 Ponds are production unit, naturally or artificially made.

 Ponds may arise naturally in flood plains as part of a river system or from isolated depression.
 A large water body, typically of earthen construction usually smaller than lakes.
 Earthen ponds are most used unit throughout the world.
 It may arise naturally in the flooded area of a river system, or in isolated depressions. Any depression in the
ground which collects and retains a sufficient amount of precipitation can be considered a pond, and such
depressions can be formed by a variety of geological and ecological events.
 Rivers often leave behind ponds in natural floodplains after spring flooding, and these can be very important
to breeding fish, particularly in large river systems like the Amazon.
 Retreating glaciers can leave behind landscapes filled with small depressions, each developing its own pond;
an example is the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Many areas of landscape contain small
depressions which form temporary ponds after spring snow melts, or during rainy seasons; these are
called vernal ponds, and may be important sites for amphibian breeding.
 Some ponds are created by animals. Beaver ponds are the best-known example, but alligators also excavate
ponds as well.
 In landscapes with organic soils, fires can also create depressions during periods of drought; these become
open water when normal water levels return.
 By the Limnologists & Fresh water Biologists, include some basic points in the formal definition of pond.
These are- 1. In the water body, natural light can penetrate to the bottom of the water body.
2. Water body may shallow enough for rooted water plants to grow throughout.
3. Water body with lack wave action on the shore line.
 The international Ramsar wetland convention sets the upper limit for pond size as 8 hectares (80,000 m2;
20 acres).
 Researchers for the British charity Pond Conservation have defined a pond to be 'a man-made or natural
waterbody that is between 1 m2 (0.00010 hectares; 0.00025 acres) and 20,000 m2 (2.0 hectares; 4.9 acres) in
area, which holds water for four months of the year or more.
 More than 40% of world’s aquaculture production is carried out in ponds.
 Main aim- to create a restricted areas where aquatic organisms can be reared in a good water environment.
 Ponds are used for the provision of fish and other wildlife including waterfowl, which is a source of food for
humans. Pollutants entering ponds are often substantially mitigated by the natural sedimentation and
biological activities within the water body.
 Ponds are also a major contributor to local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals.
 In the Indian subcontinent, Hindu temples usually have a pond nearby so that pilgrims can take baths. These
ponds are considered sacred.
 In medieval times in Europe, it was typical for many monastery and castles (small, partly self-sufficient
communities) to have fish ponds. These are still common in Europe and in East Asia (notably Japan),
where koi may be kept.
 Waste stabilization ponds are used as a low-cost method for wastewater treatment.
 In agriculture, treatment ponds may reduce nutrients released downstream from the pond. They may also
provide irrigation reservoirs at times of drought.
 Can be used for both finfish & shellfish, seed production, raising it to the marketable size.
 Provide water for agriculture.
 Can be use as livestock culture and habitat restoration purpose.
 Ponds can store thermal energy as Solar Pond & treat waste water as Treatment ponds.
 A pond unit consisting of pond basin, dyke, inlet & outlet according to the slope of a pond. A defining feature
of a pond is the presence of standing water which provides habitat for wetland plants and animals. Often, the
entire margin of the pond is fringed by wetland, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide
shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the shore of the pond. Some grazing animals
like geese and muskrats consume the wetland plants directly as a source of food. In many other cases,
however, the pond plants fall into the water and decay. Many invertebrates then feed on the decaying plants,
and these invertebrates provide food for wetland species including fish. The open water may allow algae to
grow, and these algae may support yet another food web that includes aquatic insects and minnows. A pond,
therefore, may have combinations of three different food webs, one based on larger plants, one based upon
decayed plants, and one based upon algae. Hence, ponds often have many different animal species using the
wide array of food sources. They, therefore, provide an important source of biological diversity in landscapes..
 Pond ecosystem is a natural ecosystem.
 Due to presence of Algae, full algal photosynthesis is takes place.
 Daily fluctuations in DO takes place. (Daytime algae produce O2 & in the night they used up that O2)
 pH fluctuations also takes place. ( Daytime- less CO2 higher pH, night- more CO2 lower pH)
 Nutrient amounts affects due to nitrogen cycle. ( Daytime- more O2, Nitrification, nitrogen to nitrite
(NO2-) & nitrate (NO3-) , Night- lessO2, Denitrification, Nitrogen production).
 Advantage – 1. Possible to utilize the biological production (total amount of biomass produced nu living
organisms within a given area in a specific period of time) which includes pray that is food for the fish.
2. Less water exchange due to decomposition of waste.
 Disadvantages – 1. Low production per unit volume.
2. Difficulties of maintaining water quality and actual fish biomass.
 The ecosystem of the pond mainly effected by – pond depth, duration of water level, presence of nutrients,
presence of shades, drainage system, salinity.
 Vernal ponds are ponds which dry up for part of the year. They are so called because they are typically at their
peak depth in the spring (the meaning of "vernal" comes from the Latin word for spring). Naturally occurring
vernal ponds do not usually have fish. The absence of fish is a very important characteristic since it provides
amphibians with breeding locations free from predation by fish. Hence, introducing fish to a pond can have
seriously detrimental consequences. In some parts of the world, such as California, the vernal ponds have rare
and endangered plant species. On the coastal plain, they provide habitat for endangered frogs such as
the Mississippi Gopher Frog.
 Another important way to add ponds back into landscapes is to restore rivers so that they can flood and
meander to create large numbers of natural ponds, including vernal pools and wetlands, in river valleys.
 Ponds for a specific purpose keep the adjective, such as "stock pond", used for watering livestock.
 some FAQs:
 How to measure volume of a pond?
L * W * H * 7.48 where 7.48 = Numeric factor
L = Length
H = Height
W = Width
 The largest pond in the world – Great Pond (New England) – 34.53 km2.
 The largest artificial pond in India – Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Sonebhadra U.P.)
 Estimation of fish count in a Pond?
Considering general rule: 1 inch of fish per 10 gallons of water.
Ex—if your pond is 3000 gallons, 30 fish of 10 inches long can be accommodate with maintained
biological filtration.
 How much salt can be added to a pond?
Salinity level should be maintained and it must be between 0.05% and 0.1%. Iodized salt should not
be added. If sea salt is added that should not cross salinity to 0.3%.

Classification of ponds.
A. Ponds types based on shape:
a. Rectangular
b. Circular
c. Oval
d. Irregular
B. Ponds types based on construction:
a. Excavated ponds or Dug-out:
 Constructed by removing soil from an area from a depression & filled with it with a water.
 Any shape can be formed but rectangular is most common as it is easy to form with excavation
equipment.
 Limitations- water removal is to be done by pumping, dyke is need to be constructed otherwise
flooding may occur- complete crop loss and unwanted species may introduce, additional
expanses foe settle faecal matter, addition of aeration for maintaining O2 level.
b. Embankment ponds or levee pond:
 These are the ponds created by constructing a dam, dyke or embankment across the water
source.
 Dyke is sufficiently wide to carry traffic i.e. feeding, maintenance, harvesting.
 Most common for fish culture.
 This can be constructed in a great range of topographic condition
 Large area can be used.
 Water drainage system is through gravity or excavated canal drainage system in conjugated
through pond area.
 Two ways for establishment-
i. At ground level: Soil is brought from outside to build the dyke.
ii. Above the ground level and the bottom is below the ground level: excavated soil is used
for construction purpose, reduce the cost.

c. Ravine pond: (watershed pond)

 Utilize the terrine feature, have advantages of natural slope of hill.
 Making the dam in the lower part of the hill, the water flow of the river is interrupted and the
pond is made.
 Not very common.

C. Ponds types based on drainable facility:

a. Drainable pond:
 Effective harvesting system
 Control over water
 Easy to supply aeration, feeding, fertilize & maintenance.
  Cultivation can run more intensively (maximum production of fish from minimum quantity of
water) depends upon the growth rate & amount of fish.
 Establishment cost high.

b. Non-drainable pond:
 For larger pond or several hatcheries.
 Low establishment cost.
 Cultivation can run extensively.

D. Classification of ponds based on source of water:

a. Sunken ponds :
 Not having inlet and outlet structures.
 These ponds are filled up with rain water (sky pond) or by run-off water ( part of water cycle
that flows over the land surface instead
of being absorbed into ground water or
evaporating) or spring water.
 Fish culture is more extensive.
 Extra efforts needs to improve for
aeration, maintenance of water quality.
 Lack of O2 takes place.

b. Barrage ponds:
 These ponds are usually filled by
rainfall or by spring water.
 A spring sends the water flowing through a
small valley or down a slope into a low place or a
spring bubbles form the ground into a natural
depression.
 The pond is formed by collecting water at
the base of the valley and in the low places.
 The number of pond walls to be constructed
depends upon the slope of the land and drainage
system to be provided.
  Barrage ponds should not be built where the flow of water is too great; it is difficult to keep
the water from breaking down the wall, if the pressure of water is too great. Even when the
flow of water is not great, however, barrage ponds require over flow channels. Because
barrage ponds are usually built in low areas they are likely to fill up with heavy rains.
 The over flow channels discharge the extra water away form the ponds & overflow
successively one into other. If this extra water is not taken out, the pond wall may break.
 Advantage: The cost of construction is less.
 Disadvantages :
o Difficulty to manage.
o Difficulty to control disease.
o Difficulty to prevent the entry of unwanted things.

c. Diversion ponds:
 These ponds are made by bringing
water (diverting) from another
source like stream or river.
 Channels are dug to carry the water
from the source to the pond.
 Diversion ponds can be made in a
number of ways. Sometimes a pond
is dug in flat ground can be made by slightly enlarging a natural depression of the land.
 Number of ponds wall depending upon the topography of the land and the drainage system
used.
 A pond dug in flat ground often requires four walls; a pond built in a natural depression may
not. In these ponds the direct entry of water can be avoided.
 When a series of diversion ponds is built, they are built in two ways.
1. Rosary system
2. Parallel system

1. Rosary system:
 A by-pass channel present to
evacuates excess water. Pond
overflow successively one into
another.
  This can be adopted for valleys having steep longitudinal slopes or when the water flow is
insufficient.
 These ponds are built one after another in a string.
 In this system all the ponds drain into each other and must be managed as if they were one pond.
Therefore if the first pond in the series is full of predators which must be poisoned, all the other
ponds in the system have to be harvested and drained before the first pond can be poisoned and
drained.
 It is cheap and easy to build.
 This can be following type:
 No supply channel: a single by-pass for evacuating excess water. Linked ponds without
having individual/ autonomous water supply.
 A supply channel: there will be two by-pass; one for supply, the other for evacuation of
excess water. Linked ponds with autonomous and individual water supply.

2. Parallel system:

 There will be two by-pass, one for

water-supply, another for
evacuation of excess water and
emptying the pond.
 Each pond having own
independent supply & evacuation.
Therefore each pond can be
managed as separate pond.
 Suitable in valleys with gentle
longitudinal slope.
 This can be following types:
I. One series pond: built
in narrow valleys.
II. Two series pond: built in wide valleys.