Bill,
Thanks for taking the time to address my question. I hesitated at first about asking the question knowing that each pond situation is unique but went ahead anyway. You touched on a few points that will give me food for thought.
Water chemistry of a new pond is one item. This pond is surrounded by woods on one side and a yard on the other. Last fall, the first for this pond, I did get a fair amount of leaves in the pond. I'm sure this will have an effect on water clarity over time, even with my bottom aerator in place.
Due to the volume of inflow/outflow of this pond, I think the use of water dyes would be a waste of money.
The contractor who will be doing the work will use an excavator as opposed to a dozer, so I don't think digging the extra depth, given the size of the pond, will be a cost burden. Like you mentioned, the extra depth will help slow the effects of sediment buildup.
Its all good stuff you talked about Bill, again my thanks!!
Russ
