Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Use of dredged materials

We have a 1/4 acre pond that's fed by the discharge from our open-loop geothermal heat pump. The pond is 18 years old. It has a lot of vegetation growing around the perimeter and is filling in with silt from rain water. We have an overflow outlet that drains into our meadow.

I want to have it dredged and then use the dredged material to fill the raised beds in my vegetable garden.

How do I go about this? What's the suggested process?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Welcome aboard Martha,
When I dredge I often haul mine out to the pasture (VIA Pan or Dump) and spread it out so it can dry out some. Then I come back in and load it up (or use a dozer in some cases) and put it where I want it when it is dryer and more manageable. For me trying to use the silt in its mud form has a couple of draw backs. It makes a big mess and is really heavy due to the moisture content. Hope this helps you with what you are looking for.

Welcome to the forum!

If you are unsure what chemicals were used in the pond I would take a good representative sample of the material to be dredged out, dry it and send it to be tested, especially for metals like copper.

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/

It would be best to the allow the material to dry out like Tums suggested. We have done this process several times and it works well for us. It is much easier to work with a period of drying.

We dug the pond and have never used chemicals of any kind in it.

Then no testing needed. Just dig out, dry and apply. You might want to send a sample out for a regular soil test to see if you are light on any fertilizer in it (N-P-K).

Thank so much to all who replied!

A problem we've had is with vegetation growing right at the edge of the pond. We're afraid to cut it and let it fall into the water. Now we have a 3-4' border of tall weeds. Any thoughts on this?

I've seen a few things done.

IF a pond is designed with forethought, AND the water level stays constant, it can be mowed all the way to the waterline with a riding mower.

Tall, relatively dense vegetation at the water line 18"+ high will provide a barrier to Canada Geese and will prevent them from walking from the grass to the pond, or out of the pond to graze on a lawn.

I've seen ponds where they've put down geotextile fabric around the pond, then placed stone around the pond as edging.

I've also seen ponds where the owner has used Shore-Klear to kill plants far enough away from the waters edge to allow a riding mower to be safely used.

When mowing around a pond I recommend that the grass clippings be blown away from the pond vs. into the pond.

Okay, thanks. I've ordered Shore-Klear Plus and we'll see where we are once that works. There's so much vegetation, it's difficult to assess how much the pond has filled in. I guess I could always put on some water shoes and go wading!

Fishing rod, slip bobber and a weight that will sink the bobber. Keep adjusting the knot higher and higher up the line, and cast to the same place. Once the bobber floats, that's the water depth.

Or buy an inexpensive plastic reel type tape measure. http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/...tape-36818.html

Go out on the pond is a boat, or on a blow-up raft if the water is warm enough. Put a weight on the bottom of the tape measure, and measure the water depth.

Brilliant! Thank you!