Tom N. I primarily specialiize in natural pond mgmt. Your pond is behaving similar to many other new (1-3 yr old) ponds. Once filled and depending on the nutrient input from the watershed, filamentous algae is usu. abundant the first several years. It is impt to minimize nutrient runoff in the design/building stages and during early years by vegetating the sloping ground around the pond. You have done this with the 'buffered grass'.

Give the aquatic plants another year or two and when they inhabit about 30% of the pond bottom the filamentous algae growth will noticably subside. However you may notice early season fila. algae because the rooted plants have not started the new season's rapid growth.

Chara will very quickly colonize the entire pond bottom that receives sunlight. I do not like Chara in ponds. But the rooted plantings that are present should eventually crowd it into a sparse population. Chara however does compete heavily with filamentous algae for nutrients so the more Chara you have the less fila. algae that will be present. Ponds with bottoms compeltely covered with Chara usu often have no fila algae.

K.Duffie provides good advice in removing as much floating fila. algae as feasable. Its removal reduces nutrients in the pond and minimizes additional fila. algae growth. I usu. don't worry about removing fila. until it breaks lose and floats. Once floating it has basically "run its course" as a nutrient absorber and it is biding its time until it sinks/dies,and decomposes. If you have your nutrients under control and abated, the more fila. algae you remove the less you will have next year.

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
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