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I thought it may be beneficial to document our observations on what to expect on the first summer after adding aeration. A major increase in organic decomposition will certainly have some effects on the BOW. To keep apples to apples, my pond is an old farm pond with a thick layer of non decomposed organic material. PH was low (5.xx) until April of 2017 when 1500lbs of ground AG lime was added (broadcast) over the pond.
I am currently in the first summer of aeration. I am taking mental notes of things I see.
I have noticed an increase in suspended clay due to bank erosion. The aeration makes small waves. I have noticed a black/brown film, I suspect it is from organic material on the bottom starting to decompose. I saw "foam" in early spring. Not sure if it could be attributed to the aeration.
I saw FA for the first time ever this spring. Not a huge amount, but it was all around the shoreline.
Can anyone who has been through first year aeration of an old pond add to the list of things to expect?
I expect things to get stinky and nasty before they get better. I anticipate the layer of preserved leaves, pine needles and sticks are (hopefully) going to rot away with the new oxygen getting to them.
When I rake up a handful of bottom sediment, it does not appear decomposed in the least bit. I suspect this is due to lack of oxygen and low PH. Both of these issues have been addressed, so a "rapid rot" may occur?? Does rapid rot = black muck? In other words, is black muck the next stage? Currently, I have no black muck, only non decomposed leaf and stick debris.
Last edited by Clay N' Pray; 05/18/18 12:21 PM.
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