Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations 5 acre Minnesota Pond - needs everything!

I put a web page out there that has some photos and a basic history of Bremer Pond. If you are interested is located at:

http://www.btmnet.com/On%20Bremer%20Pond.html

You can just cut and paste that into the address line in your browser. I also changed my home page in my profile to this page. It hasn't updated so far.

Thanks, for all the great discussion and recommendations.

Dwight

Dr. Willis, my pond is dug in a low lying area where the natural water level in adjacent bog keep it full. Just a wet bog where I dug a pond at the edge. Because of that I do have to lime pretty regular to control PH. The pond has a grey sand bottom in areas deeper than 3 feet with a muck bottom where it is shallower. The water stays dark like weak coffee from the bog stain. I suspect that because of this dark color I only get plant life in the first 2 feet of depth around edges. I do also put bacteria into the pond every couple of years. I knew from my aquarium experience that you don't want to over feed fish in a small body of water or you're asking for trouble. I use floating pellets that I noticed seem to float for a day or two. So on occasions where I accidentally over feed I think eventually it all gets eaten before it sinks or spoils. I'm very careful not to over feed in late fall. I do it all by hand and only put in small amounts at a time until I figure out how much the fish will take. Of course I also have an aerator, bottom diffuser in two places.

Very nice Dwight! Now adays, the use of a dragline is like looking back into history but in certain situations, they get the job done.

Russ,

I called the machine a crane, which is of course, is not the correct name. It is a dragline, as you say. Thanks for straightening me out on that one!

Do the even make draglines anymore?

I told the dragline operator that if he wants to leave the boom here, we could put it out on the ice this winter for a nice piece of structure went it sinks in the spring. He declined as he has another pond to work on for the next ten years!

Dwight

Thanks, bz. Tannin stained, low pH, and liming! I've never lived where we had to deal with those things! :-) You must be in the northern half of the state. I don't get over there much, but would like to see the pond if I'm ever close.

Dave :

If you get this direction I can show you a few of those (with acid soils, brown tannic acid stained water from oaks and acid from pines and lime to offset both}. That is why I knew what BZ was describing in a post earlier this year. ewest

Ewest -- you have a better memory than me! :-) Thanks for the invite -- if I am down that way, and that certainly does happen occasionally, I will indeed take you up on your offer. It's good to see various conditions and habitats -- sort of a "broadening" experience.

Dave Willis,

Thank you for sending the articles and booklet. I have taken some ideas from your publications and others, as well as some of my own to put together my phase one plan for structure, aeration, etc. The plan is on my Author’s home page. Hyperlinks are also included below.

Spent some time learning how to convert GPS points for the pond shoreline into a map that is to scale, 1inch = 100 feet. I used Delorme mapping to get the basic GPS outline and then exported a bitmap into Micrografix Designer. The Designer software is used to manipulate the various objects included on the map. Fun stuff!

Next summer I will get out the boat and do sonar and GPS readings to complete the map with depths and structure locations.

Comments on the plan are very welcome.

Pond Home Page http://www.btmnet.com/On Bremer Pond.html

Pond Layout http://www.btmnet.com/pond to scale.pdf

Structure Wheel Diagram http://www.btmnet.com/structure wheel.pdf

Dwight

The hyperlinks in my last post didn't format correctly, they should be:

Pond home page:
http://www.btmnet.com/On%20Bremer%20Pond.html

Pond layout:
http://www.btmnet.com/pond%20to%20scale.pdf

Structure wheel diagram:
http://www.btmnet.com/structure%20wheel.pdf

Dwight -- thanks for posting those pictures of your pond!

That is exactly what I had envisioned as your pond. Up in the north country, the gravel pit ponds are a FAR superior habitat for fisheries than the classic hill pond (dam up a draw or waterway). We've never had winter dissolved oxygen problems in any of the gravel pits that I manage around Brookings. None of them have needed aerators. Sure can't say that about the hill ponds.

Congratulations on a great piece of property!

Dave,

Thanks for the kind words!

I know that aeration may not be needed for oxygen enhancement in a pit type pond. I just want to play it safe.

I also have another agenda. Since we have a nice view of the pond from our home, I am hoping that wildlife will take the opportunity to get their winter water from the pond.

I also like seeing the "steam" coming off the open water on a cold Minnesota morning! Somehow, I think it will warm me up a little.

Dwight