ABOUT

Ondine Freshwater Consultants LLC was created with the intention of serving the needs of private pond and lake owners, Lake Associations, ornamental ponds or storm water settling pond owners, fire suppression pond owners, and other individuals or groups who own, manage, or live on a private waterfront in Vermont. We also consult and collaborate with several non-profit and state agencies in order to ensure all work is completed to the highest standards and with the best available products, scientific standards, and legal considerations.  

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The state of Vermont defines private ponds and lakes in the following manner:

 

"Ponds owned by one person or entity and located entirely on the owner's property. 

If natural, they may be up to 20 acres in size.

Artificial private ponds may be any size."  

 

Click 'here' to learn more about private ponds and watershed conservation in Vermont.  

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While private ponds and lakes can still subject to permitting requirements for specific projects, a general permit for maintenance is given to private pond owners which allows less restrictions and permitting requirements.  

 

Go to https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/lakes/Ponds/lp_PondsBMP.pdf

to access this general permit and to learn more about best practice standards.

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Waterfront property on public waterbodies is regulated by the state of Vermont in order to allow for reasonable property development and management while also protecting the waterfront ecosystem.  The 2014 Shoreland Protection act states that any lake shore development or activities occurring within 250 feet of the mean water level of lakes greater than 10 acres in size are subject to regulation by the Vermont State Department of Conservation.  Two very important documents exist to help organized entities like Lake Associations and private owners of waterfront property understand the allowances, restrictions, and permitting requirement of shorland development and activities:

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Click: The VT Shoreland Protection Act: A Handbook for Shorland Development

Click: Sharing the Edge: A Guide for Lakeshore Property Owners in Vermont

 

Permitting for waterfront shoreline projects can be arduous, and many times, more than one permit must be obtained.  Ondine Freshwater Consultants LLC offers permit application assistance, research, management planning, and surveys to aid waterfront property owners.  For more information, got to our 'Services' page.

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The difference between a pond and lake has to do with how the various parts of the water column are influenced, not necessarily by size.  A pond is a waterbody where the water column is mixed due to the effects of temperature, whereas a lake is a waterbody whose water column is affected in significant ways by wind turbulence, (Bronmark & Hansson, 2005). 

 

A pond or lake is an ecosystem that exists in a relationship occurring between the land surrounding and supporting the water, the water itself, and the biology living in and alongside the waterbody.  

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A lake or pond is comprised of three general zones: the littoral zone, the limnetic or pelagic zone, and the profundal zone.  The bottom of a lake or pond where the water and aggregate meet and mix is called the benthic layer or zone.

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The littoral zone is the shallow area close to shore where enough light exists to support photosynthesizing organisms.  Most plant life will be found growing in this zone, and it's depth is determined by the geology and geography of the lake bottom itself.  Some lakes have a very shallow littoral zone, only 5-10 feet, where others can have a littoral zone that extends to 20 feet.  

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The limnetic or pelagic zone is the area of open water in a lake or a pond where plankton, (microscopic algae, plants and animals,) and nekton, (active swimmers such as fish) live and light penetrates.  

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The profundal or aphotic zone is the deeper, colder, and darker areas of open water where oxygen levels are decreased.  Worms, mollusks, larvae, and other invertebrates constitute much of the life found in the profundal zone.  

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The study of freshwater aquatic ecosystems is called limnology.  Limnology professionals vary in their training, credentials, and service models.  There are many different areas of scientific study which we must be drawn from in order to care for freshwater bodies appropriately: ecology, chemistry, aquatic biology, botany, micro biology, hydrology, geology, invasive plant management, ichthyology, herpetology, mammalogy, and more.  Many limnologists who practice a multiplicity of scientific disciplines and employ many different scientific tools for the purpose of caring for freshwater bodies are called Lake Managers.  

 

Other professionals who care for freshwater bodies are trained technicians and industry leaders who have honed the methods, tools, and products which serve the needs of freshwater bodies.  There are various ways for these freshwater professionals to be certified, receive education and training, and practice their skills.  Many are scientific divers, certified herbicide applicators, aquatic weed removal specialists, pond builders, and more.

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Every professional working or consulting with Ondine Freshwater Consultants has both the education and field experience needed to care for your freshwater body's needs and challenges, and we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards as both practitioners, scientists, technicians, and business people.

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