Muddy pond water

[sissy]

pea gravel is really dirty as you see it can be a real problem .We never think of gravel or rocks of being dirty .Surprise they are I see pine trees also inyour pic pine pollen can be a real problem also .I know here lots of pine trees and it coats my blacktop driveway to the point it looks green also

 

[Mmathis]

I appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you! I don't have any fish yet and probably shouldn't focus on water clarity just yet anyway. I have a long way to go. The pea gravel for the bog was the main culprit I think, despite rinsing it first. I will definitely build up the berm.

Ah, but it's always the right time to focus on your water, LOL! Actually, since you don't have any fish yet, this probably is the best time to work at getting the mud & dirt out. Just be sure you have taken care of any defects [such as low spots] where more runoff can enter. If you think there is a thick layer down there, maybe get in the water with a plastic bucket and see what you can scoop out -- yes, it's going to get murky all over again, but this is a good way to get the solid stuff. Then try this -- and @sissy is the expert on this technique -- get something like a plastic crate or clothes basket. Buy some polyester quilt batting and layer this in the container. Then find a way to divert your water flow [a "dirty water" pump or sump pump....] so that you have the water flowing through the quilt batting and then back into the pond. It doesn't have to be a rapid exchange -- but you'll have to change and rinse the batting often. Guarantee it will get the particles and fines out!

 

[addy1]

I didn't wash my pea gravel. Had way to much and on a well. After a few weeks water was clear. Give it some time or use batting like said above.

 

[Lisak1]

We didn't rinse our gravel, or any of the rocks we used for that matter, either. The dust that came from the rocks settled very quickly in the pond and has never been an issue. Continual runoff into the pond would be a bigger concern.

 

[mgmine]

Once your turn your filter on it will start to clear. What can't be cleaned out of the filter material can be vacuumed up. A thin coating of dirt will cover the liner and make it look more natural.