Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Next Steps on Pond Renovation

I have 1/4 acre pond on my recently acquired property that was covered 100% by cattails. Speaking with neighbors and looking at satellite images they started taking over the pond 10 years ago and were never maintained. The pond has an average depth of 3'-4'. 25 years ago the pond was clear and held LMB and BG. The pond was also a couple feet deeper.

I just finished pulling out all of the cattailst by hand and dragging them out of the pond. I know more will come back in their place and will be proactive in pulling them out as they break the water level. The goal is keep them out of the pond with zero breaking water before the first freeze.

At this point I have a 3'-4' 1/4 acre pond that's visually cattail free, muddy as all heck and covered in duckweed and other muck with zero aeration. I can raise the water levels another foot.

I have been researching treatment kits online and have been looking at purchasing the pond logic treatment kit similar to the one in the link below

http://www.aquaticponds.com/Airmax-Pond-...CFYpZhgod0JgIKg

and an aeration system for a shallow pond like the one below

http://www.123ponds.com/pa6-sw.html?utm_source=pa6-sw&utm_medium=shopping%2Bengine&utm_campaign=googleproducts&gclid=CK2Wq5DR-80CFcNehgodH2IHOA

then adding a riser onto the end of the overflow pipe to allow the pond to fill another foot.

Am I heading in the right direction? Do these items make sense to improve the water quality and clarity?

My main goal is for this pond to look nice and clean. The current residents are snapping turtles, lots of frogs and a couple ducks. Maybe one day introduce a handful of LMB and BG but with 3'-4' depth in Pennsylvania I have a feeling it will end badly for the fish.

Thoughts? and thanks!

With a pond only 3-4 ft deep you are going have a very hard time making it look "nice and clean". Most all pond problems occur in shallow water less than 4-5ft. IMO you should seriously look into getting it drained and dug deeper close to at least 8 ft and better 13-16ft deep if you want minimal problems and a more clean looking and behaving pond. Your current is mainly a glorified wetland and it is behaving like one.

Bill, thanks for the reply. I live in Central PA and have had trouble locating companies in my area that are experienced with pond renovations. I was able to locate one company and they quoted me $45k to drain, dig out to 8'-10' and haul away material. I thought this figure was pretty steep.

From reading on these forums I am under the impression that it isnt as easy as digging a hole with machines and expecting it to hold water properly. I'm sure I could find an excavating company to do this for less but I don't want to end up with a 10' hole on my property.

Is my thought process correct regarding the excavation?

Thanks,

Hank

$45K for redoing a 0.25 ac pond is excessive. Consider using the spoils somewhere else on the property as a hill or landscaping. As the spoils dry they could be sold cheap to others wanting fill dirt. to save costs you can rent a pump and drain the pond yourself, or buy a pump, use it then resell it. Renovating your pond without hauling dirt should IMO not cost more than 12-14K esp if you drain it. Keep looking for qualified experienced dirt pushers. Contact your local soil & water agency to see if they know of pond builders that use sheepsfoot rollers as compactors.

Might be cheaper to build a new pond close and use the extra dirt to fill in the old one.