Healing Appalachia: Sustainable Living through Appropriate Technology

28. Ponds and Aquaculture

Through my teaching and research at Kentucky State University , I find a growing interest in aquaculture as a source of income for residents in this region. Extensive to intensive fish production systems have been tested and have shown potential success with a diverse group of fish such as catfish, bass, paddle fish, shrimp, and trout. There are some problems associated with raising fish, but they are not insurmountable. We are here to make your life easier, if you choose to roll up your sleeves and get your feet wet. You may wish to visit our website (www.ksuaquaculture.org), join the Kentucky Aquaculture Association (www.kaatoday.org), seek information at www .msstate.edu/dept/srac, or contact us at (502) 597–8103. Steve Mims, aquaculture research director, Kentucky State University, Frankfort Large and small bodies of water are essential for American rural communities. They provide flood control, recreational opportunities , potable water reserves, dependable barge transportation, some hydroelectric power, and aquatic life. For instance, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) lakes, along with private and public lakes, provide these advantages for residents and visitors alike. Larger impounded water bodies, such as the TVA lakes, have certain benefits, even though ecologists point out that such impoundments can have negative effects on watersheds (e.g., lack of fish movement, loss of mussel diversity, and siltation problems). These lakes are very popular tourist attractions, although some naturalists would argue they are not as attractive CHAPTER 28 Ponds and Aquaculture as natural lakes. We focus here on smaller artificial water bodies typically found in rural areas or near homesteads in Appalachia and other parts of the eastern United States. RURAL FARM PONDS The U.S. Department of Agriculture extension service offers assistance to property holders in installing small lakes or ponds on their land. Part of this help is financial and part is advice to ensure that the ponds serve several purposes, primarily that of providing a dependable source of water for livestock. A well-constructed and maintained pond helps replenish the water table and curb soil erosion by slowing the speed of runoff and contributes to overall watershed flood control. The pond also provides water for fire control, for early garden and flower plants, and for irrigation during droughts. It likewise provides a place for recreation and a source of fish, which can supplement family food needs. Of almost equal importance is the beauty a good water body adds to the landscape. A private lake or pond is a major asset to any property, for it provides a source of land/water harmony. For the appropriate technologist, this is highly important, for harmony is a sign of good ecology and the desire to keep a place tidy, well maintained, and well ordered for healthy living. The pond is an ideal location for meditating and relaxing and enjoying the surrounding countryside. Plants at the water’s edge add beauty and wholeness to the landscape and also supply natural food and habitat for fish. Care should be taken in choosing plants, because exotic aquatic species such as duckweed and water hyacinth are easily established and can spread beyond their boundaries and become invasive . (Invasives are regarded by many environmentalists as the most serious problem, perhaps second only to global warming.) Ground-layer plants beneficial to wildlife, including some that are medicinal and/or edible (see table 15.1), include horsePonds and Aquaculture ❖ 341 radish, swamp milkweed, black mustard, barley, common camas, safflower, common sunflower, bird’s-foot trefoil, white lupine, alfalfa, peppermint, spearmint, watercress, American lotus, East Indian lotus, spatterdock, rice, millet, silverweed, yellow dock, Wapato or duck potato, Virginia glasswort, rye, common chickweed , comfrey, strawberry clover, Alsike clover, swamp cranberry , cranberry, water speedwell, and northern wild rice. Some shrubs, trees, and perennials from 2 to 20 feet in height that can tolerate wet conditions in wetland areas and on pond edges are coyote brush, Jerusalem artichoke, sea buckthorn , damson plum, black currant, American elder, viscid bulrush , broad-leaved cattail, stinging nettle, elderberry, raspberry, blackberry, and highbush blueberry. Suitable shrubs, trees, and perennials that may grow over 50 feet tall are red, black, and white alders; shellbark hickory; white and weeping willow; vine maple; Allegheny chinkapin; sour cherry; common plum; and pear. Farm ponds or lakes also offer very practical advantages. With the growth of environmental consciousness it has become apparent that they help prevent water pollution by providing a...