Pond & Lake Audit Electrofishing Greenville SC

• Electrofishing is the most scientifically advanced method of analyzing fish populations in freshwater lakes and ponds in the southeastern United States.  We will weigh and measure the fish, determine predator to prey balance, total species abundance, undesirable species presence and general health of fishery.  Collected fish are weighed and measured to provide us with a relative weight (Wr) index. The Wr compares the standard weight of a bass at a given length to the actual weight of the collected bass at the same length. This parameter determines the “plumpness” of the specimens.
• Water Quality Analysis is conducted for several important water quality parameters. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is measured using an YSI oxygen meter. Hardness and alkalinity are measured using portable Hatch® equipment. We use a secchi disk, portable pH meter, and a portable conductivity meter to determine visibility, pH and conductivity, respectively.
• Site Study is conducted on the physical characteristics of the pond or lake.  We will identify any aquatic vegetation/algae problems, make observations in regards to dam and outlet pipe integrity, fish habitat availability, etc.  We will also determine maximum depth and average depth as well use GPS or satellite imagery to accurately figure surface acres.
• Management Report is written based on collected data. It will contain a section on methods along with an explanation of our results. The report will also provide you with detailed management recommendations for stocking with species and sizes, harvesting rates of certain species and sizes, supplemental feeding recommendations, lime/fertilizer recommendations.  It also contains the site enhancements in regards to dam /outlet repair, fish habitat enhancement, and/or aquatic weed control. All management reports are submitted on CD in power point format.

Additional Services:

1. Age/Growth Study: We will remove the otolith (earbone) from a sample of fish to determine their age. The information provides valuable insight into their growth potential.
2. Necropsy: The fish will visually be observed for external parasites on all surveys.  In addition to this we will exam the guts of a couple of fish for the presence or absence of parasites, intestinal worms, flukes, etc. If fish are not growing well this might provide us with some answers.
3. Fish Tagging: We will tag up to 20 bass with numbered tags to track growth of those fish.  All numbered bass are weighed and measured and tag number is provided with report to monitor their progress in growth. 

Additional DNA Study: We will remove the liver of 20-30 largemouth bass to determine genetics. Liver samples are extracted, placed on dry ice and shipped to Texas A & M.


For more of Platinum Ponds services visit http://www.platinumponds.com/lake-management.html
For more info or to request your Pond & Lake Audit call Richard with Platinum Ponds @ (864) 430-4700.