A pond on your property can be a real boon. If it’s a large pond, then you can enjoy the views and maybe even go swimming or boating or fishing on it. If it’s a small pond, you can still enjoy watching the wildlife, whether it’s the fish you stock it with or the frogs who take advantage of its presence. However, maintaining that pond comes with certain obligations and responsibilities.
Keep the Water Moving
This may seem counterintuitive at first. After all, a pond is not a river is it? The truth is that there is some water movement even in the broadest and stillest ponds. Too much movement stirs up the sediment and creates problems of its own, but complete stagnation is no good either. You need some movement to keep the filtration and aeration systems going.
Filter and Clean
Filtration keeps your water clean and clear, not just for aesthetic reasons, but also for the health of the ecosystem. As water moves through a natural pond, there are natural and biological systems to filter the water. Plants often play a huge role there. Man-made ponds must often use mechanical filters or skimmers to keep a pond clear.
Location
If you’re finding it impossible to keep the pond clean no matter how hard you work at it, consider the location. Full sunlight, for example, means that no matter how carefully you filter, you will likely still have to deal with algal blooms.
If you have a pond on your property, no matter how small or large it is, these basic principles still apply. Keep the water moving, make sure to have a system for filtration and be conscious of how location affects the health of your pond. If you consistently take care of these three basic principles, you can enjoy the clear water, happy wildlife and aesthetic beauty of your pond all year round.
