Pond Talk

Pond Advice For Small And Large Ponds

Large Ponds

Pond Dredging Equipment And Cleaning

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Is pond dredging the best way to clean and restore your pond?

It’s a simple and natural fact. Large ponds and lakes will fill in over time and in time, that grand old pond that once stayed clean and clear, now has algae or other problems. This process is known as eutrophication. One of the main causes of pond algae blooms is the build up of organic material, muck, and sludge at the bottom. Things like leaves and other stuff fall or get blown into the water and sink and erosion might also play a part.

Being made up of organic elements, most of this sediment is a lot like compost in a garden. We all know that you can get any plant to grow better with good nutrients and anything organic that’s breaking down, in soil or water, will improve the vitality of a plant. Good for vegetables, bad for algae unless you’re using it for bio-fuels.

This fact makes it pretty obvious why a pond owner would want to clean up the bottom of their water-filled basin.

There’s really two ways to do it. The first process would be to use beneficial bacteria, or microbes and enzymes, to help break this sludge down and in effect, eat it away. This is nature’s method of cleaning and it works very well, and quite safely, but it does take a fair amount of time. On average with proper aeration running to help these aerobic bugs do their work, one could reasonably expect 3 to 6 inches, and possibly more muck reduction in a six to eight month season.

The second option, and one that is much quicker although usually more expensive, is to dredge out the pond bottom. Dredging equipment can help make pond restoration a relatively quick task where a great deal of build up can be removed in one to several days of work.

Planning and using the best tools for the job is important, and it could be said that there is not a single solution for every pond. Let’s look at the most common approaches to pond dredging.

Mechanical Dredging Equipment

The mechanical approach to dredging will involve some form of equipment such as a clamshell bucket and crane, a dragline, which uses a bucket with holes in it which is dragged across the bottom, or excavator dredging that uses something like a backhoe device. Because fairly heavy equipment is used in all of these operations, rainy weather can affect work times.

Hydraulic Dredging Pumps

A hydraulic dredge will actually float on the surface of the water and uses a pipe to suck stuff off the pond bottom. It’s similar to a very big muck vac that will remove sediment with great precision. The waste material is routed far away from the pond and released through a discharge pipe.

Of the methods of hydraulic dredging used, the most common are the auger dredge, or some type of cutterhead dredge. These tend to be very efficient in terms of how much sediment they remove and how much manpower is needed to do the work.

Once the muck is removed all the wet sediment should be dewatered or dried out to allow for easier removal from the pond site or it can be used in the area for structuring the landscape surrounding the pond.

So What’s The Benefits And Risks?

The benefits of dredging a pond, as noted above, include a very rapid and efficient reduction of sedimentation build up which can lead to many water quality problems. It’s a very direct way to increase the depth of a pond and a necessary step in most large pond restorations.

Dredging is not without it’s risks however. In many cases the water in the pond will need to be drawndown, or lowered to allow easier access to the bottom. As digging begins there is a good chance that bottom sediment may be disturbed enough to affect the ecology of the pond. Fish breeding and feeding habitat can be altered enough to affect populations negatively. And finally, additional nutrient rich sludge can be released and circulated, which can rapidly lower oxygen levels in the water. To guard against this it’s advised to use a quality aeration system in the pond during excavation as well as after the restoration is complete.

All in all, pond dredging may be the best solution for restoration of a natural setting. It’s not without it’s risks or costs, but it has proven to be the most efficient way to return a pond to a more youthful condition.

Pond Aerator Or Fountain – What’s Best?

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When you drive by some great looking large ponds, and particularly those on golf courses or commercial properties, it’s not unusual to see the beautiful spray of water from a floating fountain cascading through the air. There’s no question pond fountains are popular and provide a great display.

Contrast this to the more covert pond aerator that sends air to the bottom of the pond. In man cases the most you’ll see is some ripples and light bubbling at the surface of the water. They seem so subtle in there work, most people won’t even notice that they’re there.

