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Swimming Pond Design
Mine is not an acre but it is 11' at the dock and there is an island. I pushed all my topsoil off to one side and pushed all the burden out let it dry cuffed it off and re covered with the top soil most of the yard is raised 3' on the far side as you look at my picture.
How are you going to dig it? Bulldozer or dragline? that will have an effect on how you can loose that much soil or to model it into a nice berm or terrace around the dig.
An island keeps a lot of soil from having to get moved and you'll still have a nice deep large pond.
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Swimming Pond Design
Ill be using a dozer and excavator so that I can move material around. An island is also something I have considered. I may be able to loose more material than I thought in the dam area. Im just trying to keep the pond looking natural in its setting while minimizing the disturbance to my property.
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Swimming Pond Design
Mac, just a word of caution about islands in ponds.
While Harvey is correct in what he says, islands can also be a real PITA.
In my line of work, golf courses, islands are a big NO-NO. They are impossible to cut the grass on easily, and they encourage the use of the pond by geese and other wildlife. This can be a real problem. We have had cases where nesting pairs of Canada Geese made good sized areas around ponds completely unuseable for a period of time during nesting season.
A client of mine had such a circumstance and unfortunately he had visitors who where unaware of the danger and let their toddler 'go see the pretty birds'. The gander attacked the child who suffered a broken arm and several nasty bites before his father could get to him, the father was also bitten and attacked.
Geese are also less than perfect in their toilet habits.
Best of luck.
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You are right about the islands Murf. To do over again, I would still insist on my island, I just always wanted one. Mowing is a pain so I let it get a little wild and weed wack it twice a year A bridge would allow predators and mowers with more ease. A pair of Canadas do nest yearly, but they leave as soon as the young can fly. For the rest of the invading geese, 12 guage is the answer and I do resort to it regularly. A 22 just didn't scare them in the least. I am training my Appenzeller to give chase. They hate him. Only the nesters go to the island, the rest are happy on my yard area on shore. I make sure they are gone long before swimming season and limit their numbers at all times, they are crapping machines. One thing I have found very successful is not mowing anything near the pond or island until the young can fly. They tend not to stick around long in 12 inch high grass for fear of predators.
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Murf,
I would think that in this case; it would be HIGH time for some "goose egg" omlets and a couple of nice tastey goose roasts. ;O)
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Hello all, im new to this websight, just found this topic and was wondering if anyone had any advise on keeping the algae from building up in my 1/2 acre pond. Ive lived here for 2 years , pond is spring fed but slows to a trickle in mid summer months here in upstate NY. Ive heard of copper sulfate being used, but its no longer legal in Ny. I tried last year using some enzymes and a barley bale from a local fish store but it didnt work very well... Any suggestions would be appreciated... Matt
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I believe there is a product called Aquashade? It is a dye that you add to the pond. It blocks the light which algae needs to grow. I have seen it work locally, but have never needed it myself. One kind makes the water look tropical blue, and one makes it black looking.
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Depending on the type of stuff growing in the water, something as simple as a bale of rye wheat straw will fix it. Bear in mind, it is not a light switch, it takes time to work.
Do a Google search on 'pond water cleaning' or just 'pond water' and see all the info that comes up.
Also, depending on the type and amount of algae you have, and the conditions of your pond, sometimes the solution is as simple as buying some fish or domestic waterfowl (ducks or swans) that will dine on the plant growth quite happily. The colourful large gold fish known as Koi are able to over-winter in the pond as long as a portion of it is more than 6' deep.
If you have too much decomposed plant material in there it may need to be cleaned out first.
Best of luck.
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Hello, thankyou for your responses, i do have a few geese that hang around in the spring as well as a few ducks.. The pond does have fish in it, bullhead and sunfish and a few other types.. I would like to get some of the koi fish, but the water clarity isnt that good. Plus im not sure of the plant type but it almost takes up most of the pond by mid summer. I would like to use some of the algasides and plant controllers but im in Ny and i need epa permission i guess? Its the only state in the country that they cant send too. Go figure... The natural rememdies dont seem to do it.. I may try to get electric down to the pond to run a small compresser i have or perhaps buy a fountain pump? Maybe one or the other may help control the algae... Matt
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Matt, as with a lot things the 'natural' cures are not as powerful as the man-made stuff.
The proliferation of algae you talk about may, depending on the type, be the perfect feed for a school of fish. A lot of that same problem is caused by previous years algae decomposing at the bottom of the pond. This is why I said earlier that it is NOT an overnight fix.
We have had ponds in tough shape like yours that took several years to come around.
Basically you have to attack the problem on several fronts.
You need to physical reduce the amount of fertilizer in the water. In your case the pond is spring so that's easy, put a pump on the pond and pump water out into a ditch or such. With the old water will go the nutrients, and likely some algae, and it will be replaced by fresh clean water.
You need to add something to reduce the algae's ability to grow, barley straw, fish, ducks, or some combination will be likely needed depending on the size.
Finally, you need to consult with an expert who can look at your pond, test the water and advise you on how much of what is needed. This is usually available for free through your local extension office, or for a couple of hundred dollars from a private consultant. I usually recomend the private expert since the gov. people often tell you what the gov. would like to see you do, not what is best for you, in your circumstances.
Best of luck.
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