Lakes and ponds are catch basins for many sources of nutrient pollution. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from animal or fish waste, stormwater runoff, grass clippings or leaves, and fertilisers are a just a few examples of the nutrient pollution that eventually settles at the base of lakes and ponds. Lake and ponds with bases that are overloaded with these nutrients can experience depletion of oxygen, fish kills, excessive weed growth or harmful algae blooms that negatively impact water quality.
If you already have a sludge problem, here are a few ways to reduce the sludge and help restore balance to your pond water.
1 – Use Beneficial Probiotics – Not only can beneficial probiotics eat away at existing sludge, but it also can prevent the build-up of sludge from occurring in the first place. Beneficial probiotics also can keep floating organic matter from building up in your lake or pond, as well as remediate sludge. Find out more here.
2 – Dredging – When determining the cost of traditional dredging, there are four main questions to answer:
- How much sediment is there to dredge?
- What is the size of the water body?
- What is the content and condition of the material that needs to be dredged?
- Where can you put the dredged material once it’s removed from the lake?
To determine the quantity of sludge, a survey must be performed to provide water and sludge depth information. At Parklink we carry out sludge surveys as a way to monitor and track progress or changes in the reduction process.
3 – Aerate Your Pond – A stagnant pond is the perfect breeding ground for many water issues, including the build-up of sludge. Aeration keeps water temperatures down, as well, which inhibits the growth algae blooms.
4 – Limit Your Fish Population – When you have too many fish in a pond, the fish waste really adds up and this contributes to sludge. These fish also have a harder time competing for oxygen and sludge reduces oxygen levels, so this can all lead to fish kills. Also, avoid overfeeding fish, as excess food also contributes to your sludge level.