Forum,

I am getting ready to remove the cattails from my pond with an excavator in the next few weeks. How deep do I need to go to remove the cattails so they will not grow back again?

Thanks for your expertise!

Craig

Drain water so you can see what you are doing, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving any part of the root in the soil. Plan on at least 24" removal. Watch if you have a clay liner in the pond, if it's there because of poor soil then it will have to be replaced and packed properly if you remove even part of it.

A bathtub is great at holding water, same as a pond. Remove the plug in the bathtub and that changes the equation. Ponds are no different.

Even when getting all the roots, you will still be fighting germinating seeds for a number of years.

What size pump could I use to drain the pond? I would guess I need to drain it a few feet. Is it 100x50?

If not what size pump would I need and where could I rent it?

Craig

If you have a Harbor Freight tools nearby, get the 20% coupon and buy their 2" semi trash pump. It would be cheaper than renting. Make a strainer out of a big piece of screen wire and put it down into a bucket to avoid picking up mud. It will pump your pond down a couple of feet in a day or so.

John, I use an innertube and put the suction hose through the center of it so it floats off of the bottom.

2" or 3" semi trash pump, either rent or buy, for a one time use, it might be cheaper to rent, they should also have the suction and discharge hoses to rent too. Call rental places in your area to see what's available and the price, then look at Harbor Freight or Northern Tool for prices to purchase. Whatever fits your pocketbook better.