Cypress -- welcome to Pond Boss.
Yes, lots can be done. I wouldn't use any chlorine. I probably wouldn't suggest any chemicals.
I faced some similar issues a number of years ago at our place. I've been working with it for a few years at a friend's place, which is a horse rescue operation with varying amounts of manure close to the ponds. We aren't done at the friend's farm, but we are nearly there. We did a lot of simple earth moving, split the pond into three sections, and brought more clean water into the ponds. The small pond is to capture the nutrients with lots of plants and aeration. The second pond is the main pond, with huge bass, lots of good size bluegill, and a variety of other fish. The lowest pond is a nursery or grow-out pond, which is currently growing redear sunfish to eventually control parasite grubs in the main pond.
It will take some remediation on your part, but you can build some beautiful and productive ponds. The manure is both good and bad. Over a number of years, I've done a lot of digging to put in small settlement ponds (smaller than 10-ft diameter, and less than 2-ft deep). I've done a lot of grass seeding, and put in a lot of plants -- including horse radish that is finally becoming intentionally invasive. If you've got sun, watercress does real well in wet areas. We've put in a lot of other plants and organic materials to absorb nutrients. Basically, we've built our own wetlands that absorb nutrients.
Keep posting questions. Photos are also very welcome.
Regards,
Ken
