My wife and I bought an old farmhouse in Western PA about 2 years ago that has a small pond. There are a couple problems that we'd like to address so I was hoping to get some advice and recommendations. I'll try to describe it in as much detail as I can; I've also attached 2 pictures.
Size I've calculated the surface area to be about 0.8 acres. The depth is highly variable but probably 3-4 feet at its deepest. The depth has decreased significantly since we moved in.
Features The pond is fed from a few different sources. 1) There is a spring about 100 yards uphill that runs downhill and is piped into the pond. 2) A second spring feeds directly into the pond and water can be seen bubling up from it year-round. 3) At some point, one of the previous owners ran a pipe into the pond, which collects water either from our gutters or other drainage. The pond also has a small island that can be seen in the pictures. There is also a small stream that runs behind the pond.
Wildlife We've put 5 Koi into the pond. There are also 11 grass carp that are fairly large. We found a dead one recently and it measured 42". We regularly see bluegills, as well as some bass. I hear a few few bull frogs, but not many. We see muskrats from time to time. The previous owner had them trapped, but we haven't done that. We also have 2 white ducks that live there year-round. Mallards, canadian geese, and herons come occassionally. A pair of geese are raising their 9 babies there now as well.
Vegetation The pond was relatively clear when we moved in but has since become overrun with watermeal. At first I thought it was duck weed but it isn't. There is also some algea, but not a lot. We are working on clearing the banks, but currently they are overgrown. There are a number of trees, including one large willow and a couple pines, plus numerous smaller willows and other trees.
Problems/Questions Our primary concerns are 1) the water level is often very low, we have tried clearing out the spring/stream (feed source #1 above) and filling in holes that we've found, but this is still a serious problem. I have heard that muskrats can drain a pond, and also that too many trees, especially willows, can do the same. I've considered using a dye to see if we can tell where we might be losing water, but haven't done so yet. We have also considered trying to pump water from the stream behind the pond. 2)at times the watermeal completely covers the pond in a thick layer. I know this is bad both from a pond health standpoint and from an aesthetic standpoint. I've done some reading and heard about chemical treatments, but would prefer a natural solution if possible. It sounds like limiting surrounding vegetation and not permitting geese to nest could help. I have also heard that a higher water level can help, espically if the level is as high as the overflow pipe so the watermeal will effectively be skimmed off. I have heard that tilapia will eat watermeal, but am not sure if they can live in our climate.
Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
They say a large cottonwood tree will drain 100 gallons of water a day in the middle of summer in kansas. Your pond mite be on a rock ledge and leaking. did you have any big trees die? when trees die the roots leave places for the water to leak. Muskrats will make holes which usually end damaging the damn. which usually washes out after time. does the pond ever fill up all the way? how deep would it be if it is full?
Another problem that could be happening is if the pond has a natutal spring and you have a drought and the spring dries up the water from your pond will run backwards into the spring and lower your pond also. Springs go way down in the ground and if the spring dries up it no longer feeds the pond but will act like a drain.
From the pictures it looks like blue green algae not good. I would recommend if it is only 3 to 4 feet deep to have it cleaned out probably cost around $2000.00. I would cut some trees down so it can get some air / wind for oxygen, or add a aerator. Just all depends on how much you wanna spend
KSBASS - thanks for your responses. To answer your questions: 1)no big trees have died, though we have started cutting down some smaller trees 2)the pond has never filled up entirely. If it did, I would guess that it would be 6-8 feet deep in the center (deepest portion)
It sounds to me like you have a leak and muck problem. You also may have had some runoff into the pond with fertilizer? Has anyone fertilized nearby where it can get in the pond?
It does depend on your goals and what you are willing to spend. If it were me, I would first try to measure the muck depth to get a gauge of how juch effort to clean the pond out would be. If under a couple of feet, maybe some aeration would help reduce the muck. If over that, there may be too much accumulated nutrients to too shallow of water to do anything much but clean it out. There are some treatments available to lock up nutrients in the pond to keep it out of the water column.
If you decide the pricy route of a clean out, you may be able to address leaks at the same time by bringing in some clay to line the pond after cleaning. Perhaps even finding clay somewhere on site would be good.
If you do suspect a leak, but cannot go the lining rout, you can re-core the dam which is also expensive, and may not fix the leak. However if it is muskrat damage through the dam, this would fix it, and you would be able to keep existing fish.
Well it looks like a pond that i had the same exact problems with. I fought it and fought meaning the algae problems. I finally gave up and had it dug out. The best thing i ever did! My advice would be to have it cleaned out start fresh and you won't regret it.
Ok - if we do find holes, what is a good way to fill them in to ensure that they won't reopen in the future or continue leaking? Can bentonite be used and where can you buy it?
I have also heard that you can use a dye that will help show where water is leaking. Has anyone had success with this?
Muskrat holes can just be filled in with dirt, as it settles keep putting more on top. Try to pack it in as best as possible. As far as the bentonite is concerned the proper was is to till it in the ground. Which means draining your pond. I tried it without draining my pond and it didnt do any good.
by the time you fix the muskrat holes buy bentonite and other chemicals to clean up the algae. I honestly think you would be way better off cleaning out the pond. you will spend alittle more money but it will done right.