The question often comes up wondering which one of these systems is best. To appropriately answer this question, it’s best to compare to the two and also discuss the types of ponds that they work best in. There’s no question that each system is unique and different, and depending on the circumstances, one is really better than the other in our opinion. [Read more…] about Pond Aerator Or Fountain – What’s Best?

Farm Pond Algae Control

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Every summer the ponds around us turn green.  Some don’t of course but many do and the culprit is some type of pond algae.  Algae is on of the oldest forms of life on earth and it thrives when certain conditions are met and farm ponds just happen to have many of these in abundance.

In this article we want to address some of the reasons why a pond may develop an algae problem and more importantly what you can do to clear things up.  Larger ponds and small lakes are not always the easiest or most inexpensive to treat but clearing can be achieved by taking proper action.

What Causes Algae?

Algae, like any plant will need certain things to survive and thrive. Namely it will require ample sunlight and adequate levels of nutrients to support it. These nutrients may come in the form of phosphates, nitrates, nitrates, or other organic elements. They enter the water through run off or may build up as organic things such as leaves or grass clippings fall into the pond and begin to decay. In simple terms I’ve always compared this to compost in a garden. You add decaying organic material in there to help your veggies grow and the same things will help algae grow well too.

Larger ponds and small lakes are almost always impacted by environmental factors like this. Other things, like heavy fish populations that might affect a smaller pond, will normally not support abundant algae growth in a larger one.

Light exposure as well will support algae and this is why shallower waters tend to have algae growing in them first (or if they are around the edges of a pond run off could create this too). Some single cell algae will in fact rise and fall in the pond during it’s daily cycle. In the morning it will come to the surface to pick up energy from the sun through photosynthesis. At dusk it will sink once again to spend the night at the bottom of the pond.

As the weather warms in spring and summer, and sunlight becomes more plentiful, algae will tend to grow more prolifically. In fall and winter it’s often not as much of a problem, however in ponds with high nutrient loading, you may see algae growing under the ice in the early spring.

Algae Control 101

Knowing the things that support algae is really the first step in figuring out the best way to control it. After that we can narrow down our options into a sensible plan of attack. In shallow waters, something like pond dye or a tinting additive will help limit the algae’s exposure to light. These come in several shades such as blue, black, or a combination of the two. They are relatively affordable and can last a month or more in many ponds. The turnover rate or amount of rainfall may affect this time somewhat.

Other common options usually include some form of chemical treatment such as with an algaecide, biological treatments, or some type of manual removal, although the latter isn’t very easy to do in big bodies of water.

Algaecides Kill Algae But…

Over the years it’s been a traditional thing to try and kill the algae growth outright with something like an algaecide. Most of these contain some form of copper in them, and this is because the substance is toxic to algae. Algaecides can and do work well in at least clearing the surface of the algae problem. One drawback to using them however is they support the build up of organic material at the bottom of a pond and this, unfortunately, can support more algae growth.

For an algaecide to be used correctly, it’s best to apply them as a preventative measure rather than a treatment. If algae can be controlled early on before it takes over the pond, the build up of dead matter at the bottom is reduced and many times less chemical can be used in the process.

If algae can be brought under control, the pond may stay clear for some time, or applying the algaecide may become a matter of routine maintenance.

The Beneficial Bacteria Connection

One of the most useful things found in a natural farm pond is the existence of beneficial bacteria. These are good bugs and microbes that nature has designed to help keep the pond cleaner. They help clean up muck and organic material at the bottom of the pond and can even consume some of the nutrients from run off and organic decay.

Because they prefer some of the same thing that algae does to thrive, they can quite often out-compete algae for these resources. When they do, algae of all types (other than Chara) may regress and disappear. This makes them a valuable ally to farm pond algae control and supporting their health and vitality is a good step to take.

It’s important to note that many chemicals, including copper algaecides, will hinder or knock down this bacteria. Therefore if chemicals are applied, it’s often suggested to supplement or add fresh bacteria into the pond to help replenish them. There are many brands and blends of bacteria on the market but they are all intended to work in a similar way in a lake. Some are temperature sensitive so the blend may be changed depending on the season and conditions.

