Dataset for: Common carp eradication through pond draining improves aquatic animal diversity in an irrigation pond

Dataset on abundances of aquatic animals in irrigation ponds (Ponds 1–4) in western Hyogo Prefecture, Japan (Watanabe et al., 2026, manuscript under review). In Pond 1, carps were introduced for ornamental purposes before 2000 by a landowner. Consequently, the pond had turbid water and lacked aquatic vegetation, and its bank was eroded by carp suction feeding. In November 2022, the pond was drained, and all carp were eradicated using fishing, cast netting, sweeping with a D-framed net with block-net enclosure, and trapping. Although the pond was not completely dried and a few centimeters of water remained, it was gradually refilled by rainwater until April 2023. Ponds 2–4 were free of carp and supported well-developed aquatic vegetation and thus served as reference sites for Pond 1. Field surveys were conducted in November 2022 (before carp removal) and once a month from April to December during 2023–2025.