Aquabytes Articles

What are they and where do they live? Leeches are segmented worms that are closely related to the friendly neighborhood earthworm.  They are largely aquatic, and many species of leeches live in freshwater environments. They are well adapted to live in the warm waters of lakes, ponds and slow-moving streams.  Leeches prefer shallow waters that are calm and tend to live on the bottom in the sediment—they will often attach to rocks or live under

The Aquascape Environmental team participated in an extraordinary project giving back to the underprivileged children in Romania. We collected sports balls that were left behind in lakes and ponds from our maintenance operations and shipped them to the under-served youth of Romania through the religious/charitable organization, Our Life Mission. Our Life Mission focuses on the Roma people of Romania. Also known as gypsies, these people are considered minorities of the countries they call home and

Unlike the northern part of the country, if you live in Georgia and have a lake or pond on your property it was probably built by someone or something. The “something” could either be a result of beaver activity or it could have been built by the river itself as in the case of an oxbow lake. (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/oxbow-lake/) Yes, there are some natural lakes in the very southern part of Georgia which are formed as

Another case of brain-eating amoeba was confirmed recently in Florida. What is it? A tiny critter known as a protist, more specifically, a carnivorous amoeba that looks like a cartoon blob.  Protists, including amoebas, are not usually harmful, but some of them cause human diseases and infections. Malaria, for example, is caused by a protist, and some amoebas have been known to cause dysentery and other ailments. Naegleria fowleri, or brain eating amoeba, lives in

The choice of an aeration system seems like an arduous decision, yet it can be made much easier when you understand the features and benefits of each type of system along with the dynamics of the pond or lake to be aerated.  With most ponds and lakes being man made storm water basins, the challenge becomes even more important for us to become better stewards of the environment and think long term with our aeration

You’re ready to invest in your lake to create the fishing opportunities you’ve always dreamed of; or you have recently acquired lake property. Perhaps you are a part of a community with a lake and you just want to know what the fish population looks like. Maybe you already know that you have too many bass and need to remove more annually than you have time for with a rod and reel. Whatever the reason

Beavers live throughout North American wetlands and waterways. They’re common in Georgia wherever they can find the right place to call home. They love year-round water flow; therefore, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and low-lying land or swamps are the places to find them. Beavers can be found in ditches, sewage ponds, and urban areas. Beavers are North America’s largest rodents, and their cousin the Eurasian beaver or European beaver is the second largest in the world after capybaras. The capybara, also

Imagine going on vacation and taking a night time walk on the beach and seeing water that glows. The idea seems mystical—maybe as enigmatic as the Northern Lights. It’s hard to fully comprehend what it must be like to witness such a display firsthand. How can such a beautiful, luminous, mysterious occurrence happen? It’s not as rare as you might think. In the continental U.S., pools of bioluminescence can be found on both coasts. Various

The heart of every pond or lake is its drainage system. Drainage systems vary in type, from corrugated metal pipes (CMP) to concrete box culverts to more sophisticated siphon systems, but their essential function is the same: keeping the water level in your pond from becoming either too high or too low. While most owners know they must inspect and maintain the dam, often times the drainage system itself is neglected. CMP drainage systems are

If you are interested in fishing, then you have probably heard the phase “Catch and Release” as it relates to catching and then releasing your catch. Well, the concept of catch and release bass angling was not conceived as a conservation measure but was actually put into play in the early 1970s by a businessman wishing to gain acceptance of organized tournament angling. Early bass tournaments received stiff opposition from local anglers, sports writers, and