Two items from me.
1. I would not plant the willow trees anywhere near the water. I have seen weeping and other willow trees 30+ft away from the pond extend their hair roots into the pond through the side walls. The roots will appear pinkish and look like some sort of weeds on the bottom. I've seen 1.5" cottonwood roots at the water line from trees 60ft away. Tree roots permeate the bank walls and make the liner porous when the trees eventually die. Trees are aesthetic, but can ruin a pond liner to increase water loss. The added annual leaf inputs cause the pond to age prematurely due to added organics, nutrients, and resulting eutrophication. If you do decide on trees within 50-100ft of the pond select leaves that will decompose relatively quickly - for example not oaks with slow decomposing leaves. You have at least been warned. Lusk in the Jan-Feb 2016 Pond Boss Mag suggests no willow trees and keep all trees back beyond the mature tree height drip line. Mike Otto PB pond builder suggests only bald cypress trees near the pond.
2. IMO and experience for a newly dug or renovated pond you will not need to add aeration for the first 1-3 yrs before fish kills are likely. Not a lot of ecological long term damage is done to new ponds that are not aerated in the first few years. Why? During the first few years fewer organic materials are present to deplete deep water oxygen concentrations to cause major fish kills. Fertilized ponds and ponds in wooded areas are the main exceptions. Rarely will a new pond 1-3 yrs old have fish kills due to pond turnover. Summer fish kills usually occur in older fertile ponds with lots of organic sediment (dead tree leaves!) and dead aquatic vegetation from years of accumulation. These dead organic materials decay and cause fairly quick oxygen loss in a majority of the bottom deeper water. IMO you can wait a few years until electricity is available and then install aeration. If you really want solar aeration go for it.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/11/16 11:51 AM.
