Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and organic nitrogen were determined at 10‐day intervals for 24 ponds at Leetown, West Virginia. These ponds were stocked with 15,000 smallmouth black bass fry per acre and all fish reared in them were counted individually and weighed when the ponds were drained after an average season (during 1943) of 105 days. The purpose of the study was to determine what correlations, if any, existed between fish production and the nitrogen content of the water.
Correlations between ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate nitrogen and fish production were not evident. Larger quantities of these forms of nitrogen were present during the first half of the pond season than during the latter half.
A positive correlation was found between the organic‐nitrogen content of the water and fish production. This form of nitrogen, probably as a result of plant decay, was present in larger quantities during the latter half of the season than during the early season. Ponds which averaged 0.56 and 0.65 pounds of bass per acre per day had average organic‐nitrogen contents of 0.494 and 0.434 p.p.m. Ponds averaging 1.69 and 1.79 pounds of bass per acre per day averaged 0.811 and 0.746 p.p.m. of organic nitrogen, respectively.
