We have a small pond (approx 100' in diameter and about 6-8 feet deep) here in Michigan. The pond has run off from part of our yard and one drain from the road. So controlling the amounts of nutrients entering the pond is almost impossible. We've done extensive landscaping this year and have hydroseeded and fertilized the yard so our algae bloom has happened much sooner and is larger than in prior years. Now that the wife's landscaping is finished I can begin to turn my attention to the pond. I realize that with all of the runoff flowing into the pond it will never be pristene but I would like to make it so that the pond is at least not an eye sore. I've removed all of the algae that I can reach with a 15' skimmer and sprayed the stuff I couldn't reach with Cutrine Plus. Now for my questions:

-after reading here for a bit I'd like to try barley straw in an attempt control some of the algae. How much should I place in the pond?

-aeration, would aeration help in my case? The pond is close enough that I can easily run a hose down to the pond with no problem.

-are there any other suggestions you can make in my attempt?