AquaExtension

AquaExtension Educational agency dedicated to providing science-based wildlife and fisheries information.

Cattail ID: Mind the Gap!Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) and southern cattail (Typha domingensis) can look very simi...
09/17/2026

Cattail ID: Mind the Gap!

Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia) and southern cattail (Typha domingensis) can look very similar, but their inflorescences provide a helpful identification clue.

A cattail inflorescence has two sections:
The narrow, pollen-producing male (staminate) spike is on top.
The thicker, “cigar-shaped” female (pistillate) spike is below.

🔎 Broadleaf cattail: The male and female portions usually touch, leaving little or no exposed stem between them. The mature female spike also tends to be thicker and dark brown.

🔎 Southern cattail: A noticeable section of bare stem commonly separates the male and female portions. Its female spike is generally narrower and lighter or cinnamon brown.

The gap is easiest to observe while the plant is flowering because the male portion eventually sheds and may disappear. Natural variation and hybridization can complicate identification, so examine several plants and consider additional characteristics before confirming the species.

Sometimes the key to cattail identification is simply to mind the gap!

09/11/2026

We’ll believe it when we see it. 😂

Preventive pond management is often easier, and less expensive,than waiting until aquatic plants, algae, or water-quality problems become severe.

Your shoreline should work for your pond, not against it. Join for a practical webinar on managing shoreline plants an...
09/02/2026

Your shoreline should work for your pond, not against it.
Join for a practical webinar on managing shoreline plants and woody vegetation. We’ll discuss how to address unwanted growth while maintaining the benefits shoreline vegetation provides, including bank stabilization, erosion reduction, and valuable wildlife habitat.

📅 September 15
⏰ 6:00 p.m. CDT
🔗 Register at tx.ag/shorelinemanagement or use the QR code.

Thank you to Lake Restoration, Inc. for serving as our title sponsor!

Brown water does not always mean muddy water. 👀Water color can also be influenced by tannins from decaying vegetation or...
08/28/2026

Brown water does not always mean muddy water. 👀
Water color can also be influenced by tannins from decaying vegetation or by the microscopic planktonic life suspended within it. In a recent case submitted to the Aquatic Diagnostics Laboratory, the brown coloration appeared to be associated with a dense population of cyanobacteria.

Some algae and cyanobacteria can give water an olive-brown or brown appearance. One example is Chroococcus sp., which has small, spherical cells that may occur individually or in recently divided pairs enclosed within a clear sheath.

The takeaway? You cannot always determine what is coloring a pond just by looking at it. Sometimes the answer requires a much closer look. 🔬

The Aquatic Diagnostic Lab is so grateful to have the help of Kori this summer and into the school year! She has contrib...
08/25/2026

The Aquatic Diagnostic Lab is so grateful to have the help of Kori this summer and into the school year! She has contributed to several ongoing projects while keeping up with water sample analysis from our stakeholders. 🥇

In preparation for syllabus week, we’ve compiled our top course recommendations for anyone pursuing the highly prestigio...
08/20/2026

In preparation for syllabus week, we’ve compiled our top course recommendations for anyone pursuing the highly prestigious Pond Management track. 🎓

Which class are you adding to your schedule—and which one are you dropping before attendance is taken? Because Applied Algae Anxiety may be required, but Advanced Staring at Pond Water is definitely an elective.

Let us know your schedule in the comments. 👇

Aquatic plant identification can be tricky—especially when the plant is submerged and key features, such as flowers, are...
08/18/2026

Aquatic plant identification can be tricky—especially when the plant is submerged and key features, such as flowers, are missing.

That’s why recently partnered with Linda Hamilton to acquire realistic plant models for outreach and educational programs. This fanwort model brings multiple identification features together in one place, making hands-on learning much easier.
Fanwort is native to Texas but can become problematic and is sometimes confused with watermilfoil. Its common name comes from its fan-shaped submerged leaves—but did you know it also produces smaller, diamond-shaped floating leaves at the water’s surface?

🐟 Dead fish in your pond? Don’t panic just yet.Not every dead fish means you’re dealing with a full-blown fish kill. The...
08/13/2026

🐟 Dead fish in your pond? Don’t panic just yet.

Not every dead fish means you’re dealing with a full-blown fish kill. The number, size, species, and timing of fish deaths can all provide clues about what may be happening beneath the surface.

Is it low oxygen? A sudden water-quality change? Disease? Or simply an older fish reaching the end of its lifespan?

Knowing what questions to ask can help narrow down the cause before jumping to a management decision.

📖 Adapted from My Fish Are Dying! by Higginbotham & Sink, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

🔗 Full publication at the link in bio.

That blue-green water may be more than an eyesore. Cyanobacteria blooms can threaten fish, livestock, pets, and people, ...
08/07/2026

That blue-green water may be more than an eyesore. Cyanobacteria blooms can threaten fish, livestock, pets, and people, and effective management starts with knowing what you are dealing with.

Join us on August 18 at 6:00 p.m. CT for a practical webinar on recognizing and managing cyanobacteria blooms before they become a bigger problem.

Register at tx.ag/BlueGreenAlgae or using the link in our bio.

Special thanks to our title sponsor, Syndel, for supporting this program!

📅 Your pond does not care what month it is. It cares about the water temperature.AquaExtension’s latest publication, Tim...
08/04/2026

📅 Your pond does not care what month it is. It cares about the water temperature.

AquaExtension’s latest publication, Timing of Pond Management Practices, breaks down the optimal temperature windows for common pond activities, including liming, fertilization, aquatic vegetation and algae control, aeration, fish stocking and feeding, water-quality testing, drawdowns, and more.

Before reaching for the fertilizer, herbicide, fish feed, or stocking truck, grab a thermometer. Proper timing can improve results, reduce wasted products, and lower the risk of fish stress or dissolved oxygen problems.

🌡️ Read the full publication and save the temperature guide for your next pond-management decision. Link in bio!

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534 John Kimbrough
College Station, TX
77843

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