Reflections of a Farm Pond

YEAR 1
It doesn't seem possible that only a year ago the earth movers left and I started filling up with water. Luckily, a good layer of clay was left on the bottom and I sealed without difficulty. By fall I held enough water to permit stocking of largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish, and my owners are looking forward to angling in a few years. But I see a problem on the horizon. Even though grass is beginning to reappear around me, I know my banks are going to slowly erode because my owners are letting their cows and horse graze right down to my water's edge.

YEAR 10
My owners made a major decision this year. After watching my banks erode and noting my clouded water, they decided to fence the livestock out and provide a 60-foot buffer zone around me. Of course, my water is important to the animals so a siphon device was installed to carry some of my water to stock tanks situated below my dam. Almost immediately I was encircled with sprouting grass and the children planted trees and brush nearby on the hill.

YEAR 18
I've been carefully managed for eight years now, but last May I was dealt a severe blow. The youngest child invited four friends over to fish, and in one afternoon they removed so many bass that it threw me completely out of balance. This fall the bluegill are so numerous that I fear I'll only recover through complete renovation. I'll find out next spring when the fishery folks from the state fish and wildlife department come and take a look at me. I overheard my owners making the arrangements while discussing a wise plan. Instead of banning fishing by outsiders, they're asking those same anglers that over fished me to help with the renovation so they'll understand the importance of proper management.

Well managed, privately owned farm ponds provide a variety of experiences and enjoyment for Kentuckians. This piece is written from a pond's point of view to demonstrate how nearly a century's worth of natural developments and management decisions effected it.