Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Adding an Island to my pond

OK, I need to get started on my pond real soon so I stop inventing new things to add to it. On my way to the property on Friday I had a brain strom (ok more like a cramp) to add a small island to the pond (Plan is to start building in late July/Aug). The island will only be 10 to 15 feet in diameter. I have a couple of basic questions. Is this a good idea? I know the local geese will find it quickly and use it as a rest/nesting area I am OK with that. I would like to plant a single tree on it, would this be OK, any issues, suggestion of specie? ANy other items I should be concerned with?

What are your goals for the pond? What is it's size?

The problem you run into with an island is that you create lots of shallow water. For instance, if you want the pond to be 15 feet deep and you put an island in the middle, you have just taken the spot that was supposed to be 15 and made it zero. The slopes have to change as well. a typical 1/2 acre to acre pond is really to small for an island. you could create a point, or use a floating island and get the same effect.

Geese can be a real problem on a pond, as I am learning with the first year of my pond. I have found them to be massively messy, and the eat the plants i have been trying to grow around the pond. They are also very loud. I know that others don't mind them as much, but if your house will be near the pond, it is something you want to consider.

Those geese can get very mean when they have little ones around. I have seen them chasing folks on the golf course who got too close. I dont mind if they use the pond as an inn for a day, but when they want to hang up the "home sweet home", Hank and Candy (my collies)show them the door.

The pond will be 3/4 to one acre in size and the island was going to be on the east end of the pond starting in about 6 to 8 feet of water. In trying to work this into the layout I was getting the feeling that the pond was to small for this and getting more convince of this as I think about it.

I know all about geese, been hunting them for over 35 years. They don't give me much of a problem, I think they can sense I see them as snack sticks and they give me room. If the geese give my too much trouble I will have to apply the SSS (shot, shovel, shutup) strategy to them.

A couple of goals on the pond. Number one is asthetics with waterfowl nesting on it, primarily wood ducks, two is fishing with big bluegills the management goal. A dream is to be able to keep a couple of walleyes in it, but most likely not possible atleast with not having a fathead pond to keep them feed.

If you still like the island idea, I would look into floating ones. They take up no depth, and can still be a nesting area for wildlife. There are a couple of threads about making your own, and there are a couple of companies that make one. The great thing about the islands is that they allow fish to use them for cover, and they also help filter your pond naturally. You also can make the depth of your pond as deep as you need for your other goals.

I will be adding one to my 1/2 acre pond this summer.

Islands are tough in small ponds because the space they take up underwater is huge compared to what they do on the surface. Also, they tend to collapse and become submerged islands if not handled carefully.