Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Water good enough?

Hi,
I got a water test result back from Texas A&M on a well and I'm curious if the water is good enough for a basic pan fish pond. Everything was good except Sodium at 2755 ppm, bicarbonate at 3155 ppm, Chloride at 982 ppm. Your thought?

thx

I get basic runoff, but this is filler water during dry times in North Texas.
thx.

How big is the pond?
How old is the pond?
Has the pond ever recived well water? If yes about how often and or how much?
I (we) will assume the TA&M water sample results were from the well water. IMO you should also have a baseline pond water test for the same chemicals that were tested in the well water. Then when you add new well water to the pond you have the ability to see or know the impact of how well water is affecting the pond's chemistry / ecology / ecosystem. The minerals in well water will not evaporate nor leave the pond and will accumulate to make it more "salty". Draining and or flushing of pond water reduces the chemical concentrations in the pond. It is good to monitor and know the amount of mineral "salty" increase over time.

Did the report have a big note at the bottom that said: "This water in non-drinkable."?

Those are very high levels of sodium and chloride! Have you tasted the water from the well? If so, I suspect it tasted very salty.

SOME salt added to a pond is usually beneficial to the fish. However, if you supplement your pond during a drought with water from that well, then I believe you will quickly go past beneficial and reach harmful.

My chemistry background is quite dated, and my "pond" chemistry background is almost non-existent. However, you should be able to find some publications about the upper limits of sodium and chloride in a fishing pond. (I don't think you need to worry about the bicarbonate, that will just act to buffer any pH swings.)

P.S. Do your neighbors have wells for drinking water and household use on their properties? Can you ask one for their water analysis? Sometimes an entire shallow aquifer can be salty due to contact with actual salt deposits in the subsurface. However, if you are the only one with salty water in that aquifer, then you may have a local source of pollution. Are there any old oil wells on your property or nearby? An improperly plugged oil well is the most common cause of saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers in Texas.

Thanks guys. No, there was no note stating the water was undrinkable, but the A&M guys said he wouldn't use this water to add to the pond due to the amount of sodium and overall salinity. I'll ask around the neighbors for some of these questions, that's a great start. Thanks again.

Sorry, forgot to answer, it's a small 1/4 acre pond with HBG.