Question
I have a small spring/stream in my back yard that I dammed up and created a goldfish pond. It's about 40 feet long.It starts at about 2 feet wide and the dammed end is  about 6 feet across. The wider end was dug deeper, about 3 feet deep. Over the last few years the stream has been filling up with muck/sludge,reducing the depth by about a foot overall. what is the best way to remove the muck. What kind of needed pond life might I be removing,
Any help you can give me would be a great help.

Thanks

Tom

Answer
My favorite method uses a solids-handling pump to remove sludge and water at the same time.  Refill with fresh water when you cannot suck anymore water using the pump.  Keep doing this until you have removed as much debris as you wanted.  a good second best is a fine net with handle.  You may find lizards, frogs, turtles, fish, insect larvae, worms, and bacteria.  None of them except the bacteria are necessary for pond life.