IMO you have way too much shallow water. All your weed problems will be in shallow water (2-5ft) not the deeper water. Digging deeper will cost more due to more dirt removed. But IMO smaller and deeper is better than larger and shallower. A larger area to treat chemically and manually will also cost more in time and money than a smaller area. Find out how many cubic yards of dirt is moved in the current 1 ac and then recalculate areas of some smaller ponds with deeper close to shore areas.

For a swimming pond remember that after 4-6yrs the beach sediment area will almost always develop black septic sediments usually after the kids quit rough-housing in the beach and prefer to swim from a raft. Then to keep the beach area less black it will need to be regularly raked and or sediments mixed and oxygenated. That can be a lot of work for grandparents with kids not willing to help. I recommend minimal swimming, wading sized areas that can be raked and mixed in 15-30 min. See my post below for a link to sediment management ideas.

Also do not place the beach in a downwind area that will accumulate wind blown organic materials. Beaches on the upwind zones of ponds stay cleanest longer.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/08/16 08:57 PM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
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