How we check facts
Sources & Verification
Every rule, fee and deadline on this site is a dated fact with a source. We read the regulation, the agency page or the form itself, record the date, and show it beside the fact. Nothing is stated from memory.
How the dates work
"Checked Oct 4, 2026" means that is the day we last read the source. After about thirteen months a fact turns amber ("This may have changed"). After two years it turns red, and any product that contains it goes off sale until it is re-checked. Older guidance that agencies no longer state is labelled "Older PFBC guidance" and never presented as current.
How we re-check
Once a year, before the spring permit season, every source is re-read, every fact re-dated or corrected, and the PDFs reissued as a new edition. Readers can mark any fact "This may be outdated"; those flags feed the next check. We don't reply to flags.
What we use
Pennsylvania Code text, agency web pages and forms (DEP, PFBC, PDA, DCNR), Penn State Extension articles, federal sources (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA, USGS, eCFR) and, for a few plant descriptions, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. We link the source with every fact and never quote at length.
The register
| Fact | What it says | Source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F01 | You need a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission triploid grass carp permit for each waterbody before you buy or stock triploid grass carp. The application fee is $85, and PFBC returns it if the permit is denied. | 58 Pa. Code § 71a.10, Triploid grass carp (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F02 | Waterbodies larger than 5 surface acres need an Environmental Inspection Report completed by a qualified biologist, fisheries scientist or environmental scientist. PFBC publishes these applications in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for public comment, which PFBC says significantly increases review time. PFBC may also ask for a report on a smaller waterbody. | Triploid Grass Carp Stocking Permit Application (PFBC-TGC-005, rev. 7/24), instruction 10 (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F03 | Water leaving a grass carp pond must be screened so the fish cannot escape: PFBC's form calls for bars or grating with 1-inch vertical spacing and a photo of the installed device, even for repeat applicants. A device on a DEP-regulated dam or its outlet needs DEP approval before it is installed, with the approval letter sent in with the application. If the pond never overflows, you show that instead, with a photo looking toward the low point. | Triploid Grass Carp Stocking Permit Application (PFBC-TGC-005, rev. 7/24), instructions 12 and 18 (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F04 | Only triploid (sterile) grass carp certified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may be stocked, bought from a PFBC-approved dealer, with a bill of sale showing the certification. The permit must be shown to an officer on request. | 58 Pa. Code § 71a.10(f), Triploid grass carp: prohibited acts (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F05 | A grass carp permit is valid for the number of fish and the time period it states. PFBC policy is that permit holders wait two years before applying again for the same waterbody, and every new stocking needs a new application. | Triploid Grass Carp Stocking Permit Application (PFBC-TGC-005, rev. 7/24), Additional Information (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F06 | Older PFBC guidance: the PFBC pond owner's guide from about 2012 (when the fee was $75) told applicants to allow about 40 days for a grass carp permit, or 60 days when an Environmental Inspection Report and a Pennsylvania Bulletin notice are needed. PFBC's current application form (rev. 7/24) gives no processing time. | Pond Owner's Guide to the Use of Triploid Grass Carp in Pennsylvania (PFBC, 6-12; copy hosted by Susquehanna County Conservation District) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Older PFBC guidance This may be outdated |
| F07 | PFBC's "2026 Approved Triploid Grass Carp Dealers" list (updated March 2026) names 16 approved dealers, 6 of them based in Pennsylvania. PFBC publishes a new list each year. | 2026 Approved Triploid Grass Carp Dealers (updated March 2026) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F08 | According to PFBC, grass carp prefer pondweeds, common elodea, coontail, naiad, duckweed, watermeal, chara (muskgrass), watermilfoil, bladderwort and water-stargrass. They usually do not eat or control filamentous algae, large-leaf pondweed, cattail, bulrush, arrowhead, burreed, watershield, white water lily or spatterdock. | Using Grass Carp to Control Aquatic Plants (updated May 19, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09 | Since January 1, 2024, anyone who stocks fish into Pennsylvania waters, including private and farm ponds, must file a Notice of Stocking with PFBC first. It is free, filed online through HuntFishPA or on paper form PFBC-NOS-001, one notice per waterbody (one notice can cover several stockings there in the same calendar year), and your