Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry One of my ponds could take you skin off

I'm new on here and just became a pond owner last fall when I bought 55 acres of reclaimed mine land. One of the two ponds receives runoff from some acidic soils and I knew it was probably acidic because it is crystal clear and has no fish in it. I got a test kit and did tests on PH, nitrates, phosphate and ammonia. Everything came out normal except PH and it was 5.0. Makes sense though because the soil test on part of the area that drains into the pond called for 10 tons of lime per acre. I had been swimming in it but now I think I will stop that. It's gonna be a few years before I retire there and start working on the property but liming the drainage is going to be one of the first things I do. L

Don't feel bad, I think Bob Lusk had a pond on a clients property where the pH was MUCH lower than that!! If I remember correctly, it was down (or below) 2.0.

Start liming it now, it is going to take time for the lime to take effect and get things reasonable.

I would see if in your area you can get calcium carbonate rock. Pile into the run off area so all run off water needs to run through the rock.

Hit the lake water with calcium carbonate as well. If you use a lime that is highly reactive and fast acting you could get some dangerous gases released quickly from water that has such a high acid concentration.

What ever you do make sure there is next to no potash in any of the lime you use. The potassium will react with the acid and release chlorine gas. One good whiff of that and your lungs are dink'd for life.

Don.

My situation is similar, but nowhere near as severe. I have to question the calcium carbonate rock having much if any effect though? fine ground lime takes long enough to do anything let alone the stone. If anything I'd try to make a rock formation within the pond and over time they should dissolve as needed.

To me I would 2 prong this. I'd lime the runoff source land as well as the actual BOW.

I have a friend that works in the mining and exploration industry. He tells me that when they get set to abandon a mine to become a pond/lake they bring in ton after ton of lime in preparation.

Not an expert, but I'm learning...

Thanks for the tips. Right now the vegetation is pretty lush with waist high grass all through the drainage, except where there is acid seepage. I just enrolled this property in the Conservation Stewardship Program so I cannot mow until after Aug. 1. I also have no equipment to work with right now so doing any kind of mowing or tilling the lime into the soil is not possible. Don't want to just top dress lime without tilling it in. Putting up a building this fall and hope to buy a tractor and some equipment next year, then I can get to work on the acidic soils.

Hambone, Dolomite Limestone (Ag Lime) is cheap, and readily available in our area. It will react fairly quickly with the acidic water and raise the pH over a couple months. Not so fast you will have to worry about any gas release or visible reactions. Amending the watershed soils will be a huge benefit for years to come also.

Top dressing the soils in your case would provide the most benefit in the fastest way for you. Till more in next year when the pond has stabilized for added years before needing more.

I paid $10/ton for Ag Lime, delivered and spread with a 10 ton minimum. Truck came from 25 miles away.

Sounds familiar...there are lots of strip pits in Southern IL that are either like that or were until someone worked on them. Being from the area we used to 'strip pit hop' from one to another fishing. You'd have 2-3 in a row that were chock full of fish then one with visibility at like 25 feet and nothing in it at all!

Sounds like you've got the makings of a great place there Hambone!