EVALUATING KENTUCKY EXTENSION AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES CLIENT INFORMATION REQUESTS FROM 2017 – 2020

Kentucky County Extension offices receive numerous requests for information regarding the management of ponds and lakes .  Client interest in private pond and lake management issues is greatest during the months of March to October.  Information requests recorded from  University of Kentucky Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents and  from the public  were tallied into the following subject areas: aquaculture,  pond  and lake management, aquatic plant and algae control, and  aquatic  natural resources management.  Due to the large number of pond plant and algae control requests received, these were tabulated separately from those of pond and lake management.  Data were collected to  estimate the percentage of inquiries  pertaining to each subject area .  Table 1. Provides these results.

During 2017 - 20 20  aquaculture information requests  averaged  17.5%  of  total inquiries  recorded  and ranged  from  22%  in 2017  to 16%  in 2020 .  Four-year averages of pond management and aquatic vegeta tion control  information requests  were similar at 39.5% and 38.8%, respectively.  Numbers of these requests b etween years were relatively consistent and differed < 5%. Pond  and lake  management and aquatic vegetation control information requests  when  combined totaled 78.3% of the client inquiries recorded. Aquatic natural resource management- based inquiries averaged < 10% for the three years data were collected.   These data  suggest  the  need for  significant  Extension programming effort to address private pond/ lake  management and aquatic plant control iss ues during the spring and summer months.