News and Information From
Violet Township Aquashade – It’s Not Trees Around Your Pond By Tommy Springer, Education/ Wildlife Specialist, Fairfield SWCD Ponds and lakes are a frequent sight across the countryside of Violet Township. Whether it’s a traditional farm pond constructed for watering livestock, one designed for recreational activities such as swimming and fishing, or those serving as retention basins for stormwater runoff in the area’s many subdivisions, they almost all share one thing in common: a method for draining excess water into a flowing ditch, creek or stream to prevent the pond from becoming overfull. This near-constant influx and outflow of water in ponds means owners of private ponds or managers of community ponds must be aware that anything put into the water has a high probability of being transported downstream into regulated waters of the state. This distinction is important because many people prefer the aesthetics of a weed-free pond and will go to great lengths to kill or remove weeds, often
using chemical herbicides or dyes. Most of these treatments are, by design, mixed and suspended in the water for maximum effectiveness. This can become a problem when water carrying a solution of herbicide or discolored by the dye treatment exits the pond and enters a creek or stream. Not only can this potentially harm aquatic organisms
and wildlife or livestock that drink the water, but it’s also a violation of Ohio Administrative Code. Many aquatic herbicides are designed to be fast-acting and have a relatively short lifespan, so applications during periods without precipitation can often limit the risk of them entering waters, but dyes such as
Honoring Lt. JD Postage Violet Township Fire Department’s Lt. JD Postage, community paramedic, was honored at the EMS Today Conference in Tampa, Florida, on March 3 as one of the 10 EMS Innovators of 2020. Postage was nominated by ImageTrend, the township’s EMS software documentation vendor, for his efforts as a community paramedic in our service area. He was selected as one of the 10 honorees out of hundreds of nominees nationwide. JD was honored at a dinner along with the other EMS Innovators of the year. 10
Postage was the driving force behind the inception of our Community Paramedic Program in Violet Township. He’s been on the forefront of multiple changes and program additions in our community that serve the needs our residents. He has developed a large contingent of resources that assist this program and our department daily. Please join us in congratulating Postage on this national recognition and award!
Aquashade are expected to stay in solution and keep the water a blue or black color for weeks or even months. Even though these dyes are classified as chemically inert, they do change the color of the water to an extent that is often considered a violation of Ohio’s Water Quality Standards. One of the criteria of the state’s Water Quality Standards says waters should be “Free from materials entering the waters as a result of human activity producing color, odor or other conditions in such a degree as to create a nuisance.” So, even though the label on the product may indicate no harmful environmental effects, the designed process of discoloring the water might be enough to cause a violation. We recommend all owners and managers of ponds be aware of all state and federal regulations on water quality before adding or contracting any aquatic chemical treatments. For more information about aquatic weed management, visit www.fairfieldswcd.org and search aquatic weed management.
If you’re interested in First-Aid or a CPR course, visit violet.oh.us
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