hatchery or dealer may file it for you. A copy must be at the pond while fish are stocked. Not needed: closed decorative ponds with no outflow to other waters, aquarium fish kept indoors, stocking under a grass carp permit, and waters inside a licensed propagation facility. Fish from another state need PFBC's written permission before release, and fish from pet stores or ornamental fish dealers may never be released. A Waterways Conservation Officer may warn you or issue a $150 citation. | 58 Pa. Code § 71a.5, Notice of Stocking to the Commission (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09b | Fish you stock must also appear on PFBC's "Species by Watershed Approved for Open System (Flow Through) Propagation and Introductions" list for your watershed (Ohio, Erie/Genesee, Susquehanna, Potomac or Delaware). The 2026 list is posted on PFBC's Notice of Stocking pages. | Species by Watershed Approved for Open System (Flow Through) Propagation and Introductions (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09c | Penn State Extension notes that tilapia are considered a non-native, invasive fish in Pennsylvania and are illegal to stock here except as permitted in controlled aquaculture facilities. | Fish for Pennsylvania Ponds (updated May 19, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F10 | Before any herbicide, algaecide or fish-control chemical goes into surface water in Pennsylvania, including a private pond, you need a joint DEP/PFBC "Chapter 91" permit. There is no minimum amount: any use needs it, and use may not start until the approval arrives. Apply on form 3800-PM-BCW0094b, one application per site (a tax parcel or contiguous parcels, up to 20 water bodies). For ponds and lakes the application goes to DEP only, by upload or mail. DEP usually issues the permit to the person who owns or manages the property. Permits are typically issued without an expiration date; changing the water bodies, the product or a higher dose or more treatments needs a new application. Application fees: $250 new, $250 renewal, $100 amendment, $50 transfer; no annual fee. | Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #2, #3, #8, #10, #11, #28, #29 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F10b | DEP's pesticide-permit FAQ states that submissions must include a PNDI environmental review receipt, which you get by screening the site in PA Conservation Explorer. Check the application instructions for your permit type. | Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #14 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F11 | A separate NPDES permit for weed and algae control applies only at large scale: treating at least 80 acres of water, or at least 20 continuous linear miles at the water's edge, in a calendar year. Below those thresholds, use is automatically covered by DEP's PAG-15 general permit with no application, but the joint Chapter 91 permit is still required. Above them, DEP wants the Notice of Intent or permit application at least 30 days before the threshold is exceeded. The current PAG-15 took effect October 29, 2023 and expires October 28, 2028. | Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #1, #2, #7, #8, #20 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F12 | Lowering the water in a pond, lake or other impoundment needs PFBC's Permit to Draw Off Water from Impoundments when the water body is larger than 1 acre, or at any size when the project needs another state permit (for example a DEP dam permit or a water obstruction and encroachment permit). Apply at least 30 days before the drawdown; there is no fee. PFBC and DEP's dam safety staff review it together. PFBC warns that drawing a pond down after turtles, frogs and salamanders begin hibernating in the mud can kill them. | Apply to Draw Off Water from Impoundments (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F13 | A DEP dam permit is needed for a dam across a stream or other watercourse if any one of these is true: the drainage area above it is more than 100 acres, the deepest water at the dam is more than 15 feet, or it can hold more than 50 acre-feet. A dam that is not on a watercourse and has no contributing drainage needs one only when the water is deeper than 15 feet and it also holds more than 50 acre-feet. | 25 Pa. Code § 105.3, Scope (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F14 | A pond dam below the dam-permit thresholds still needs a water obstruction and encroachment permit, or DEP approval of an Environmental Assessment, if it crosses or affects a stream, affects a wetland, or excavates or floods a stream or wetland. DEP strongly discourages ponds built on streams or in wetlands. A pond built away from streams, and not in a floodway, wetland or other body of water, needs no Chapter 105 approval (unless its dam meets the dam-permit thresholds), but a pipe or channel bringing stream water to it may need a permit such as General Permit 4. Once built, every pond is a regulated water of the Commonwealth. | Introduction to Ponds and Chapter 105 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F15 | For a non-jurisdictional dam across a stream, DEP's pond page lists a $500 Environmental