What is the attraction of ponds? Why do so many homeowners choose a site with a pond on the property, or build their own water vista? Ponds, when properly managed, enhance a property. Ponds provide an environment for fish, recreational entertainment through swimming or boating, a satisfying wildlife habitat, and higher real estate value to any rural property. Ponds are hard work. They do not flourish on their own. The wise property-owner manages his or her pond for maximum enjoyment and pleasure. John Stephen Hicks has spent much of his private and professional life around lake or pond environments, and this book is a comprehensive summary of his years of experience in pond and landscape management. Written for the serious layperson, The Pond Book explores the wide variety of pond ecosystems available, and their function; topographic and soil requirements, design and construction techniques, wildlife management, fish species and their cultivation, local bylaws affecting pond maintenance, algae and plant control, parasite problems, chemical and physical parameters of water sources, and water control / erosion devices.