Thursday, October 8, 2009

Natural Pond near Wekiva River


Here is the pond at the beginning of the cleaning project. Obviously algae averrun the first step will be to clear the shore line of debris and remove the dead grass from the pond.
Recently we got a call to come out to a property that has a natural pond on it that had become algae overrun. When the young couple who purchased the property first saw it, the water was clear. Then the surface became completely covered with thick algae. They hired someone who uses chemicals for retention pond maintenance and although certified to be safe, his treatment promptly killed the littoral water plants, while leaving the algae relatively unscathed.
My proposed solution is to gradually restore the natural balance of the pond by introducing native water plants like pickerel weed along the shore and water lilies in the pond itself. Water lilies help reduce the production of algae by depriving the plants of sunlight under their spreading pad/leaves. The littoral plantings act as a filter to rainwater washing from the steep banks and bringing dirt and other pollutants into the water. Both types of plantings increase oxygen and help burn up nutrients that make the water healthier for fish while decreasing the available nutrients for algae. This will be a slow process but in the end the transformation should be pretty spectacular.
Returning this little pond to its natural beauty and health will be all the more appropriate as this property sits in the Wekiva River Valley and is daily home to herds of deer and, though they have only seen him once, a large Florida Black Bear. He is shy about being seen but at least once a week makes his presence known by rifling through the trash.
At the shore of the pond a lot of dead grass and oak branches. Pulling them out is a good start to improving the look of the pond and will make room for the future plants to be put in.
To remove the dead grass and fallen branches from the pond we'll be enlisting this john boat for the day.
This picture really shows how tall the lake grass had grown. Including the roots, each clump of grass, weighing anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs., were pulled out individually requiring a lot of effort, but had a huge affect on the look of the pond by day's end.

1 comment:

  1. SIMPLICITY OF LIFE

    We all dream of a magical rose garden, far away on the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming today in our window.

    The tragic thing that is always present in human nature is a tendency not to enjoy the simple things, but fundamental in life. We have given our energy on things that clearly seem rewarding, but in the long term, have little or no meaning. Beautiful and wonderful things happen to us every day. The sun today was born, the beauty of the evening, the beautiful smile on the face of your child healthy and bearing the same elements that can improve their quality of life, if only you stop to watch these things.

    The line that separates one person happy and unhappy is the happy person focus their vision on those events meaningful and inspiring that has power in itself to bring a mystical beauty to its reality. These people know that there is a good God, loving, full of grace and truth, which has the world under his control. They know that the simplicity of life is what is the best of life.

    Simplify your life is not difficult. All you need is the courage to invest just a little time on it. You can better connect with God and with yourself as separate daily fifteen to twenty minutes for a "quiet time". It's when you turn off the TV, radio, the buzz around it and a quest calm and quiet, is refreshing to find that you can bring so much vitality you need to face your new day. You will be fed, you will gain new perspectives and their simplicity of life - no doubt - will bring wonderful fruits.

    That you have a wonderful day.

    Antonio M Matioli

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