Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Algae issue due to septic system?

New to the group...looks like a wealth of information on here. Im from the southern illinois area. I got a feeling this may not be the first time this has been discussed on this site so please forward me to the right place if so. Thanks!!!

I have a small pond slightly over an acre adjacent to my house that i share with a neighbor. Ive lived here for about 9 years and actually grew up down the road and fished the pond as a kid. For as long as i can remember the pond has struggled with "moss". Its always been a mossy pond. When i moved in i talked to the neighbor and he said he would take care of treating it. I think for the most part he just spread a little copper sulfate from time to time and it never did do a whole lotta good. Like me i think he was always concerned about killing the fish so probably wasnt using the appropriate amount. Well that neighbor moved and i have new neighbors who are great but i mentioned i wanna try to tackle getting the pond cleaned up.

The biggest issue is the moss or i guess algae. It has really started taking off this last couple weeks and it makes it difficult for the kids to fish. Im nervous to just go to the local farm supply store and buy something off the shelf and spread it without consulting someone who has maybe tackled the same issue. Also i have heard if your septic system drains into a pond it can be difficult to control algae due to the nitrates potentially making it to the pond. Anyone have any advice on what the first steps might be to controlling the algae and also verifying that my septic is or is not the culprit ?

Welcome to the forum! The moss you refer is the green floating mats in and on the surface of the water? I think this is or can be a problem with more established ponds and is caused by a build-up of nutrients in the water. Treating it with chemicals does kill it off in the short term but without removing the dying mass or having some other way to take up the nutrients it becomes an annual treatment as I understand it.

Nutrients can be leaf litter, fish waste, excess food, recycled plants, brush piles, logs....

Do you have plants in the water that you like or some that you would like to add?

On your septic system. How far away from the pond are your lateral lines? in my neck of the woods laterals can't be placed within XXX feet of the pond or property lines. Are you thinking you are dropping raw sewage into the pond?

There are multiple treatment options but if it were me I would nail down what is going on with the septic before doing anything else.