STREAMS AND PONDS

STREAMS AND PONDS
Ponds and streams have always held a special
place in the hearts of kids growing up. Whether
fishing with the family, exploring along the
banks, or just enjoying the open sky, the pond
is a destination and a potential lifetime memory.
Over the years many children of B-CC IWLA
families have had their first ever outdoor
experiences hiking to our ponds and fishing with
their parents.
STREAMS
Children Fishing the Big Pond
Our Conservation Farm lies in the southwest
corner of the Seneca Creek Watershed, and in the Dry Seneca Creek Subbasin. Small
seasonal streams, known collectively as Horsepen Branch, join the subbasin near its
junction with Seneca Creek and the Potomac River. One of the tributaries of Horsepen
Branch starts south of Poolesville near the junction of Westerly Road and West Willard
Road. Another of these tributaries flows through the ponds at the Poolesville Public
Golf Course and enters chapter property at the Northeast Woods. Only the southern
portion of the West Woods is not drained by Horsepen Branch. These seasonal streams
and a riparian buffer on each side enjoy special protections under the Conservation
Farm’s conservation easements.
The following definition from Wikipedia
provides a good description of a riparian
buffer: “A riparian buffer is a vegetated
area (a "buffer strip") near a stream,
usually forested, which helps shade and
partially protect a stream from the impact
of adjacent land uses. It plays a key role
in increasing water quality in associated
streams, rivers, and lakes, thus providing
environmental benefits. With the decline
of many aquatic ecosystems due to
agricultural production, riparian buffers
have become a very common
Riparian Buffer
conservation practice aimed at
increasing water quality and reducing pollution.” Our Conservation Farm contains 88
acres of riparian buffers.
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STREAMS AND PONDS
PONDS
Ponds are built for many purposes. In this part of the country, the majority are used to
water livestock. Ponds also provide irrigation, nutrient cycling for the ecosystem, wildlife
and fish production, recreational and educational opportunities, sediment control, and
simple aesthetic beauty, which adds value to property. There are 50,000 ponds
covering about 150,000 acres in Maryland, but no natural lakes.
The Conservation Farm has two ponds: known to all as the “Big Pond” and the “Little
Pond.” Both are man-made with an earthen dam and graveled spillway. They serve the
Conservation Farm as fishing holes, educational facilities, sediment basins, and wildlife
water sources. Both ponds are in the upper reaches of parts of Horsepen Branch.
Several ponds along the Horsepen Branch Watershed Management Area (including the
ponds on the chapter grounds) have been designated as wetlands of state concern
because of their botanical diversity and value to wildlife. Certain rare, threatened, and
endangered species can be found along them.
THE BIG POND
The Big Pond covers approximately 2.23 acres, and its depth averages 5 feet with the
deepest portion being 8 feet near the overflow-outfall at its eastern end. The pond is fed
by a seasonal stream that enters the pond at its northern end. During periods of drought
there is no stream flow into the pond, and it becomes a captive body of water whose
level fluctuates with evaporation and rainfall.
Located at the northeast
corner of the Main Farm,
the Big Pond (sometimes
called Walton Pond by
mapping agencies) is
bordered to the East by
the B5 field, and to the
South by the C2 and C3
fields. The easiest
access to the Big Pond is
to walk North on the
eastern side of the
Nature Trail Loop
through the Cathedral of
the Pines between the
C3 and C2 fields.
The Big Pond
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STREAMS AND PONDS
The watershed of the Big Pond is mostly forested with a few developed lands (and a
few homes) to the North and Northwest of the Conservation Farm property line. In 1998
the big pond was entirely silted in and biologically unproductive. A contractor was hired
to take out tons of sediment, pile it on either side of the pond. The standpipe was
replaced, and concrete rip rap, obtained from the foundation of the old chapter house
was placed in the upper end of the pond. The stream coming into the pond was
diverted slightly to create an eddy which would help capture silt between the rip rap and
the area where the stream enters the pond.
Underwater rip rap mounds and some wooden structures were placed in the Big Pond
to create underwater terrain for fish and other aquatic life. In 2009, additional structures
were added by sinking wooden pallets with
concrete weights to provide structure for fish.
Many of our members take a break from their
busy lives to fish, picnic, or just sit and
contemplate nature at the ponds. And while
one is there, and depending on the season,
one may see some of the rare species of
plants and woodland and aquatic animals
conducting their own busy lives around the
ponds.
Underwater Rip Rap
An ongoing inventory of plants, aquatic insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals
living on the Conservation Farm can be found in the “Wildlife Counts” webpages on the
B-CC IWLA Website (www.bcciwla.org). Of special interest are some of the shoreline
and aquatic plants found at the Big Pond. Surrounding the pond is a well established
population of the Halberd-leaved Rose mallow. This shoreline plant has tall erect stems
and sports a three-inch flower with a rose
center. The Big Pond has one of the few
populations of this native plant in this part of
Maryland. Each summer the surface of the
Big Pond is covered with a dense floating
bloom of a small aquatic plant known as
duckweed. Other aquatic plants of interest
are the pondweeds, including Elodea and
Potamogeton growing in the shallow water
of the pond. While these plants provide
oxygen, food and cover for fish and insects,
an overabundance can degrade water
quality.
Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow
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STREAMS AND PONDS
Both of the Conservation Farm’s ponds have been stocked with native Largemouth
Bass a species of “black bass” in the sunfish family. Largemouths are an aggressive
predator usually managed in small lakes in conjunction with one or another of the
smaller sunfish as their major prey species. The other purposely stocked native sunfish
in the Conservation Farm ponds is the Bluegill. The Bluegills serve as prey for the
bass, and are fun to catch on light tackle. Fishing at the Conservation Farm ponds is
strictly catch and release, and subject to Maryland fishing regulations.
Non-venomous snakes that may be found at the Big Pond include the Black Rat Snake,
Eastern Ribbon Snake, and Common Garter Snake. Common turtles include the
Eastern Box Turtles and Painted Turtles. During spring
and summer the air is filled with the sounds of chorusing of
Spring Peepers, Green Frogs, American Toads, and
Bullfrogs, which are abundant at the Big Pond. Spotted
Salamanders and Red Spotted Newts may be found in
and around the ponds perimeter. Be sure to look for the
colorful and active dragonflies and damselflies defending
territories over the Big Pond, during the summer, including
Eastern Pond Hawk, Common Whitetail, and the rare
Arrow-head Spiketail.
In years past, American Beaver have built dams and
flooded the land to the north and south of the Big Pond,
and are sometimes found frequenting the upstream and
downstream from the Big Pond. Their presence is usually
Largemouth Bass
announced with a loud tail “slap” on the surface of the
water. Evidence of previous beaver activity can still be seen around the pond.
Migrant waterfowl regularly seen at the Big Pond include Canada Goose, Mallard,
Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Scaup and Merganser that raise young on the Big
Pond. From time to time Great Blue Heron and Green Herons may be seen stalking
frogs and small fish along the pond shore.
Nesting boxes are provided for Wood
Ducks on the north shore, below the dam,
and above the inlet at the Big Pond.
Migrant waterfowl are regularly seen at all
seasons. Great Blue and Green-backed
Herons are regular visitors to the fringes of
the pond in the summer months.
Great Blue Heron at the Big Pond
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STREAMS AND PONDS
The Chapter has developed an active colony of Tree Swallows at the Big Pond through
the placement of predator-proof nest boxes. During the nesting season these boxes are
checked at least weekly and the data on eggs,
young, and fledging results are reported to
citizen science projects annually. A few of the
boxes are regularly used by other cavitynesting species such as Carolina Chickadee,
Tufted Titmouse, and House Wren. Members
and visitors are welcome to observe and
photograph the nesting birds providing they do
not disturb them. To participate in the nest
check schedule, please contact the Wildlife
Chairman.
Tree Swallow / Predator-Proof Nest Boxes
Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Wild Turkey raise their young around the Big Pond.
Several species of forest birds regularly use the edge habitat (ecotone) between the
surrounding forest and the pond to forage and raise their young.
THE LITTLE POND
Located in front of the Log Cabin, the Little Pond provides an idyllic view from the
Chapter House. The watershed of the Little Pond includes runoff from the Rifle and
Pistol Range, a brushy area to the west, and mown grasses. The drainage below the
Little Pond runs through a wooded area past the Bee Hives before it runs into the
Horsepen Creek.
The Little Pond was drained at the same time as the Big Pond. The ramp and deck
were constructed at this time and a new standpipe was installed. The ramp and deck
provide easy access to fishing, and houses the aerator mechanism.
An ongoing inventory of plants and
wildlife found at the Conservation
Farm can be found in the Chapter
Natural Resources Inventory in the
“Wildlife Counts” webpages on the
B-CC IWLA Website
(www.bcciwla.org). Of special note is
the water lily infestation at the Little
Pond, a result of the pond being very
shallow. The layers of shale rock
underlying the pond are close to the
surface, preventing extensive
excavation. The Little Pond has a
breeding population of Spring
The Little Pond
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STREAMS AND PONDS
Peepers, Green Frogs, Bullfrogs, and American Toads. Each of these species can be
heard calling at different times from early spring through fall. A variety of snakes,
turtles, dragonflies, damselflies, and salamanders may be found around the pond
throughout the year.
AERATORS
Both ponds have solar powered aerators installed to keep the pond well mixed and
supplied with dissolved oxygen during the hot summers and open water in the winter.
Ponds like those on the B-CC farm suffer from
overheating and low oxygen levels when
summer temperatures soar and seasonal
creeks stop running into the pond. Layers of
warm water form on the surface of the pond
and act like a sheet of plastic preventing
oxygen from dissolving into the deeper layers
of the pond. During hot summer nights when
aquatic plants stop the process of
photosynthesis, dissolved oxygen levels can
become dangerously low.
Installing a Solar-aerator System
The solar-powered aeration systems capture
energy from the sun via photovoltaic panels (solar panels), which charge a 12-volt
battery during the daytime. The battery operates air-pumps controlled by a timer.
During the afternoon, nighttime, and morning, the air-pumps deliver compressed air to
the “diffusers” mounted on the bottom of the pond. These diffusers create columns of
air-bubbles that rise up from the bottom of the pond, lifting the bottom water to the
surface and breaking up the warm surface layer and mixing the water.
The mixing action from the columns of airbubbles improves conditions for the fish,
turtles, crayfish, and other creatures that
call the pond their home. In addition,
mixing the water discourages the growth of
algae and duckweed during the summer
months, and improves the down-stream
water quality.
Solar-powered Aeration system
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