Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New pond owner, where to start?

ccarse - It will be very interesting to see what the current depth readings are down near the dam. Probe the upper areas zone. I was referring to the inflow area and about 1/2 way toward the dam. It is helpful to know the average depths of the inlet end of the pond. These depths will help provide an idea of how much muck has accumulated in the last 50 years. I would make a pond map and mark the spots that you measure depth. I would think a 6 or 7ft long PVC pipe would be long enough to feel for most of the bottom depths.

The upper most layer of bottom silt / muck is often very light and fluffy. Just a plain piece of pipe or end of pole will sink through the light fluffy layer and you will not be able to feel or recognize the surface of this light, unconsolidated silt when you reach it with the probe end. Some sort of pipe end disk will make it easier to better feel it when you probe for the depth of the surface of the bottom material.
Try to think of a way to put some sort of disk or thin plate on the end of the probing pipe. My first idea is to put a wooden plug such as a 1" to 2" long cross section of a tree limb cut to fit into the end of the PVC pipe. Use a screw through the PVC into wood to hold the wooden plug in place. Then screw a can lid or stiffer plastic lid onto the end of the wooden plug. Mark the PVC pipe with 1ft increments so you can recognize the depth measurement. This probing tool will help you determine many of the current average depths of the pond.

A thick layer of undecomposed leaves on the bottom will be easily to feel the top part of the bottom materials. The thickest layer of bottom leaves could be in the deepest dam area because organics in deepest layer decompose least amount each year due to the dissolved oxygen is lost quickest there each summer. The deeper main large area dam basin is,,, the better the chance the pond has for producing a year round decent fishery. Bottom aeration might be the best way to stabilize the pond's year round water quality going forward.

Tree numbers per acre? I have no idea. I do know that the more tree leaves that sink into a pond each year the shorter the life of the pond becomes. Ponds age by filling in with organics until the pond trends toward a wetland and then again full of wet mucky stuff. Some with ponds in woods tell me their pond gets up to1ft of leaf layer each year.