Extension Wildlife & Fisheries Specialists Conferences

 

Date of this Version

October 2006

Comments

Published in Proceedings, 11th Triennial National Wildlife & Fisheries Extension Specialists Conference, October 14-18, 2006, Big Sky, MT.

Abstract

The primary emphasis of this survey was to determine what specific problems Texas private impoundment owners/managers confront, how widely these problems occur, and where owners/managers get their information on pond management. A secondary emphasis was to examine the potential utilization of the Internet to gather information and distributed outreach materials. A random sample of 2,999 private impoundment (i.e., no public waters) applicants for Triploid Grass Carp Permits from Texas Parks and Wildlife was utilized as the survey mailing list. A 49-question survey was developed and placed on a secure web site. Each questionnaire contained five sections: general pond characteristics, physical pond characteristics, aquatic vegetation, fish and other wildlife, and management goals. Two post-card mailings were made asking recipients to go to the online web site and fill out the survey. The overall response rate was 21.3% (excluding non-deliverable postcards and unusable submitted surveys). Summary statistics for each question were calculated and then analyzed in order to gain a clearer picture of pond management practices employed by Texas impoundment owners/ managers. Results indicated some initial discrepancies between management practices and preferences and common management recommendations. This was illustrated most dramatically in aquatic vegetation management and basic understanding of management principles.

Share

COinS