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I am pretty sure that if you measure the nutrients in the runoff water from your water shed, the results will indicate elevated nutrient levels of phosphorus and esp nitrogen. Nutrients that feed attached benthic filametous algae can also come from nutrient cycling from the substrata. However light is manditory for filamentous growths to develop on the bottom areas. Nutrients, day length and water clarity (light intensity) are the primary factors for proliferation of filamentous algae growing on the bottom. Species that respond with abundant growth to nutrient enriched conditions include the common genera of Spirogyra, Oedogonium, and Cladophora (Algal Ecolgy 1996). Nutrients that feed attached growth, when proper light levels are present, can come from sediment associated phosphorus or chronic nutrient loading of the water column (Lowe in Algal Ecology 1996). Under certain conditions Mougeotia, Ulothrix, Zygnema and Stigeoclonium can also become abundant in ponds.

For the most part and in most cases in typical "sportfish" ponds, if nutrient tests are conducted the results will indicate that proliferation of or nuisance growths of filamentous algae were primarily stimulated by over abundance of nutrients.