THE
GAME OF
NUTRIENTS: KEEPING YOUR POND’S EMPIRE IN ORDER
By Sarah Zink and April Fleischauer, Integrated Lakes Management
AQUATIC PLANTS
Another way to combat nutrients and weed growth is to plant more aquatic plants along the edge of your pond. These aquatic plants take up and use the nutrients to grow. Therefore, if there’s ever an excess of nutrients, the odds of it negatively impacting the balance of the pond is lessened. In the same effort, make sure to keep as much beneficial vegetation as possible. Often, ponds get “over treated” in trying to create an unnatural appearance. A healthy body of water will have about 30% aquatic vegetation in the water. Shallower bodies of water may do better with a much higher percentage.
SEDIMENT REMOVAL
Often times, the sediment on the bottom of the pond grows as the pond ages. This nutrient-rich sediment sometimes becomes a problem by both creating a shallower pond and by adding nutrients to the water. Installing an aeration system can help oxygenate the water and help promote naturally occurring bacteria in the water degrade the sediment. Often times, however, a more drastic approach is needed. Hydraulic dredging, or “vacuuming,” the pond may be a consideration if you have a lot of sediment in your pond.
If you are unsure about what issues may be at play in your empire, we recommend performing an investigation into the pond’s ecosystem. Looking at all the different factors in your kingdom can help evaluate in which direction to move. Keeping your pond’s ecosystem in balance can seem like a medieval war, but focusing on the bigger picture can help keep you on target.
|
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60