Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Purchasing property with ponds, what to look for?

Orange iron rust is probably what is commonly called 'yellow dog' a very common precipitate from acid mine drainage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_mine_drainage

Leakage on the backside of the dam likely means the dam is not properly constructed and earth layers were not compacted properly. I think this means the dam will eventually need to be reconstructed as a capital appropriation project. I would ask for a reduction in price due to an improperly constructed dam which requires you to eventually rebuild the dam to keep it from failing.

Both ponds are surrounded by trees which means the ponds receive lots of tree leaves in the fall. All the leaf deposits helps fill in the pond with dead organics and thus shorten its life span. The dark water is likely due to all the tannic acid (tannins) leached from high amounts of tree leaves. The blue green water is likely due to a normal spring planktonic microscopic algae bloom which imparts hue to the water.