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I purchased a house last summer, and with it came 10 acres of land, mostly wooded. There are two wetland areas. 1 is a fairly clean pond, looks very shallow. The other appeared to be a swamp, but since it froze we can see it is actually water, but absolutely full of shrubs and even trees. We have cleared a small part of it with a chain saw this winter, creating huge piles of sticks and brush. We stoppped clearing as all we were doing was piling up a new problem, and buying a chipper shredder proved problematic atthis time of year. As soon as we got the shredder, the melt began.
I am going to need a LOT of help with this. Here's hoping you can be as helpful as your reputation implies.

Hi PondsK8r,welcome to the forum.We're glad you found us.Ask away,there are experts here to help with almost any problem you can come up with.Hold on to your hat,and keep your sense of hummer with you,its gonna be a great ride.

Welcome to the forum PondsK8r. Glad you found us... The first pond you mention as being very shallow. Any idea of the maximum depth of this pond? Depth can be very important if you want game fish to survive the brutal winter months Michigan experiences. For most game fish, an absolute minimum depth would be 8 feet and that would probably be with aeration. Many of the pond owners on this forum have ponds in excess of 20 feet... If your pond doesn't have that depth, there are options for renovation if you goals are to grow game fish in it. Often times shallow ponds such as the ones your describing provide excellent habitat for wildlife though.

Toss us a few questions and we'll see what we can do to help.

Welcome to the forum PondsK8r! If you like saving time and money, you'll love this place.

Hello Pondsk8r and welcome to Pond Boss, we're glad you found us. You've already received a welcome from the pond boss, it doesn't get much better than that.




I'm always as helpful as my reputation implies.

Thanks for the welcome guys. I am on my way out to photograph the ponds. The shallow pond will be fine as a wildlife pond - we have seen deer, wild turkeys, skunk, rabbits, heard coyotes, as well as seeing and hearing many different birds (saw a bluebird the other morning) on our land.

The deeper (I think it is deeper) pond is more of a concern as it is better described as a "miasmic swamp" When we first saw it last spring, you could not get close enough to even know if it was a pond or not. But it did have peepers. Later in the year we could verify that it was indeed a pond because we could get close enough to see a thin strip of bright green duckweed.

When fall arrived, we worked hard to clear an infestation of grapevine which allowed us to get much closer to the "pond" from a different angle. And when winter arrived and the "pond" froze, we could see for the first time what the extent of the pond was, and that it truly is a pond. Large by my standards - My previous pond was about the size of a kitchen sink - I will put a yardstick in my photos.

Our goal is not necessarily to have fish (although coachB has plans, I know) but to breed less mosquitos. If that means fish, then I will have fish. I would like to grow marginals and wetland native plants, as well as providing a restful, pleasant environment to spend time. A miasmic swamp does not provide that!

I'll post photos shortly. No matter how difficult that proves to be.

I am really looking forward to the pictures of this place.

I hope you guys are ready for a challenge...It looks even worse today!

grrrr. will post photos.......

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_HwxELamDYHc/S5p9MKxG2lI/AAAAAAAAAak/GT_a188CGPM/s400/HPIM2127.JPG

oops

That's some serious brush. Clearing it out should help immensely, the increased wind and sun will hurt mosquito reproduction and increase the aesthetic appeal. You're probably too shallow for reliable fish over-wintering, but you could stock fast-reproducing minnows each spring to help control mosquitoes.

I realize it probably smells and it's not something you like to look at, but I think it's gorgeous.

Here's another thread regarding mosquito control. Some minnow species to consider. I think you'll find out a lot more about your little BOW when you clean it up a bit and the experts around here will certainly be able to help you get out of exactly what you want. You can look forward to that. I will.

BOW?

Eeek! It's going to smell as well as look bad?

I was wondering whether this counted as an appropriate thread for "controlling unwanted plants" but thought "help" was more appropriate!

Any ideas on how I can clear the brush now the nice sturdy ice platform has melted away? (anyone suggesting a Kayak and a chainsaw will be IGNORED!)

BOW = Body of Water

Wait until June and drain the pond. With the heat of summer it should dry out the pond enough to get a dozer in there and push everything out. At the same time you could make it deeper

But a kayak and chainsaw sounds so fun!

I was in a dozer's bucket with a chainsaw high up in the air this past summer.

Actually, the kayak and chainsaw sounds less daunting than draining the pond and using a dozer.........

If I recall correctly, Michigan has some strict laws relating to wetland areas. If you did decide to go the bulldozer route, you would almost certainly have to obtain a permit to do so. I am not sure what your goals are, but it seems like your property is a very unique ecosystem. I bet the flora and fauna is quite diverse. Habitat like that with mixed woodlands and swamps is often full of many species of birds. Someone like Brettski and particularly his wife would have a field day bird watching there...

Purchasing just a few dozen fathead minnows from the local bait shop each spring would be all you'd need to control the mosquito population if that is your concern. A couple native species which are more adapted to conditions like that may do well, but wouldn't be available from a baitshop or fish farm. The central mudminnow could probably survive year round in your bigger pond and if your smaller pond maintains at least a little bit of water year round, it too... They can actually breath air and in times of low water will burry themselves in the mud!

Central Mudminnow

I was going to chime in earlier, but wanted to see where it was going. MI "IS" really STRICT on wetlands. If this is classified as a "Wetland" , "LEAVE IT ALONE" Until you have a plan and have PERMITS, and that is a process in itself. I know someone that it took around two years to get a permit that was on a wetland for a small pond. Don't cut any trees or clear brush or scrub. I also know someone who spent ten's of thousands of dollars, in defense, for making a minnow pond, and after they were charged with Wetland Violations. He won, but probably would not want to see another minnow in his life.

Anyway, all the existing ponds around the State have been re-classified as "Wetlands" in the past couple years.

Welcome to MICHIGAN!

I took a quick look at the dnre website document, and clearing vegetation is not regulated. Thanks for the heads up though. Dozing is!

PondsK8r, I don't have experience with Tilapia, but if their legal they could be stocked every year to help keep the pond clear.
You can build a floating dock and use it to move around the pond, giving you a stable platform to clear brush.

PS. Remember nothing is illegal unless you get caught , just kidding.

As long as you know what you are doing!

No, JKB, I don't know what I am doing, and I will tread (or bush whack) with caution. However, I am relatively sure that a shrub swamp, although providing wonderful eco-environments for wildlife, can do even better with a little clear water... should help to encourage waterfowl and humans. Anyway - I will need a little access to dump in the minnows. Can't really throw them for 10 feet back and assume they will fall in the pond rather than get caught in the branches.

I will be looking up the wetland consultants listed on the website I found, and we never intended to clear the whole swamp.....

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