I think the key to ponds like this is to do what you can to keep water clean in the spring, which may not be much, and then to maximize the growth of your fish during the other three seasons. It can really be a challenge.
After spending some time reading and rereading your response and crossing it against wikipedia and other sources... I finally get it - or at least think I do.
sunlight + nutrients = phytoplankton.
Once a pond has phytoplankton the Lord says, "Let there be zooplankton in the pond." (Please note: I'm not really sure about this part.
)
Together, phytoplankton and zooplankton (plankton) create the base of the food web. Phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, other aquatic organism (e.g. worms, snails, and insects), and some fishes. Zooplankton are eaten by other zooplankton, aquatic organism, and some fishes.
Nutrients are supplied through the natural byproducts of the food cycle and external sources, primarily runoff, which also adds sediment. An over abundance of nutrients can create too high of a density of plankton, blocking sunlight. Sunlight can also be blocked by suspended sediment. Reduced light will lead to decomposition of plant life causing oxygen sags, which can lead to fish kills.
Ice up, allows turbid Midwestern ponds to clear. Plankton and other plant life then flourish, hence the mat of filamentous algae. After ice out, runoff and wind combine to create a lot of suspended sediment, limiting sunlight, leading to decomposition and an all-around nasty environment that won't improve until the ice comes back.
But would that cycle lead to the problem I have? A once balanced fishery that is now overrun with gills?
And..
Are improvements to that buffer strip around the pond the key to keeping the pond cleaner during open water?
