Seasonal care calendar

October pond care in Pennsylvania

Leaves, cooling water and drawdowns. What you do now sets up next summer.

• Care

  Keep leaves out of the pond. Penn State says a bottom covered with leaves and dead plants is more likely to suffer winterkill.

  Source: Winterkill in Ponds

• Care

  Planning on barley straw for next year's algae? Barley straw needs no permit (PFBC); it prevents algae rather than killing it. Penn State says it is most effective applied from fall through early spring.

  Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source: Pond Management (FAQ: How can I control algae?) This may be outdated

  Source: Barley Straw for Algae Control

• Permit timing

  PFBC warns that if you draw a pond down after turtles, frogs and salamanders begin hibernating in the mud, and that mud is exposed, the animals will likely be killed. A drawdown can dry out and partly control plants in the exposed area, especially together with freezing weather.

  Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source: Apply to Draw Off Water from Impoundments: Drawdown Considerations This may be outdated

  Permit guide: Lower or drain the water

• Care

  Do a fall walk-around: dam and bank cover, the overflow pipe, signs of leaks, and how much sediment is building up.

  Source: Winter Pond Inspection Checklist; Pond Assessment and Inspection

• Permit timing

  Lake boards: review this year's permits. Any herbicide or algaecide in a pond needs a joint DEP/PFBC Chapter 91 permit first, at any amount. Changes to the waters, products or doses need a new application.

  Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source: Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #2, #3, #8, #10, #11, #28, #29 This may be outdated

  Lake boards: permits by season

This calendar repeats every year. Permit reminders show the date we last checked the rule.

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