A problem with one of my trout ponds!

[MitchM]

Regarding your algae/fish dying problem from before - once you get the pond rebuilt it will probably come back - I think it was a nutrient issue that was the main culprit.
The large amount of algae present would have dropped the O2 levels at night, probably sufficient to kill off your fish.
I agree with adavisus's suggestion above - add some aeration. Try also to find if there has been an increase of nutrients from runoff as well.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I agree with everything you said, Mitch. An aerator is definitely a must. It took a while for my thick head to understand that. I will probably take advantage of the disaster to clean out unwanted vegetation growing in the bottom too.
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It would be great to find out what the actual cause was. I'll try to do a visual inspection before the vegetation arrives. Possibly some water and soil tests too.

 

[MitchM]

Do you have any basic aquarium water test kits?
The accuracy isn't all that important, but if you could test for phosphorous, ammonia and nitrates using some API kits from a pet store it might help find the source of the algae problem.
When we moved onto our property here, we had a real problem with algae in the pond because cattle had free access to it most of the year. Once we moved in we didn't allow the cows any more access and the algae was gone within 2 years. A constantly running stream can really keep the pond free of excess nutrients, as long as the stream itself isn't the problem.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I did some tests last year with a cheap kit. One of the tests said it was ok to drink. I think I need to buy a more expensive kit. Another idea I had was to install a bog above the ponds.
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My springs in the ponds are weak. The main spring usually dries up the 1st of July. I wish I could find a water source to tap in, during the summer. It might be possible to find a spring near where I mentioned installing a bog.

 

[MitchM]

On the positive side, having a weak spring flow rate will make rebuilding the water transfer from the upper pond to the lower pond easier.
On the negative side, you should probably seriously consider adding aeration to the upper pond plus it will take longer for excess nutrients to be flushed out.

Have you ever considered circulating the water from the lower pond to the upper pond during the non-winter months?
That would tie the two ponds together creating a single, larger, more stable body of water.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Have you ever considered circulating the water from the lower pond to the upper pond during the non-winter months?
That would tie the two ponds together creating a single, larger, more stable body of water.

No, I haven't. That is an interesting idea.
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[R.Rose]

Mike, I am sorry to learn of your pond disaster. I would have replied when I saw your emailed postt but I forgot my password to this forum.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

It's been over 2 years, so I thought I would update this thread. I've spent the last 3 summers dredging the algae out of the pond. I'm not sure I will ever get id of all of it, which is unfortunate. It is currently down to small patches in various spots around the pond. It only grows about 6 inches high. Some of it was 8 feet in 2014.
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I believe I have discovered the cause just this year. There's a gravel road all grown up to trees that is between me and the house next door. When I was originally looking for the source, I didn't see a culvert under the road. Well, this year I checked it out closer. There is a culvert. There is also a ditch that goes through the center of the neighbors lawn, which slopes on both sides towards the ditch.
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I believe the problem actually started one year earlier. (in 2013) I went diving in the pond that summer in August. There was a severe white haze in the water. It was so bad, I had to feel to find the bottom. I didn't give it too much thought. After being on this forum, I now know that is bad. The summer of 2013 was extremely wet. Perhaps the wettest on record. I am sure my neighbors pooped in my pond big time that year. I am also sure the entire ditch and where the water runs through the woods on my property is still contaminated. It's only a matter of time until this happens again.
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I'm not sure who I should contact but, I am looking for some remedy for the problem and possibly compensation for the time, money and loss of fish. Not to mention the disturbance of the eco system in the pond. My pond was always crystal clear. That has not been the case since this happened. I suppose a bog will have to be built as well.
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The good news is, the fish are doing great.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Thanks for the update

Hopefully you will find a solution now thst you realized the problem.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I am open to any suggestions, as to how to proceed.

 

[MitchM]

I had a similar problem on my property a few years ago, a drilling company constructed a new road to a new drilling site and the runoff from the new road filled our natural pond with clay silt. The pond looked like a mud pit for almost 2 weeks, smothering much of the aquatic and plant life.
My only remedy was to call our local bylaw enforcement which could only make the oil company erect barriers in the ditch so that it didn't happen again. The road was already built, so what would be the point of that?

Other than an expensive lawsuit where I would have to prove damages, there wasn't much I could do.
The pond returned to it's previous state eventually.

It sounds like you would need to determine who owns and who is responsible for the local waterways and runoff and then see what laws exist to ensure their responsible management.

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[Mike in Vermont]

I appreciate the post, Mitch. I wish I would have found the problem shortly after it happened. On the other hand, I don't want to wait until it happens again. I don't know the people that own the house. I have thought of contacting them about this first. It's not a conversation I would look forward to.

 

[MitchM]

You could test the water entering your pond with our basic hobbyist test kits. Try testing for phosphate and nitrate, see what the numbers tell you.
If the problem is a seasonal one, after they fertilize their lawn or something, you may need to take a number of tests over a period of time.

Testing the water already in your pond won't tell you much, the algae will be doing it's job consuming the nutrients.
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[budgenator]

Some times you can see some very interesting things on Google Earth. I noticed a couple lines on Google Earth that indicated county drains, one even had a name. My Neighbor’s plowing kept turning turning the named county drain into a pond. Simply taking a blade on my tractor and digging a swale straight down the property line to match the line on google earth to the named ditch solved obnoxious spring melt flooding into my pond.
I would consider putting some diversionary berms and swales around my ponds if I were you. Getting any run off from there property for fecal bacteria might not be a bad idea either, it might be a septic problem which would have heath considerations for you as well as your fish.