Aquatic weed and algae management: It's not black magic!

Algae and weeds are common nuisance pests that inhabit water resources across the country, especially ponds on golf courses. These organisms can cause significant aesthetic issues by forming thick mats, scums, or just turning your water pea green. Even more than the aesthetic issues, it is critical to manage these organisms in golf course ponds due to operational concerns, as their presence can clog intakes and sprinkler heads. Also, many algae can produce taste and odor compounds that may create that nasty smell arising from the pond. Some algae have even been documented to produce allelopathic compounds that can significantly damage irrigated turf. The goal of this presentation is to describe efficient management approaches to preserve the integrity of golf course ponds.