Assessment review fee, and water obstruction and encroachment permit fees of $1,750 plus $800 for every tenth of an acre of permanent disturbance to waters and $400 for every tenth of an acre of temporary disturbance, before engineering, consulting and mitigation costs. The fee schedule in the regulation (25 Pa. Code § 105.13) controls: confirm the exact fee with DEP. | Introduction to Ponds and Chapter 105 (FAQ: non-jurisdictional dam across a stream) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F16 | Removing built-up sediment to restore an artificial pond to its original capacity is waived from a Chapter 105 permit when the drainage area is 100 acres or less, the deepest water is 15 feet or less, and it holds 50 acre-feet or less. Behind a DEP-permitted dam, removing accumulated sediment to the original design capacity is treated as maintenance. Either way, DEP says to run a PNDI environmental review first and get an erosion and sediment control plan in place with your county conservation district; the work may still need a U.S. Army Corps authorization and a PFBC drawdown permit. | 25 Pa. Code § 105.12(a)(14), Waiver of permit requirements (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F17 | Under Pennsylvania's Chapter 105 rules, a "body of water" includes any natural or artificial lake or pond, and a "water obstruction" includes a pier, wharf, wall, fill or other structure in, along, across or projecting into it. For ponds and lakes, a structure counts if, at normal pool level, it is in the water or touching the water's edge. The rules cover temporary structures as well as permanent ones. DEP says any change to a pond's cross-section that is not maintenance, such as a new dock, pier or island or making the pond bigger, needs a water obstruction and encroachment permit. | 25 Pa. Code § 105.1, Definitions (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18 | Many small projects in or along Pennsylvania waters qualify for one of DEP's Chapter 105 general permits (GPs), registered with DEP or with a county conservation district that has Chapter 105 delegation. DEP or the district can only authorize a project that meets every term and condition of the general permit, so check the terms before you register. DEP prefers online registration through ePermitting, and conservation districts may charge their own review fee on top of the registration fee. | Chapter 105 General Permits (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18a | General Permit 1 (GP-1) covers fish habitat enhancement structures, such as brush structures, mud sills and deflectors, in regulated waters. It needs the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's approval first and is not for use in wetlands. The registration fee in the regulation is $50. | Chapter 105 General Permits; fees from 25 Pa. Code § 105.13(c)(2) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18b | General Permit 2 (GP-2) covers the installation, modification and maintenance of small docks of 750 square feet or less and boat launching ramps; other size restrictions may apply. The registration fee in the regulation is $175. | Chapter 105 General Permits; fees from 25 Pa. Code § 105.13(c)(2) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18c | General Permit 3 (GP-3) covers bank rehabilitation and bank protection, limited to 500 linear feet along a single reach, and may not be registered more than once to extend a project. It is not for use in wetlands. DEP describes the limit as measured along a stream channel, so ask DEP or your delegated conservation district whether a lakeshore project fits. The registration fee in the regulation is $250. | Chapter 105 General Permits; fees from 25 Pa. Code § 105.13(c)(2) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18d | General Permit 4 (GP-4) covers intake and outfall structures in, along, across or projecting into regulated waters. It is not for High Quality or Exceptional Value waters or for wetlands. The registration fee in the regulation is $200. | Chapter 105 General Permits; fees from 25 Pa. Code § 105.13(c)(2) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18e | General Permit 11 (GP-11) covers maintenance, testing, repair, rehabilitation or replacement of existing, currently serviceable water obstructions and encroachments, allowing only minor changes with minimal environmental impact. The registration fee in the regulation is $750 plus disturbance review fees where they apply. | Chapter 105 General Permits; fees from 25 Pa. Code § 105.13(c)(2) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F18f | Chapter 105 work that doesn't qualify for a waiver or a general permit needs an individual water obstruction and encroachment permit through DEP's Joint Permit Application, reviewed by DEP's regional office or a delegated conservation district. DEP recommends a pre-application meeting. In most cases the same application also covers the federal Army Corps authorization. | Apply for a Water Obstruction and Encroachment Joint Permit (Chapter 105) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F19 | On a stream, river or lake that has been legally determined to be a navigable water of the