spring - turned water hole - turned cat-tail mess

[j-bird]

Well I was out yesterday poking about my place and thought I would go check on a water hole - yes it's truely just a hole. The spot was a natural spring where I had a track hoe come over (neighbor had some work being done - only cost me a a dinner plate of supper and a cold beer) and simplytake out a few scoops and build a small damn. The entire thing is only 6 feet square but the deer love it. It filled right up with good cold ground water. Well - as of yesterday it had become choked full with cat-tails. I pulled what Icould by hand, but something (not briars - I checked first) cut the crap out of my arm in the process (looks like Ipicked up a tom cat by the base of the tail). Anyway I have a reliable water source, but I now have to find a way to better use it to water the deer without dealing with the weeds. I am thinking of getting a cheap little kids plastic pool and setting it in the ground and then either running the water form the spring to it in some manner or try to set it over the spring with a hole for the water to perk up through. I'll take som pics once I get started, but which "plan" sounds likely to be more successful? Ihae a FEL but due to soft ground I have to be careful - I fear most work will be with a shovel.

 

[THunter]

Just spray 'em with roundup

 

[dipper]

If u pulled a bunch that will set them back big time next year. Just get in there and pull the rest early next summer. It is just yearly maintence after that.

 

[j-bird]

The chemicals wont "taint" the water? We fought cat-tails in my folks pond for years to get it under control. Pull and toss method, but it was a big mess to start with. Not sure what cut myarm all up - but I wasn't smart enough to stop either!

 

[biglakeba$$]

I have a pond in my yard at home, and walked around the perimeter with roundup mixed in standard ratio and those cattails haven't been seen in a few years now. :)

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'm not an expert and I could be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that round-up can hurt amphibians. I like frogs and toads, so I would just pull the weeds by hand.

 

[West Branch]

I'm not an expert and I could be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that round-up can hurt amphibians. I like frogs and toads, so I would just pull the weeds by hand.

I have heard that too. There is a gly called Rodeo that can be used over water.

 

[biglakeba$$]

My pond is nice and clean now, and full of frogs.... there may have been some damage to the "community" at the time.... whoops.

Its a man made pond, so I kind of look at it differently than if it were a natural area. Right, wrong or indifferent on doing it, it worked very good.