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Tired of fighting filamentous algae (FA), so I had an idea about controlling some of the nutrients utilized by the FA.
Do the nutrients primarily follow the flow of water in a pond, or does diffusion also control the local concentration of nutrients?
I have a good spot with clay very close to the surface to create a shallow marsh or bog adjacent to a 0.75-acre main fishing pond. I could easily strip the topsoil and get down to the clay at 2 feet and make a bay that was an additional 0.25 acres. After compacting, I could push back about 6" of topsoil to make the area very efficient for growing rooted aquatic plants, or could even deliberately start rice or millet. I would just let that area go and be a heavily vegetated oxygen source.
Question for the experts:
Would that area of abundant plants do an effective job of "stealing" the pond nutrients away from the FA?
I don't have any electricity in this area. However, it is in open ground that is typically subject to pretty good Kansas winds. I know from experience that the winds in our area are quite effective at stirring up open water. Unfortunately, I do NOT think the wind would stir up the water very much in the shallow bay with an emergent plant stalk protruding every 2 inches of exposed pond surface.
Hence my question about diffusion. If that plant-filled bay became "nutrient limited" as the plants proliferated, would it draw nutrients from the open-water area of the pond, or would that process be functionally insignificant?
P.S. The pond would be a BG/RES/LMB pond. I have tons of gambusia in the creek, so I would think the weed-filled bay would produce a million gams for the BG and small bass to eat. I would also put some heavy landscape fabric in the middle of the bay to see if I can keep some water open for the ducks, rather than controlling the plants in a "duck hunting pond" by raising and lowering the water levels.
Any advice and comments would be appreciated!
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