Commonwealth, where the state owns the bed, a dock or other permitted structure also needs a Submerged Lands License Agreement with DEP. DEP publishes the lists of covered waters. The regulation sets a $250 annual charge for a private recreational dock owned and used only by the adjacent riparian owners, and no charge when the dock is built under a general permit; DEP makes the final determination. | Submerged Lands License Agreement (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F20 | Any earth disturbance needs erosion and sediment control practices (BMPs). A written erosion and sediment control plan is required once the disturbance reaches 5,000 square feet (or if the work could discharge to a High Quality or Exceptional Value water), and it must be kept on site. Disturbing 1 acre or more generally needs an NPDES permit for construction stormwater. County conservation districts review these plans and may charge a review fee. | Frequently Asked Questions: Erosion and Sediment Control (rev. Aug 12, 2026), FAQ #5 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F21 | If you will dig with powered equipment, Pennsylvania law requires notice to PA One Call (call 811 or file online) at least 3 and no more than 10 business days before digging, and this applies to homeowners on their own land. Work may not start before the third business day after notice; weekends and legal holidays do not count. The service is free for homeowners. A contractor must make its own call: ask for its PA One Call serial number. | PA One Call: Homeowner FAQs; PA Act 287 as amended (Pennsylvania One Call System) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F22 | A business that applies pesticides for others must hold a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture pesticide application business license, renewed every year with a $35 fee, and must employ at least one certified applicator in each category it works in. Aquatic work falls under business category D (Aquatic Pest Control), applicator category 09. PDA publishes a public search of licensed businesses by category and county. | Pesticide Application Businesses (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F23 | Before building a new pond, contact your county conservation district and the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office early: Penn State calls NRCS one of the first contacts (soils, siting, feasibility) and the conservation district a must-visit for erosion and earth-moving requirements. PFBC calls the conservation district "the first stop", and DEP suggests calling DEP to learn which authorizations apply. | Pond Agencies and Permits in Pennsylvania (updated May 19, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F25 | Penn State Extension estimates there are hundreds of thousands of earthen ponds in Pennsylvania, from about an eighth of an acre to five acres, many built decades ago for livestock, irrigation and fire protection. In a Penn State survey, 77% of pond owners reported at least one problem. | Five Tips for a Healthy Pond (video transcript) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F26 | The state's regulatory agenda (Pennsylvania Bulletin, July 25, 2026) lists a planned Chapter 105 rulemaking: proposed updates to definitions and to permit-application and review requirements, targeted for Environmental Quality Board consideration in the first quarter of 2027. Some Chapter 105 details on this site may change when that rule is adopted. | Regulatory Agenda, 56 Pa.B. 4485 (July 25, 2026) (Pennsylvania Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F27 | Placing fill or dredged material in waters of the United States, including many wetlands, needs federal authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. In Pennsylvania the Army Corps and DEP share one joint application: under the Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit (PASPGP-7), DEP or a delegated county conservation district can issue both the state and the federal authorization in most cases, and forwards the rest to the Corps. PASPGP-7 runs until June 30, 2031. | Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit-7 (PASPGP-7), Part I and Part VI (dated April 27, 2026) (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (copy hosted by Pennsylvania DEP)) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F28 | If your total withdrawal from a stream or other source in a watershed averages more than 10,000 gallons per day in any 30-day period, DEP's Chapter 110 rules require you to register the withdrawal and report use every year. Depending on the amount and purpose, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission or the Delaware River Basin Commission may also need to approve it, and a withdrawal may never dry up or degrade the water source. | Water Withdrawal Registration & Reporting (25 Pa. Code Chapter 110) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F29 | Harmful algal blooms are caused by cyanobacteria ("blue-green algae") and can produce toxins that harm people, pets and other animals. If you suspect one, keep people and pets out of the water and do not swallow or breathe in spray from it. Only a laboratory test