Originally Posted by JMayer
If I would forgo the dredging or decreasing the size, would getting rid of the carp allow for some other species to be introduced even though the water wouldn't be very deep? Or will the problem of leaf debris only get worse as time goes on? It stays under 65 degrees even in the summer and never fully freezes over during winter.

Thanks!

If I were to do it that way, I would first off remove any trees near the pond that have leaves that are heavy in tannin. That would be any Oaks for sure. Century old boles of American chestnut are still remarkably good wood because of tannin. Somehow tannin inhibits decay probably due to anti-fungal properties. Trees with leaves that decay readily are trees like ash, mulberry, poplar, maple, elm and I think some of these could remain. Just a little annually timed plastic fence erected around it could work to help to prevent a large portion of them going in. Still may be chore keeping up with leaves but did I hear you say "kids" and "little fishermen"?

I had hoped I you might say that there was some meadow on your own property that is lower in elevation than your pond. say an acre or so where you could spread muck. Even if you only deposited 2" a year, I do think you would make ground. If you could get rid of the muck it would help the pond grow a wider variety of foods for fish. Even so, when you think about it, your pond is like a trout hatchery raceway. So I do think you could raise trout and feed them without issues. You need to get rid of the carp as they will compete for food, space, and oxygen.

Maybe one of these days you could draw up some elevations of the pond and a contour of your property where some other ideas might be passed around by members, If it were me I might adapt the outlet to take water from deeper in the pond and might adapt the pipe or the outflow to be diverted to any meadow that lies below that if the pond bottom is agitated it might carry the muck solids away. Keep us posted on what you do. There is potential and it's a very unique and interesting opportunity.


It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers