We do not have 10' clarity, closer to 2'. It keeps plants from taking over. (I believe)
And I reckon to a good extent you're right, Jeff.
Back when I lived in northcentral FL it was really apparent to me: Among the many small, shallow lakes and ponds there, there were some with clear water, clean bottoms and lots and lots of plants, and there were some with murky water, muddy bottoms and few or no aquatic plants. Whatever nutrients get in the water have to go somewhere, and folks who introduced carp at some point in the past to handle their aquatic weed problem shifted their water bodies from the former condition to the latter. It all depends on what you want.
... As long as my wife is comfortable swimming, I'm happy.
You're even more right about this. When I said above that "it all depends on what you want," what I
really meant is that it all depends on what your wife wants. To any as yet unmarried or newly married guys out there, I can tell you that old saying is definitely true: Happy wife = happy life. :^/
In my case, unfortunately, my wife grew up swimming in the Adirondacks' Lake George, which is very large and deep, and still quite oligotrophic. In other words, nice sandy/rocky bottom, not very many plants and unbelievably clear water - I'm talking over 40 ft visibility (and it was perceptibly clearer when she was young). At every place we looked at with a pond last summer/fall when we were searching for a new home, I kept reminding her "Now, bear in mind that Lake George set an impossible standard for you. Scale down your expectations on the pond(s) here..." When we saw this place and its pond with remarkably clear water for the area, it was the first place where she said "I would swim here." When it turned out to be the only place where she said that in the great many we looked at, and thinking about the fact that swimming is one of her all-time favorite activities (and watching her swim and sunbathe afterward is one of mine :^] ), I said "Let's buy it!"
Gerry
