Ever released your fish into a pond?

[MN_Rebel]

So what if you have your own pond? Is that still illegal?




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Depends if its a closed isolated private pond and far away from any waterways. We had some complaints about people with goldfish ponds that is too close to the lakes. Eventually the goldfish and the koi carps escaped into the lakes and the pond owners got a hefty fine.

 

[screaminleeman]

So what if you have your own pond? Is that still illegal?

The term is "pond stocking". The DNR in Maryland support the practice of "pond stocking"!

I believe that the prohibitive extreme vast majority of the Department of Natural Resources in the continental states in the USA also legally allow for stocking of your personal ponds.

In addition the DNR here also provide seminars that teach MD residents how to go about planning proper stocking of your personal natural ponds, and even refer you to "fish nurseries" that will provide you the fish to stock into your farm pond.


Please understand, that while it is perfectly legal to stock your personal natural pond, there are numerous banned species that can neither be homed in aquariums nor in any type of pond (access to waterways or not)!

 

[fobrinkle]

Yes, they do encourage it, but only if it is a native fish. No carp, koi, pleco, snakehead, cichlids, etc.... When the op asked if anyone released their aquarium fish he got the correct answer from everyone, not the holier than thou answer. He also asked about natural ponds/streams. Not a small private pond.

 

[Jc1119]

Check your state/local laws. I live in Fl and between state laws and HOA the list of banned and or envasive species is quite large. Not just fish but plants.


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[Dr.Gonzo4]

The only way you should be putting fish in ponds is if you just made it for them in your backyard. You never release non native species. IF it was a native specie you were keeping though i dont see a problem

 

[E.C.]

^ he got a point there.

 

[screaminleeman]

TS. There are also a number of factors for you to consider if your pond does have drainage into connected waterways like mine does. You are liable for any damage that is caused by any of your runoff!
Just like driving your motor vehicle with a valid drivers license is legal, you are still financially liable for any damage to private property that you cause in your registered motor vehicle!

1. Pond seminars offered by your state DNR will be extremely valuable to you in your management of your natural pond and limit your potential liability from it.
2. Chemical additions to a pond with a runoff connected to other waterways requires far more advanced planning and coordination with the local environmentalists than is adding fish to a pond. This is incredibly important to take a proactive approach to treating ponds with chemicals.
3. I was advised by the DNR to even go as far as to send out notifications in advance to the neighborhood and the DNR of scheduled water treatment even as innocuous as the harmless blue die in spring to control algae blooms year round. I know that I was thanked by several of my neighbors that I gave advance notice to and was assured that without the notification, it would have caused them to "freak out" and call the DNR.

 

[MN_Rebel]

This is OP's question:

Have any of you guys released your fish into a natural pond/stream?

It didn't have to do anything with pond stocking with your own fish.

I'm just saying that it's important to make sure your private pond that is isolated from waterways before releasing any fish that isnt native to that area.

If the OP saw the koi in the pond, the chances is that the pond is public and not private.

 

[screaminleeman]

This is OP's question:

It didn't have to do anything with pond stocking with your own fish.

I'm just saying that it's important to make sure your private pond that is isolated from waterways before releasing any fish that isnt native to that area.

I agree 100%.

There is no need to make your extreme liability (an interconnected waterway on you property) one thousand times greater by adding any potential harmful element into it that will most likely have some negative impact to the surrounding. This would most certainly include non-native fish and I believe that we are on the same page and don't think it a wise idea to chance any introduction of non-native species to one of these types of bodies of water. With that said, it is not illegal in MD to do so in a private pond, just plain stupid to do so.

Please also understand that you are liable for any diseases that spread from the addition of native species. This is where purchasing stock from a certified hatchery benefits the pond owner again mitigating your liability with proper planning. Please keep in mind that if you were to catch a number of native fish in your area and raise them in an aquarium by themselves, you would still be liable for stocking diseased local native fish into your interconnected body of water if it were to infect any of these connected waterways!

It is also important for the TS to understand where to reach out for information in their local area (state) DNR to get the most accurate rules surrounding the management responsibilities as an owner of these types of bodies of water.

I was so blown away by the utterly insane amount of potential liability that comes with owning a natural spring fed pond that I was educated on by the DNR.

- We had to come up with a flood plain for the pond exit so that the house that was built on the property below (down hill) from my pond could not be easily flooded in the event of a major storm surge.
- I was slightly surprised at how relaxed the requirement for a fence surrounding a natural pond was in Carroll County Maryland. It is totally unlike that of an in-ground pool where code states that the fence surrounding your pool must be a minimum of 3 feet high, I believe there is a 3" maximum space in the fence grate. The fence must have two doors that automatically close and latch to avoid liability from my swimming pool.
- I had to put up "No Trespassing" signs at the required intervals to negate liability for potential "drowning" in the pond.

 

[Chicxulub]

Closed pending review.