Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond for Swiming!!

What do you all know about swiming in your lake after it is built? Can this be a health hazard? How does the water quality in a private pond compare with a big public swiming pool? I know a private pool can be cleaner than either public pool or private lake....

Is a private lake cleaner than a public pool???

thanks....

Biig Pond just got home @10:30 from Stephens near your pond site. You need to give me directions so I can check out the lake next time out that way.

I just got the same question Mon. What do you mean by clean? Fecal coliform should be low and possibly lower than public pool unless you want to raise a few hundred geese.
Clarity of course should be lower in pond and thus some may feel like it is not swimmable. You should kinda manage for swimming or manage for fishing. However, I have been swimming in fertilized ponds my whole life and it has not hurt me, but maybe that does explain some of my behavoir.

In Texas, If your in a rural area, you swim or die of heat stroke during the summer ! It's very refreshing to wade off into my pond when it's 90+ degrees, the deep parts are very cool. It's no different than boating/waterskiing at a recreational lake, except you don't have sewer plants pumping stuff back in. I guess if you have cows/goats, it kind of evens things out. Some are scared of fish or snakes, but I think that's more of a fobia, doubt there are really "pond attacks"

BP - my biggest concern about swimming (esp with my kids) in ponds and lakes is being able to locate someone in trouble (underwater). Think about it.

Growing up, it was a game for me and my friends (at the lake) to play underwater chase - hyperventilating before going under so we could stay down longer and get further away from the chaser - even avoiding the give-away bubble-trail. Now, as a parent, I know why my mom hated that game.

The kids swim in our pond all the time. The water may not be crystal clear but it is healthier that any public waters. The biggest concern we have also is clarity and we make all the kids wear life preservers while playing unsupervised. You definitley can't see anyone if they go under.

I would put aerator in any pond but especially one used for swimming. High Oxygen content will deal with the bad (anerobic) and also stir that icey cold stratified water. It's next best thing to adding chlorine to pool without the chemicals and the fish love it too. It will smell for a while if it's an old pond and will need to be done gradually so you don't stir up too much of the bad stuff at once. After a while the water will be nice and fresh.

I agree with everyone else and my kids and I play in it all the time. I did have the water tested a couple of years ago just to be on the safe side and it checked out fine. As long as your water shed is not pasture runoff or agricultural you should be ok but you might want to have a sample tested. Check with your local agricultural extension to see how to do it. I am fortunate that we work with Auburn University and got it done for free when I was down there one time otherwise I think it cost 10.00 here in Alabama.

Well the lake water shed is not in any type of farming it is just open clear cut land. I will turn it into grass one day, but not for feeding any animals. I know that any lake, private or public, will not be as "clear" as any pool.

But "clearer" does not mean "cleaner"!

I hear some people say that private ponds can be "cleaner" than public swiming pools. I have my reasons on why I think this is true, but why do you all think that private lakes and ponds are cleaner.

Well for one thing I have never had any "Brown Trout" swimming in my pond!

Here's the best reply on this subject I have seen. Ilovefishingmark .. great info.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000077

We have several lakes or ponds but only swim in one that is the clearest. It only has coppernose bluegill in it because we use it as a forage lake. I had some people swimming in it this weekend and they were all complaining how the fish were biting them. I even had one guy show me where they drew blood from his chest. Has anyone heard of this. I know the fish can be curious but I've never had any of them actually take a nibble.

Bluegills will definitely nibble on swimmers but only when they are very hungry. I would imagine any type of bluegill would do it. I have never heard of any other types of fish doing it.

Ahhhhh--just got out of the pond after working through a hot and sticky day. We swim in our pond constantly; we have a dock, floats, etc., as well as bass and bluegill. The bluegill did occasionally nibble, I think because we were both swimming and feeding from the dock. I moved the feeding station across the pond, and no nips since they got used to eating over there.

We prefer the pond hands down to a pool; no burning eyes, gloriously soft rainwater, wonderful warm and cold spots, nice gooey mud for toe-wiggling (well, that last one's pretty much only me--what can I say!). Last I checked, just about everybody swims in the ocean, and just about everything's in there!!