I have a few questions about pond habitat. In the fall of 2010 I had an acre and a half pond graded on my property. When it was built I got to work with the contractor and we created an underwater trench through part of the pond, a four foot drop off at one spot, and an underwater "bathtub". Sorry but I couldn't think of a better way to describe how the dirt was shaped. Before it filled up I cut four very large Osage Orange trees and placed them along the shoreline. I also made a dozen pvc bushes and placed them in three groups. Last summer a friend allowed me to cut as many cedar trees as I want from a field he needs to clear. I cut about twenty of the trees that were ten to fifteen feet tall and sank them at various depths. There was also one very large cedar tree that was in the way of the dam construction. The contractor helped me save and place it in the pond with five CMU blocks tied to it. The tree still floated and moved to a new location along the shoreline. My first question is should I sink more cedar trees? I can get as many as I want. My second question is I have a list of plants I am thinking of buying to plant this year and want to make sure I don't put something in that will become a problem. The list is: blue flag iris, sweet flag, pickerel weed, spatterdock, spike rush, arrowhead, water lily, and wild celery. Can you tell me if all of these are suitable for a fishing pond in Iowa. Attached are some pictures of the pond after construction.
