I have a small stream fed pond (20'x40') in Northern Michigan that is surrounded by mature trees. The pond was made 40 years ago when someone dammed the stream. When I put a canoe in the pond and push a stick in, the muck starts around 24" down and the stick can easily push another 2 to 3 feet into muck. (In other words I've only got 2 feet of water on top of many more feet of muck).
So far I've tried using...
Mechanical removal- with the limited entry width the excavator could only use a machine with a limited reach that couldn't get to the worst of the pond (the middle).
Pumps- Started with a rented trash pump that was very efficient in moving water but not the accumulated muck. The screen would just clog with small twigs and leaves (and muck). Then rented a Diapragm pump. Worked much better but was still slow and I ended up pushing and rubbing muck into the stiff 4" intake hose (with grate). Probably moved 4-5 cubic yards total over several days.
Bacteria and aeration- Removed some muck and I could see the shoreline better but I have concluded that the feet of muck in the middle (4 feet???) will never be affected by this method. If I can get rid of the central muck I might be able to maintain it well in the years to come with bacteria and aeration.
I've also considered...
Hiring sediment removal co- Emailed a pro who comes with divers and pumps. They wanted $2500 a day. My biggest worry with them is that they would quickly remove what they could along with all the water and then wouldn't be able to continue. (They need water to mix with and remove muck).
Tilapia- I like this idea, however, the springs that start the stream are only 50 yards upstream so the pond stays very cold year round. The 7 Rainbow trout I put in love it so I'm guessing Tilapia wouldn't.
Inventing a DIY dragline of sorts- I have a couple hundred feet of thick steel cable left over from a zipline. I've thought of draining the pond (there are pipes going under the dam that can be opened) and making a new zipline over the pond. I would then attach a line and some sort of bucket scoop to the zipline pulley so that it could easily be lifted and "zipped" down hill to be emptied. It would be a two man operation and a lot of manual labor to be sure.
Lastly, I've still been researching pumps. I always feel that if I'm considering paying thousands of dollars to pro sediment removers maybe it makes sense to just invest in equipment myself. (Who doesn't like new toys?!) Wondering if a submersible shredder pump moved around over time might do the trick??? Something like this?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/p...content=Default Thoughts?