can confirm a bloom. Report a suspected bloom to the Pennsylvania HABs Task Force (HABs@pa.gov). Blooms are most common from mid-June to early September. | Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs hub) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F30 | Report a suspected aquatic invasive species, such as hydrilla or European water chestnut, to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission with its online form or the Pennsylvania Invasive Species Reporting hotline (1-833-INVASIV), or through PA iMapInvasives. A photo and the exact location help staff confirm it. | Report Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F31 | A pond dye used to control algae or plants (for example by blocking light) needs the joint Chapter 91 permit like any other chemical. A dye used only for color does not, and in a pond fed only by runoff or groundwater it may be applied according to the label. But if a stream flows into the pond and water flows out, dyes and other products that change the water's appearance generally may not be used unless DEP authorizes it. | Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #25 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F31b | Alum or any other chemical used to control algae also needs the joint Chapter 91 permit. Enzyme products could be treated as chemicals under Chapter 91; DEP asks you to contact its Bureau of Clean Water about your product. | Water Quality Permitting for Pesticide Applications in Pennsylvania: FAQ (rev. Feb 21, 2025), FAQ #23 and #24 (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F32 | Killing a lot of plants or algae at once can crash the pond's oxygen: PFBC says lack of oxygen from decaying plants is the most common cause of fish kills in treated ponds. Penn State advises treating early in the growing season and, where a lot of vegetation must be treated, doing a third to a half of the pond at a time with one to two weeks between treatments. The product label still controls. | Pond Management (FAQ: controlling submerged vegetation) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F33 | One acre is 43,560 square feet, and one acre-foot (an acre of water one foot deep) is 325,851 gallons. For a roughly round pond, the shoreline length in feet, squared and divided by 547,390, gives acres. A bowl-shaped pond's average depth is roughly 0.4 times its deepest point. PFBC's grass carp form asks for the exact surface area, not a range or an estimate. | Pond Measurements: Area, Volume and Residence Time (updated May 19, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F34 | Never assume pond ice is safe. Springs, inflowing streams, current, wind and snow cover can thin ice over short distances, and ice near shore is often weaker. Penn State's ice table says to stay off even clear ice that is less than 4 inches thick, and to check ice every time. An aerator running under ice keeps part of the pond open on purpose, so treat ice on an aerated pond as unsafe. | Ice Fishing: ice safety tips (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F35 | Plants on Pennsylvania's noxious weed list may not be sold, transported, planted or otherwise propagated in the state. Aquatic and wetland plants on the list include European water chestnut, Brazilian waterweed, yellow floating heart, parrot feather, starry stonewort, European frogbit and water primrose (Class A), and purple loosestrife, Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla (Class B). | Controlled Plant & Noxious Weed Lists (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F36 | DCNR's Invasive Plant List (a non-regulatory list used to manage state lands) ranks as severe threats (rank 1) hydrilla, parrot feather, Eurasian watermilfoil, curly pondweed, European water chestnut, narrow-leaved cattail, hybrid cattail, purple loosestrife and the non-native common reed (Phragmites australis ssp. australis), and lists brittle waternymph (Najas minor) as a lesser threat (rank 3). | DCNR Invasive Plant List (PDF dated 2018) (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F37 | Only products registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and labeled specifically for aquatic use, can be listed on the Chapter 91 permit application. | Permit Requirement for Use of an Aquatic Herbicide in Ponds (updated Sep 8, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F38 | In Penn State surveys, about 40% of pond owners with nuisance algae and plants had used aquatic herbicides, and 65% of those owners did not know a state permit is needed before any herbicide goes into a private pond or lake. | Permit Requirement for Use of an Aquatic Herbicide in Ponds (updated Sep 8, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F39 | The Federal Trade Commission's Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses (16 CFR Part 461) prohibits impersonating government agencies and businesses. | 16 CFR Part 461, Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses (eCFR, current as of Oct 1, 2026) (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F40 | Penn State Extension's advice for every nuisance plant and algae problem starts with nutrients: overgrowth is a symptom of