Pond muck in the Pacific Northwest - 05/23/18 04:34 PM
I have looked through as many posts regarding removing muck from the bottom of a pond, but I have not seen anything about ponds in the Pacific Northwest climate. I am hoping that someone might be able to help me with some advice on the "muck issue"
The pond is very small, maybe a 1/4 acre, about 5-6' deep.
The pond is fed by two small creeks and has a spillway.
It was clean and clear 15 years ago and was restocked with Trout around the same time. The trout are no bigger than 3-4" long.
The pond is surrounded by trees that the leaves fall into it every fall.
It has algae growing in it and has a layer of "scum" floating on the top. The cotton woods just added their layer of seeds to the top this week.
There are otters in the pond.
The bottom of the pond has about 1 to 1 1/2 layer of muck in the bottom.
I have been told that there are leaches in the pond, although I have not seen any.
I would like to be able to wade out into the pond without getting up to almost my knees in muck.
Is there any treatments, or fish that I could add, that might help clear up this problem? With temperatures in the mid to upper 30's and 40's in the winter it is hard to figure out what fish could survive over the winter in the pond.
I have read about some type of snail that could help clean it up, and I have read about bacteria also. I am pretty sure that most of the muck is organic.
We have a lot of clay and rocks in the ground here, and I was told that the bottom of the pond was clay and rock 15 years ago when it was still clean and clear.
Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.
The pond is very small, maybe a 1/4 acre, about 5-6' deep.
The pond is fed by two small creeks and has a spillway.
It was clean and clear 15 years ago and was restocked with Trout around the same time. The trout are no bigger than 3-4" long.
The pond is surrounded by trees that the leaves fall into it every fall.
It has algae growing in it and has a layer of "scum" floating on the top. The cotton woods just added their layer of seeds to the top this week.
There are otters in the pond.
The bottom of the pond has about 1 to 1 1/2 layer of muck in the bottom.
I have been told that there are leaches in the pond, although I have not seen any.
I would like to be able to wade out into the pond without getting up to almost my knees in muck.
Is there any treatments, or fish that I could add, that might help clear up this problem? With temperatures in the mid to upper 30's and 40's in the winter it is hard to figure out what fish could survive over the winter in the pond.
I have read about some type of snail that could help clean it up, and I have read about bacteria also. I am pretty sure that most of the muck is organic.
We have a lot of clay and rocks in the ground here, and I was told that the bottom of the pond was clay and rock 15 years ago when it was still clean and clear.
Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.