How do I Desilt a Backyard Pond?

Silt enters a pond by a variety of methods -- from storm runoff, fresh construction, livestock allowed in the pond, bottom-feeding carp or catfish stirring the bottom for food. A cloudy pond does not necessarily indicate there is silt. A healthy pond will contain plankton and algae in the water, giving it a cloudy appearance. Once you have determined that your pond does contain silt, you can treat it yourself if you choose to do so.

Quart jar with lid
pH test strips
Agricultural lime

Instructions

- 1
  Determine whether there is silt in your pond. Fill the quart jar half full of pond water. Cover with the lid. Allow the jar to sit for a few days. If silt has settled to the bottom, then the water should be treated. If the water is just cloudy with small green flecks moving about, you have plankton and algae growing in the pond.
- 2
  Test the water pH level with the test strips. Take a sample of the pond water during the late morning. Dip the test strip into the water. Compare the color of the strip with the color chart provided with the test strips. The color of the strip indicates the pH level of the pond water sample. Ideal pH levels are between 6.0 and 9.0. You will need to monitor the water during the treatment so no adverse conditions are created for fish in the pond.
- 3
  Treat the water with 1,000 lbs. of agricultural lime per surface acre of the pond. This equates to 23 lbs. of lime per 1,000 square feet of pond surface, or 2.3 lbs. per 100 square feet. A 10-foot by 10-foot pond is equal to 100 square feet.
- 4
  Add one-quarter of the calculated lime at one time. Wait three days. Test the water pH level, then add the next one-quarter amount if water is still cloudy. If the water pH level exceeds 9.0, cease lime treatments until pH level drops below 9.0.
- 5
  Perform this over a 12-day period. Test the water pH level on a daily basis.

Why Are Greenhouse Gasses Compared to a Blanket?

Ways to Go Green As a Corporation

Green