Clearing Muddy Ponds

A muddy pond is definitely not what you had in mind when you went to the expense of digging it. If that is the case for you, don’t worry most ponds can be cleared. The first step is to establish grass in your watershed. It won’t do any good to clear your pond, if after the next downpour you watch a ton of silt wash back in.

Next determine if the problem is mechanical or chemical. Take a water sample and let is set for 24 hours. If it clears, it’s mechanical. The problem is either too much shallow water where wind keeps the silt suspended or possibly trash fish like carp that constantly stir up the sediments. This is a complex problem that would involve either dredging the lake or removing all the unwanted fish. If it stays muddy, it’s chemical. An ionic imbalance in the water is allowing the tiny clay particles to stay suspended. Test the sample with a small amount of gypsum and give it 24 hours to settle. If it clears, then the typical application rate is 1000 pounds of gypsum per acre/foot of water to settle out your suspended clay. Most times after the clay drops out your plankton will bloom. This changes the water chemistry and will deter the clay from re-suspending. You can contact us for help with water testing or the gypsum application.