Our state wildlife conservation department has a free pond evaluation available. They will shock the pond and tell you what kind of fish you have and percentages. Then they will sample your water, and survey the pond, and tell you what to do to make it clearer and how to have better fishing, or whatever you want to do. Might check with your state.
It seems likely we would have something similar here in California (not sure where you are), but I just spent half an hour cruising through the websites of our state government agencies, and all I got was a headache. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]
Might have to make some phone calls and talk to real people -- or at least government people. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Harv
Try the USDA soil and conservation office. They sell fish for stocking ponds and lakes, trees for soil and animal conservation and offer various services. They could advise you on your pond or steer you to someone who can.
My neighbor brought over his 'hoe to my pond this summer to clean up the edges. The problem with 'hoes is that they have to have somewhere to dump. Normally this is a dump truck, but in pond areas this is not always possible.
In my case, I had to move the dirt with my tractor. Harv's intuition is right on -- I tipped my tractor into my pond! Pond muck is very heavy and my bucket was very low. Still, even with the proper ballast and what I consider to be a conservative angle of approach, my tractor tipped over. The ground around the newly dumped dirt gets soft real quick, allowing the front wheels to sink under the heavy load.
This was an experience I do not wnat to repeat! [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img]
I had my dam (pond) cleaned out last week as it was pretty low. My dam is very small compared to Harvs but it still cost me 6 hrs excavator hire. He took out about 4feet of sludge from the bottom. Looks like it had very been cleaned out before.
The previous summer I had some work done around the dam but not in it. Even then it never settled for the entire year. Once it fills this summer I wonder if it will clear up.
Anyway, yes excavators are the only way to go I reckon but no, they can't move the crap very far away. So now I have bid "rice paddies" everywhere he dumped the stuff. It flowed like lava some 60 feet away.
What I now do with that I don't know. On TBN I posted a question as to what I can do with it and of my tractoe stuck in it.
Eagle Ridge
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
