Hi, long time lurker and finally realized that I have a problem that I can't handle and need help

I've been battling a major algae and plant problem in my pond for years. The pond is fed from underground and from a year round spring that comes off the mountain. It's very silty and the depth had eventually reached just a few feet in 2018.

We drained the pond and had an excavator come and dig it out and now it's over 8 feet in the center and tapers up to the sides.

I was hoping that would kill off the algae but it's come back with a vengeance. Last summer we tried a product you spray over the pond and it's supposed to kill off the algae but it did nothing.

I've read many of the posts and info on this blog and I'm just a little baffled as to where to start. I definitely want to include aeration as part of the long term plan but how do I get the current problem under control?

There is bluegill in the pond and lots of salamanders. There is no livestock using the pond. At this point, I'm willing to consider nuclear options for cleaning this up!

-Frustrated with filamentous in Oregon.

it appears you either have continued nutrient rich runoff keeping the water at a high nutrient level, or the excavating released or exposed buried nutrients? What was the bottom like when they were done excavating?

You will have to find a way to remove the things the algae grows on, or if you kill it with chemicals more can just grow.

Are you allowed to stock crayfish?

The bottom of the pond was dark grey clay (this whole area is clay). I imagine that the stream coming off the mountain is probably very nutrient rich.

I don't know about the legality of stocking crawfish (or crawdads as they are known here) but they naturally occur in the river that surrounds our property!

Do you think I just need to proceed with a heavy dose of algeacide then remove as much dead material as I can? Would stocking with talapia be of any help?

Thanks for the input!

Stocking tilapia will only help when the water temperature is greater than 65 degrees. None will live for very long in mid to low 50 degree water, and they really like 75°F or greater water temp.

Applying algaecide needs to be done according to the label instructions. If not following the label, your results are a gamble, and I've known people to kill fish with it.

Make sure you have algae and not macrophytes that you are trying to kill with the algaecide.

You can send a water sample out to be tested for nutrient levels. That will tell you where you have to fight your battles.