Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Muddy water Foul smelling bottom mud.

I will try and help you with your question.

May ponds have been neglected and get overgrown like the one you describe. This is mother nature's way of trying to rapidly fill the pond back up with dead stuff so "she" can grow land plants on it again. The encroachment of trees around the pond allows an excessive amont of tree leaves to enter the pond and these dead leaves increase the fertility and organic sediment that are responsible for filling-in the pond. The black dead material the operator removed is the result of undecomposed organics (internal & external) that had previously settled to the bottom and did not decompose. Layer, upon layer annually accumulates.

When this dead organic material settles to the bottom and it loses the dissolved oxygen around it, it turns black and smelly (anoxic / anerobic) like that you describe and have been dealing with.

The extra depth of drawn down was actually a benefit to you. This allowed for removal of more of the black bottom sludge.

I do not fully understand your 2 questions.

1. I am not sure if the 2' of grey stinking mud is above or below the current water line. Is the 2' stinking mud on exposed bottom or is it on the pond bottom that is still covered with water?.

I assume that it is still underwater and the operator removed basically all he could see that was above water on the exposed botttom. Correct?