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.

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