Hi, folks. I have a pond (or should I call it a mud hole) that I'd like to rehabilitate. It's small, an oval shape about 100x200' and about 3' deep at the most. Supplied by field runoff. It's a mess right now, no underwater vegetation, any fish get picked off by the herons, sterile bottom, the odd crayfish. As far as I can tell it's always been like this (we've been here 15 years and it's looked the same since day one). I want to create a mini-wetland to filter the field runoff and clear the sediment before it goes into the pond. Right now I'm in the research stage. Although I'm fairly knowledgeable about the theory involved, what I'm looking for from you 'experts' is to point me to a website or two where I can look into the 'howto' of designing this. All I've found to date are companies who do it and want to be hired, or government and university agencies who are specialists, but deal with massive tracts of land, although I expect the principals are similar but different in scale, they don't say what they do, only that they did it.

Any suggestions as to where I can look.

By the way, I'm still going through the archives, where there's lots of good info but haven't found any websites yet.

Thanx in advance...

Russ

-- Russ (imashortguy@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002

Answers

Try this:

http://aquanic.org/publicat/state/il-in/faq/faq.htm#Pond Construction

-- SteveD(TX) (smdann@swbell.net), April 24, 2002.

Might look at these sites, the clickable link is the subject that I entered into google’s search engine to get these results:

Wetland Phytoremediation, http://lamar.colostate.edu/~epsmits/BZ580/ This site has a lot of information on phytoremediation.

Creating Wetlands, http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/default.asp?section=10&pageid=419

Creating Wetlands, http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/WildLife/WetlandEnvironmentTurtle.ht m

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

So much for search engines...I spent two hours on the net today using several search engines and not one gave up any of the 4 sites above. Go figgur.

Thanks a lot.

Russ

-- (imashortguy@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.

Um, just a suggestion. Be real careful bandying about the term 'wetland'...you might get a lot of notice from a whole bunch of gubmint people you really don't want to know. k

Don't know what search engine you used, but search for 'ponds' on google. com.

If you don't get much, send me personal e-mail.

We have a smaller pond than your's - dug it about 2 years ago. I'm trying to get it fixed now, too. It will take a lot of effort! And I'm trying to do ours without chemicals. It might be faster, cheaper in the long run to just drain it, dredge out all the muck. BEFORE you refill it, buy some of the pond starter products and get those in there first...

-- V (WraitheLadyA@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.

Yes,in FL you mention wetland and you have just lost use of your property...we chose the term barrow pit..

The fact that we have lilly pads, frogs, etc...is another matter.

-- BC (katnip364@aol.com), April 25, 2002.

Here in Minnesota you also lose the rights to the land if it is a wetland - you might as well go to those government people & let them do it for you - here you would be fined plus have to pay to have it don't 'their way' anyhow, so might as well start there.

I think you have a good idea, too bad the heavy hand wants to squish us about it all. No one wants a wetland or cattail _here_ any more - it's instant death to your property rights.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.

We involved the gov't, the fish & wildlife service! Its only about an acre of ground but always had some water, they came in & broke a tile and a small drain. Now it is about 6-8 ft in the deepest part, and 2-3 in most of it. We are responsible for keeping the drain clear, can't mow around it til after July, & not do anything for 10 years to it. Then we can do what we want, thats in 2008. We will have one end dug alittle deeper is about all. Cattails are controlled by the muskrats, lots of wildlife around it now. Our kids love it to ice skate on, and I like to make willow furniture, its a never ending supply now. We have less dry ground now, but we were making to much hay anyway. Its enjoyable to go out and walk around it and dicover new wild things almost every day.

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), April 26, 2002.