excess phosphorus and nitrogen from sources such as barnyards, crop fields, septic systems, lawns and golf courses. Cutting fertilizer near the pond, maintaining septic systems, diverting nutrient-rich runoff and keeping a vegetated buffer strip are the long-term fixes; without them, control becomes a yearly chore. | Filamentous Algae (updated May 19, 2025) and the companion Penn State plant fact sheets (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09d | A fish health certificate may be required for fish brought into Pennsylvania or stocked into its waters; PFBC's Fish Health Inspection Protocol sets out when and how. | Notice of Stocking: Fish Health Certificate Requirements (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09e | Fish that come from pet stores or tropical and ornamental fish dealers may not be released into Pennsylvania waters, a farm or backyard pond included. | 58 Pa. Code § 71a.5(a)(3)(ii) (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09f | Moving a fish species from one Pennsylvania water into another drainage where that species is not always present needs PFBC's prior written consent. When you stock fish you caught elsewhere, the Notice of Stocking lists them as "Wild Caught" with the water they came from. | Notice of Stocking FAQs; 58 Pa. Code § 71a.5(a)(2) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09g | Separate from the Notice of Stocking, fish brought into Pennsylvania from another state, province or country need PFBC's prior written permission before they are released. Requests go to PFBC's Executive Director; the address is on PFBC's Notice of Stocking page. | Notice of Stocking: Additional Fish and Boat Commission NOS Approvals; 58 Pa. Code § 71a.5(a)(2) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F09h | PFBC defines an ornamental pond as an outdoor pond built as a landscape feature, with a closed water circulation system and no risk of contacting other waters. Ponds built for fishing, aquaculture or holding baitfish are not ornamental ponds, so stocking them needs a Notice of Stocking. | Notice of Stocking FAQs: ornamental ponds (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F12b | 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. | Apply to Draw Off Water from Impoundments: Drawdown Considerations (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F13b | Any repair or change to a DEP-regulated (jurisdictional) dam should go to DEP's Division of Dam Safety first for a decision on what is required. Repairing a non-jurisdictional pond dam is not regulated under Chapter 105, but an erosion and sediment control plan must still be followed. | Introduction to Ponds and Chapter 105 (Dam/Outlet Repair; FAQ) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F14b | If wetlands may exist near a proposed pond or could be affected, DEP says a certified wetland consultant must be hired to identify and delineate the wetlands and watercourses and to prepare the Environmental Assessment. Wetland or stream impacts that cannot be avoided must be replaced (mitigated), which adds cost and time. | Introduction to Ponds and Chapter 105 (Impacts to Water Resources; Mitigation) (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F41 | Your county, township or municipal government may have its own rules, codes or permits for pond construction or maintenance, so check with every level of local government before you start, especially for a new pond. | Pond Agencies and Permits in Pennsylvania: Local Government (updated May 19, 2025) (Penn State Extension) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F42 | At lakes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages, private docks and other private shoreline uses are allowed only in areas the lake's Shoreline Management Plan designates, and not at all on lakes where construction began after December 13, 1974 or where no private uses existed by then (older permitted facilities can continue). | 36 CFR § 327.30, Shoreline Management on Civil Works Projects (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F43 | PFBC says using barley straw to discourage algae is not regulated by permit. It works by preventing new algae growth rather than killing existing algae, and too much straw can use up oxygen as it decays. Penn State and PFBC give different amounts per acre, so follow one source's guidance and start small. | Pond Management (FAQ: How can I control algae?) (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F44 | Chapter 105 defines a watercourse as a channel or conveyance of surface water with a defined bed and banks, natural or artificial, with perennial or intermittent flow. | 25 Pa. Code § 105.1, Definitions (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |
| F45 | Chapter 105 defines a floodway as the stream channel plus the parts of the neighboring floodplain needed to carry the 100-year flood, usually as mapped by FEMA. Where FEMA hasn't mapped a floodway, it is assumed to extend 50 feet from the top of the stream bank unless there is evidence otherwise. | 25 Pa. Code § 105.1, Definitions (Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin) | Oct 4, 2026 | Current This may be outdated |