dchance I am in the same boat as you are with a new pond about a year ago. As the others have said to you, first is solve the sediment run off in the pond. I posted the same questions in the past and everyone's advice to me was spot on. I planted some rye grass around the pond to get some vegetation. After the first rain, all the seed washed into the pond. I then threw out more seed and covered it with erosion material and in a matter of a week I had rye grass sprouting up everywhere. Since i did that a few months ago, my pond is just now starting to clear to about 10" visibility. I was going to put some alum in to speed up the process but one of the most important things I have learned on this is "patience". And that my friend is the hardest thing for me to do but I am now beginning to see the fruits of my labor. Good luck with the pond.