Dave - we've been swimming in the "concrete" pond here in AZ and staying inside watching movies. We don't even say "hot" anymore until mid-October - it hurts to even say the word.
Appreciate the advice ... keep it coming, I like your thoughts on the pond survey. That's exactly what I will do. It sounds like Step 1 is to to really assess the winterkill scenario and to understand what I'm dealing with in terms of the pond physical characteristics (depth, amount of muck on the bottom, any fish life, etc.). Based on my findings, that will determine what needs to be done with the pond from an excavation standpoint. Seems pretty likely that we're talking excavation based on recommended water depth for fish in Northern MI (~15 ft.).
This seems like the best course of action before introducing any fish (as tempting as it is). Assuming my pond has many years of decaying leaves and is relatively shallow (6-8 ft. deep) - will the excavation make a a major change in the water chemisty? Seems like it has the potental to change it quite a bit and perhaps more favorably. Are there any lessons learned on excavating an existing pond? Yes, lots of popular (aspen), oak, and birch surround the pond (i.e., lots of leaves).
BTW, I was researching YP and SMB fish farms in the local area (Northern MI) and they recommended LMB vs. SMB. Is there any logic behind this ...
Thanks!
