Something creepy is in the pond.

[Mooseherder]

Anybody have any ideas what this thing is?
It may belong in the plant id section.
Went outside this morning and did a double take. What the heck. :D
Looks like something that was growing on the bottom popped up.
It is about 12 foot x 12 foot.
Can you imagine if that thing woulda popped out while someone was fishing.  :D

[Reddog]

I have seen Lillypad roots float like that before.

[Paul_H]

My guess is alarge section of lily pad rhizomes.Maybe dead from crown rot?

[Tom]

That looks like an algae mat.   Algae will perform a positive service by sealing the bottom of a pond or slow moving backwater.  It helps the water to  remain clearer.  Then, it either dies or turns loose from the bottom, methane building beneath it or decay of the algae itself will cause it to pop to the top.  The eventually go back down.

I can't tell from the picture on my monitor if this is a stem or rolls of mat.

[Mooseherder]

It looks like solid stems from 20 feet away as they are rounded.  Should I pull it out?
Here is a turtle with a new found resting spot. ;)
I bet there will be 4 Turtles on it later today. They usually sun themselves on the pond bank.

[Tom]

Don't know how big the pond is, but it doesn't look like it is hurting anything and turtle likes it.   It might make an interesting conversation piece for a little while, eh? :D

[Bro. Noble]

That reminds me of something that happened to a friend of mine.  He acquired a wild turkey at the improper time of year and disposed of the inedible parts by putting them in a toe sack with a big rock and tossing the whole affair in his lagoon.  Wasn't long till the sack released the contents and John woke up one morning to find his lagoon completely covered with turkey feathers :D  :D

Mooseherder,  that sure looks like a nice pond,  what kind of inhabitants does it have?

[Mooseherder]

Yeah, we'll leave it there for a while. It is right in the center of the pond not hurting anything. The pond is triangle shaped with the longest side about 70 feet.
There are Bass, Tilapia, Garfish and BlueGills in the pond Bro. Nobel. I even caught a shiner once. :D
The River Otters fish it alot more than I do. :D

[Tom]

I even caught a shiner once.

I'll bet he was glad you got him out of that pond full of bass and garfish... :D

[Mooseherder]

I threw him back in. :D

[Furby]

Yup, lily pad rhizomes.
Went kayaking over/through a ton of them a couple weeks ago.

[Bow Saw]

Hey you guys,
Thanks for the neat photos!
My class (2nd grade), will be reading a fictional story about a turtle and beaver living in a pond. The genre is fiction because the animals are talking.  The rest of the story could happen as these creatures are in their natural habitant. Does someone have a pic of a frog on a lily pad, or a beaver near his lodge? I hope you don't mind, I'm going to print these and post them up on a literacy bulletin chart.  My students enjoy pictures! It's good for the visual learners.
Mrs. Bow Saw

[Mooseherder]

I am more of a visual learner myself. ;D

As Tom mentioned, the mat has gone back down to the bottom. ;)

[Bow Saw]

Mooseherder,
Gee, I was going to ask you to save some of those rhizomes for my pond. :-\
I'd love to have lily pads growing!  ;D Remember, I'm a sucker for flowers! 8)
Mrs. Bow Saw