Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Dredging near spawning beds

I'm building a house near a pond that has LMB, BG, CC and Grass Carp. You can see the pond here: http://binged.it/mbInta It's 3/4 of an acre with an average depth of 7 feet.

Because of ongoing construction, the right end of the pond has been filling up with sediment washing in through a storm drain. Almost all of the construction is complete in the development. My builder has offered to dredge the end of the pond that has been filling in. He'd use a backhoe. That end of the pond was originally 3 feet deep but is now 6-12". He wants to bring it back to 3 feet deep.

My builder wants to dredge in the next couple of months. That end of the pond is also where all the spawning beds are located -- in about 3 feet of water.

My question: If he dredges near the beds and fish are spawning, how much damage will be done? Is there a better time of year to dredge?

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Around here, the most pond work is done in the late Summer thru Fall because that's when the water is at it's lowest.

I would personally lower the pond and do the dredging without regard to the bluegill for 2 reasons...

1... a lowered pool requires less biomass

2... bluegill will spawn throughout the growing season and losing one spawn will not hurt a thing and losing a LMB spawn would not be an issue in a mature pond at all because you lose the corresponding BG spawn the LMB fry would eat...GC do not spawn and any CC spawn is deeper and eaten quickly after a hatch (if not as eggs)

Edit: I agree with the builder..go back to 3 feet and IMO, he should do the work for near free as it was a lack of run-off control that caused it in the first place. (assuming the same builder did other homes in the area or the work currently filling the pond)

Also if the silts been building up in that area for awhile, you've prolly lost many spawns anyways so what's another gonna hurt.. Definitely get it done while you have the chance more can be done after it's done to fix the pond than while it's like this.. GO FOR IT..

Thanks for all the great advice! The builder's going to do it for free and one of the main reasons is the knolwedge I've been able to gain from these forums and share with him.