Question
I live in NJ and I have a large stream fed pond. It's approx. 300 ft. long by 75 ft. wide. The water is fed into the pond by a 12" pipe and the water spills out through a sluice. The original owner of my property was a farmer in the 1920's and he created this pond by diverting water from a stream (through the 12" pipe) and using the water for his irrigation system to water his crops. The irrigation system is gone now and the pond is full of life. A large snapping turtle, crayfish and small fish. My question....is there anything I should be doing to my pond to keep it healthy? Can you suggest any books on the subject? This is not a koi pond. My pond does not have algae. Most of the day my pond is shaded with dappled sunshine. Is there a book on plants for a large natural pond? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jo Ann


Answer
Jo Ann,

In my experience, a good healthy pond requires 4 or 5 elements: circulation, filtration (biological and sometimes mechanical), aquatic plants, rocks/gravel/bacteria, and if possible-fish (or a cool snapping turtle!).

Having all these things in place makes all the difference in the health and success of your pond because you are working with Mother Nature, not against her! A good, eco-friendly pond is always chemical free.

Try these resources for more information:

The EcoSystem Pond (barnes and noble / amazon)
Pond Building for Hobbyists (barnes and noble / amazon)
www.nawgs.com (North American Water Garden Society)

Good luck -  BC