Question
I have just bought a property that has a small artesian-spring fed pond.  It's really pretty small, probably 12 ft diameter, no more than 1.5 ft deep.  It dries up in the late summer so doesn't have fish - it's just pretty to look at, purely decorative I guess you'd say.  The previous owners had put in a drainage system so the water flows from a pipe (I think there is an old cistern there - there's a concrete blockish thing with a wooden lid bolted on, and the pipe comes out of that) and then there is a drain at the bottom of the lower end of the pond.  We live in a river valley with very clay-ey soil.  The bottom of the pond is just natural mud, and very mucky and sticky (ie: if you stepped in, you'd sink to your ankle in the mud).  If we put in a load of gravel or river rock, would the bottom of the pond be a little firmer and cleaner? Or would the rock just sink right in?  Thanks for your advice.

Answer
The rock would probably sink. Best thing to do is temporarily re-route the water with a pipe and drain the pond. Or wait till late summer when its dry naturally. Then dig out the muck (spread around the yard) and place rocks in the bottom. Now allow water back in.
Note over time silt organic debris may cover rocks and then it will be even more challenging to clean. You could put a skimmer (just like a pool has) along one side and force water leaving the pond through this to help remove more debris.

Best of Luck

Sean Murphy