One third acre just 2-3 ft deep is techically a wetland. Putting a fountain in it could pose mechanical problems for the fountain due to clogging the intake pipe during low water periods. Benefical wetland plants in a balanced habitat will provide all the oxygenation a pond like this needs. Trying to maintain decent water quality in such a shallow water body will definately be a challenge. Keeping pond scum and duckweed at bay will be a big challenge without numerous competing plants. Shallow water in bright sunlight tends to grow a tremendous amount of plants which can be a nuisance or blessing. Without plant diversity one or two species will tend to become rampant and grow to nuisance proportions. I suggest looking into planting numerous types of beneficial wetland plants/species to be aestetically pleasing as possible while stabilizing the wetland habitat that has been strongly impacted by removal of the large amount of cattails. Aquatic plants are nature's water purifiers and will be needed abundantly in this pond to keep it relatively respectable looking without resorting to adding lots of herbicides.

Turtles, including snapping turtles, are natural inhabitants of wetlands and ponds and are usually beneficial pond inhabitants. I do not see them as a nuisance or problem in this type of wetland pond. To maintain the rich amphibian and invertebrate community, I would not add goldfish. Maybe a small minnow species at the very most, maybe a topminnow. Well balanced wetland ponds can do just fine without a fish population. There are predatory invertebrates that prey on mosquito larvae and adults in healthy wetland habitats. IMO you should quickly begin to replace the cattail population with other beneficial emergent and some submerged short growing vegetation species or you will quickly see a decline in the diversity and density of the frogs, other amphibian populations and numerous invertebrate species. The amount of shade the pond receives will largely determine what plants will best grow there.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 07/16/10 10:48 PM. Reason: spelling errors

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management