the contest via our Facebook page and won an Adirondack chair (assembled and delivered)! Thank you to Janet and everyone else who entered. We appreciate our customers!
A Little Color Commentary
Photo credit: Jim LanierThere is an old saying that “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” That may be true for the literary world but when it comes to lakes, the color of your water — or maybe the lack thereof — tells many a tale. There are many factors that have an effect on the color of your lake water including geology, organic matter and nutrients. In general terms, the less “stuff” there
Pond Slang
Is this pond scum? (Photo credit: iStockphoto.com)As the weather warms up, the Aquascape phones and email inboxes get busy; the growing season is upon us, and that means something less pleasant for lakes and ponds than for the flower garden. From now through the summer months, local water bodies are susceptible to a nuisance “blooming” of aquatic vegetation and/or algae. If you don’t muck around in water for a living, it isn’t always easy to
Celebrate Earth Day with Action!
“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” — Aldo Leopold Earth Day holds a special place in my heart for two reasons: 1) the date, April 22, is also my younger daughter’s birthday – and appropriately enough, our Earth Day “baby” (she’ll be 29 this year) loves the outdoors; and 2) as a professional in the field
Electro-Fishing for Pond Balance
“Electro-fishing” — it sounds like something exciting or dangerous — or both! In reality, electro-fishing is an accurate and efficient method for determining the current state of your fishery population and its dynamics. In the electro-fishing process, fish are temporarily stunned and collected to gather data about the species, weights and relative population numbers in your lake or pond. Fish are released unharmed. Pond balance (specifically, a good ratio of bass to bream) is necessary
