Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-17

ponds increase as they NJ
It is the bright spot on
horizon.
The Washington area
the finest fishing streams on
the Eastern Seaboard-the up
per Potomac. the north and
south forks of the Shenandoah.
the Rapahannock, the Rapidan
and others. The fact that these
continue fruitful is to the ever
lasting credit Of the conserva-
ton officials Of Maryland. Vir-
ginia and West Virginia.
Yet the Washington area
ranks far behind such states as
Wisconsin, Minnesota or Maine
in the number Of natural lakes
and ponds available for public
fishing.
Pressure Mounting
Furthermore. the fishing
pressure has been mounting
steadily since the last war. Fish
and Wildlife in an economic
survey found that nearly So bill
lion per year was being spent on
fishing. 1t also discovered that
one man among every four was
Q fisherman.
The trout stocking program
for one In both Maryland and
Virginia is largely "put and
take" Bass, bluegills and crap
pie fare better, but If it weren't
for steady stocking of bass, they
too would be in short supply.
1t Is only natural then that
the game and fish commissions
have given their enthusiastic
support to anyone who cares to-
build . pond on his property.
For the farmer the pond serves
as q watering place for his
stock. an irrigation source and
q recreation center.
The United States Soil Con-
servation Service office in
Richmond now counts 1855
farm ponds in Virginia. That's
more than a three-fold increase
in the last five years, since
prior to 1858 there were only
5,201.
Most Used for Recreation
That includes ponds for all
purposes. Many, in fact the
majority, are used for recrea-
tion-swimming and fishing.
1t is not difficult to establish
one, but technical advice is a
must. Some sites simply are not
suitable and it is better to have
no pond at all than a mudhole.
Farmers may obtain help
through their Soil Conservation
Districts. The Commission of
Game and Inland Fisheries, the
Fish and Wildlife Service and
the Virginia Agricultural Ex-
tension Service all can direct
those interested to sources of
technical aid.
An acre should be about the
right size for the pond. In any
event it should not be smaller
than a quarter-acre nor larger
than two acres. A one-acre
pond will produce good fishing
for three or four families.
Convenience Important
Convenience is another fac
tor. Having it handy to the
house means it will get the best
care. Surroundings, too, are i'm
portant and 1t may be necessary
to plant or remove trees and
shrubs to improve the appear
ance.
Where run-off water is the
source of supply, topography of
the area is important. Some
ponds fail because too much
water pours into them during
rainy spells.
A pond also must have ade-
quate depth. An average of 4
feet is considered best and this
means that considerable por-
ton must be 6 feet or more
deep. In addition, it is easier
to keep the pond free Of weeds
if it is deep enough.
+. Remove Stumps and Brush
Remove all stumps and brush,
[ which is quite contrary to the
old idea that these were needed
to have good fishing.
: For safety of the pond a good
spillway is necessary to dispose
| of surplus water. 1t should be
wide, for if the flow of water is
: more than 6 inches deep many
4, disable fish may be carried
; away. In any event do not in
stall a screen across it. They
are too likely to clog and cause
: your dam to wash out.
/ The dam should have a grad
! ual slope, top width of at least
8 feet and be at least 8 feet
5 above the Spillway. The soil
RIIG M RnAT