Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat dead elms

i have a new .75 acre pond i want to use an auger to put in standing timber i want to use elms which are still standing but have lost thier bark will these last very long in water i think they would add to the look of my pond.

If your pond hasn't filled up yet, you have lots of options. The standing timber would look really nice, I agree, but probably not for very long. The reason I say this is more due to ice than type of wood. Assuming you get a regular freeze (usually 4 inches or more I guess?) where you are in Ohio, when the ice thaws it will move about due to wind action and will wear and tug at the trees. I've seen years where thick thick ice has significantly reduced the amount of original rooted standing timber in local lakes that is still sticking out of the water and I think that is why. The timber will still be there a few inches or a few feet under the surface, but the apperance value no longer exists.

So perhaps instead of putting lots of effort into standing timber that looks nice, go for submerged cover that will stick around awhile. Actually, I'd probably do both if I were in your shoes. Some good suggestions are large limestone rip-rap piles, constructed pallet structures, old tire piles (be sure weight them down or drill lots of holes in them to let the air out as the water rises or they will float all over your pond!) and my favorite, cedar trees. The same reason cedar is good to use for a deck - its' durability - is the same reason it's great in a pond. But make sure you stick with the idea of using fairly dead wood. A little green wood won't kill you, but too much will kill your pond before you ever get started.

Good Luck!