Pond Sediment Filling in Ponds

Pond depths are dramatically affected by the amount of pond sediment that is generated on an ongoing basis in one's pond. Pond sediment is defined as the residue that cannot be saturated into the water source and therefore falls to the bottom of the pond. Pond sediment is caused by the following main factors:

• Water inflows into a pond and along with it the soils and other sediment causing matter.
• Decomposing organic matter such as leaves, aquatic vegetation, animal wastes.
• Heavy rain surface run offs such as soils and other organic matter.

Pond Sediment or sometimes called pond fillers can take a pond that is 20 ft deep and in a matter of years fill it in to a depth of 12-15 ft deep.

Many pond owners spend thousands of dollars every 5-10 years digging out their ponds and then the fill in process starts all over again.

Here are a few ideas for pond owners to prevent pond fill in:

• Limit the number of trees surrounding the pond this will reduce the amount of foliage that will enter the pond.
• Grow grass and other vegetation around the pond to prevent erosion and soil running off into the pond.
• Install a pond aeration system which will speed up the decomposition process of organic matter that resides at the bottom of the pond - it will also increase the oxygen levels in the water source, helping burn off excess nutrients in the water.

There are some extremely reliable aeration systems on the market and some that do not require any electricity to operate. Windmill pond aeration systems have become extremely popular in recent years. The world leader in this market is Koenders Windmills, the innovators of windmill aeration systems 20 years ago.

© 2006, Pond Owner Magazine.
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