Pond aeration helps to add oxygen into pond water and this is a very useful step to support beneficial bacteria since this is primarily aerobic in nature. Higher oxygen levels will help them thrive and increased circulation will provide increased mobility throughout a large pond.

Algaecides and bacteria do not work together well in most cases and cannot be combined, therefore it’s important to decide or plan out your intended algae control method before you start treatment of any kind. Pound for pound, biological control may cost more in the beginning compared to a chemical application, however as we’ve noted earlier, if chemicals are misapplied, they can take a pond in a poor direction and create more problems later on.

What About Barley Straw?

Finally we would be remiss to not talk a bit about barley straw. Many old farmers swear by it for algae control and there is some merit in their words. Historically barley straw has been used in Europe for some time and in recent years it’s made it’s way to the U.S. It works well in some ponds and in others it seems to provide no great help at all.

Recent research by several universities including Ohio State have shown that barley straw is best when it’s thoroughly dried and bundled in a bale or mesh material. In tests it appears to work best when it’s applied before algae has shown up in a pond and may retard new growth. It seems less effective on algae that is already present.

A one acre pond would likely use about 2 to 3 standard bales and these can last up to 3 or 4 months before they would need to be replaced.

Barley straw releases a substance as it decays and some experts believe this breaks down into a very light form of peroxide which damages new algae cells. Further research however is necessary to determine why and how the straw works at all.

Algae Can Be Controlled

The most important thing to remember is that even though algae may show up in any body of water, no matter how large. There are ways to either keep it in check or rid the pond of it entirely. Some of the steps an owner might take will depend upon budget constraints, if the pond has an active fish population and any environmental concerns. However with the right knowledge, and a basic understanding of why algae grows at all, one can make progress towards a cleaner farm pond.

Controlling Pond Weeds

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Controlling pond weeds in large ponds takes a degree of expertise and intensive management. Weeds can grow under, on, or out of the water. When populations of invasive plants exist it can interfere with the fish population, give the water a funny smell, and cause other imbalances in the farm pond ecosystem. Plankton are the only inherently beneficial forms of plant life in a farm pond. Other plants such as floating weeds, submerged weeds, and emergent weeds, are undesirable.

Removal of these nuisances can be daunting but is necessary. Mechanical removal is the first way a pond weed problem can be dealt with. This can involve the use of a cutter to maintain a weed free shoreline. A cutter can sometimes be used on semi submerged weeds such as Cattails. This is because if you cut them off under the water line they will not survive. Mowing and pulling a weed is an effective killer as well. Persistence is required with this method but you will see the fruits of your labor in the same growing season. Another tactic is to fill in or remove any parts of the pond that are less than 3 feet deep.

Biological control of pond weeds is another option. This method entails introducing a living population into the pond that is capable of controlling the undesired weeds. Usually this organism is a type of plankton that will cloud the water and make it hard for the plants to survive because of lack of sunlight and photosynthesis. Inert dies can be poured into the water as well in order to block the sunlight from reaching the weeds. This method is not effective if the plants are on the surface of the pond or growing at a depth of less than two feet. A larger organism, like a grass carp, can be released into the environment. These fish are larger vegetation consumers.

Chemical control is the most common way to control the problem. There are three basic things to consider when choosing which chemical will be most effective. The first is the time of year that you want to apply the substance. Many chemical products will not be effective throughout the summer and need to be applied early in the growing season. The kind of plant needs to be identified also. There is usually a specific killer for specific vegetation. Sometimes certain weeds, like Cattail, have chemicals that are being continually developed.

Lastly, what the water is used for is a consideration. Many chemicals are not suitable for fishing, swimming, or feeding livestock. Some even have restrictions about using the source as irrigation or spray water. Labels on the chemical are required to address this topic thoroughly. No adequate aquatic herbicide has been approved that does not have restrictions.

New chemical products as well as mechanical and biological products and techniques are being introduced all the time. Choosing which ones will work in your farm pond can be challenging but researching thoroughly will insure that the pond will be effectively managed and healthy.