Shallow water (usually three feet or less) is where a majority of your plant life establishes, especially algae, and minimizing these areas will decrease the occurrence of nuisance plant problems. Some plant life in your ponds is needed to add oxygen, uptake nutrients, and provide habitat for your fish and other beneficial organisms that make a pond function. Also, there will be enough shallow areas around your pond for spawning without the need to create additional shallow water habitat. Excessive weeds can make a pond less enjoyable and harmful to your fish.
Over time ponds will fill in with silt and organic material, making the ratio of shallow water to deep water less and will need to be cleaned out to function as designed. An older pond has a greater chance of having vegetation problems because of this accumulation of material. Ponds act as a sink to store organics, nutrients, and sometimes pollutants that find their way in. The dynamics of a pond also slow because of this excess material, making it easier for vegetation to establish and quickly spread.
If you are having trouble with vegetation in your pond, it is likely the pond was not constructed with enough open water or your pond is aging and becoming less efficient at nutrient cycling. If you want a smaller pond, take into consideration vegetation management during planning. If you would like an assessment of your pond, please call our office to set an appointment with Jake Hahn at 513-732-7075 x-4.
A successful pond is only as good as proper pond construction and proper construction begins with the knowledge of the builder. A pond should have 25% of its basin at a depth of eight feet or greater and side slopes at a 3:1 ratio (three feet out, one foot down). A minimal round pond size built to this spec. will be approx. 100 feet in diameter. This does three things, it gets you into deeper water quickest while maintaining a stable slope on your bank, creates “open water” on your pond and provides proper habitat for spawning.
