Dreading dredging out your pond? Try this first.

What do you do when your pond seems too far gone? Its an eyesore, it smells, and it serves no purpose. When your pond is bogged down with layers of muck and sludge at the bottom and full of weeds, algae, and debris, its common to feel the need to start over. Many people resort to dredging, a costly procedure that removes everything from the pond so you can rebuild a new one in its place.

Nature’s Pond Care is a proven solution to restore any pond without having to start all over; no matter how neglected and bogged down a pond may be.  

How does Dredging work?

The process of dredging a pond begins by removing all wildlife and draining the water from the pond. Ideally once the pond is drained out it is left to dry.  

Next, heavy equipment is brought in to dig out the sediment layers of muck and sludge. The mounds of dead material are scraped away from the bottom and sides of the pond, destroying the entire ecosystem and much of the landscape surrounding its edges.

Everything that is scraped away must be transported with a dump truck to be disposed of.

After the dredging has been completed there is a significant amount of clean-up that must take place. The landscape surrounding the pond must be restored which can also be costly. Seeding new grass and shrubs can take a long time to establish and grow.

Runoff or rainfall restore the pond’s water, or it is manually pumped back in.

Even once the landscape and water are restored it can take a long time before the ecosystem has fully recovered. And, if nothing is done to care for the pond after dredging it will continue to build up with muck and sludge, requiring another dredging procedure in the near future.

For many reasons, dredging may not even be an option for some pond owners. A spring fed pond for example could be impossible to dry out, preventing heavy equipment from being able to operate. Or a pond situated too close to houses, trees, power lines, or other structures, could be inaccessible for the necessary equipment.

How much does it cost?

The cost of dredging a pond can vary depending on the size of the pond.

Costs for the procedure include having the pond and land surveyed beforehand, equipment and labour cost of the excavation company, and landscaping services and materials to rebuild the land surrounding the pond.

All of these expenditures ad up and dredging a pond can easily become a project that costs thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

A Better and Non- Evasive Approach to Reducing Muck and Sludge

Nature’s Pond Care powered by Koenders Water Solutions, is perhaps the alternative to dredging that you are looking for. It costs a fraction of what it would if you were to dredge your pond. By employing this simple and cost-effective 3-step program you can reduce muck and sludge without hurting the environemnet or your wallet.

Step 1 – Renew

Natures Pond Conditioner is made from a natural blend of beneficial bacteria, enzymes, plant extracts and a food-grade dye. This powerful formula goes to work breaking down and consuming phosphorus, nitrogen, cyanobacteria, and other polluting nutrients causing muck and sludge at the bottom of the pond.  Nature’s Pond Conditioner supports and enhances the ecosystem, starting with the tiniest of organisms, rather than destroying it!

Step 2 – Revive

Once the nutrients have been broken down, bottom up aeration infuses the water with oxygen, allowing the digested nutrients to make its way out of the pond and into the air. The oxygen supports the beneficial bacteria in the water to further help eradicate muck and sludge build up in the bottom of the pond.  This process can reduce muck and sludge by up to 12 inches per/yr. 

Step 3 – Remove

Finally remove unwanted aquatic vegetation manually to maintain the health of your pond with the Cutter n’ Rake. Nature’s Pond Cutter ‘N’ Rake, is a 3-in-1 tool that includes interchangeable rake and cutter heads so that you can cut weeds, then pull and rake them out of your water for good. The rake also comes with a floater option to rake off floating aquatic vegetation or you can take the float off the rake head and have it sink into the water to rake weeds that are lower down. It’s a safe and sustainable alternative to dredging; dead weeds sink to the bottom of the water and cause layers of muck and sludge. Simply remove the unwanted aquatic vegetation from your water with the Cutter ‘N’ Rake before they become a problem to avoid build up at the bottom of the pond.

Unlike dredging, Nature’s Pond Care provides a long-term, sustainable solution to your muck and sludge challenges. Take it from one of our customers who decided to use the Nature's Pond Care 3 step program instead of dredging their pond:  

"Last year we decided that enough was enough and we needed to start taking care of our 1-acre pond. This pond was a mess, full of green scum, algae and muck.  All the fish had died off except for the little fingerlings. We also use the water for some of our household uses and it was so smelly that when it came out of the faucet it would stink like rotten eggs. We decided to follow your Nature's Pond Care program. The first thing we did was install a Koenders Windmill Aeration System, and then at the same time as installing the windmill we treated the water with Nature's Pond Conditioner.  Within a week or so we started to see some improvements in the health of our water. I never realized this but at one end of our pond there is actually a sandy beach, we thought it was just mud! The water has stopped smelling and our fish are growing. A year later I am seeing some 1 lb bass in our pond. The pond is now clean and clear and we can swim in the water this year. I just purchased our annual treatment of Nature's Pond Conditioner to ensure that our pond remains clean and healthy. Finally, something that works!"

Paul Brunet, Stevensville, ON

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