Good ideas but not going to happen. Rained last night and with whats in the forecast the last fourth of the muck may have to stay in the bottom of the pond. So nutrients could be a problem. About two feet of water in the bottom hole now. I was able to work 4 hours in the mist & rain today and clean out most of the rest of the upper part of the bowl but was unable to get back to the muck in the bottom.
What is interesting is that most newly dug ponds around here (unless lined back with top soil like my new pond) are a muddy brown caused from clay suspension in our typical clay subsoils. Often so muddy hard to get a plankton bloom. Old silted in ponds are usually clear. They are likely overgrown with lily pads and other pond weeds but the water is clear compared to a newly dug pond. The only time I see a pond with a blue-green algae problem is if there are lots of cattle with manure runoff and cattle standing in the pond. Or if a lot of poultry litter gets spread on the pasture (high nutrients).
I do not really understand the results I am telling you about. Just what I have observed over the years.
The owner of this pond will not spend a lot of money on it. I will help them stock it with fish from my pond and otherwise it will be a typical farm pond - not much management. They do like to fish (mostly in the creek that transverses their place) so I think they will be able and interested enough to manage the fish population through harvest management. They eat fish out of the creek so I'm sure they will enjoy the pond fish.
Maybe I will get lucky and the fourth of the muck left behind will be the perfect offset to the barren bottom in the rest of the pond and will find a perfect balance. I can dream can't I? LOL
Thanks for the recommendations.
snrub
