• Pick up all pet wastes. Do not dump leaves or grass clippings, branches or any kind of organic matter in or around the pond. When organic materials such as these enter a pond they are broken down by bacteria. The decomposition process reduces oxygen levels in the water and may release ammonia. Low oxygen levels and ammonia combined with warm temperatures can kill fish. Plant debris adds phosphorus and other nutrients directly to the pond.
• Keep land disturbance to a minimum, especially removal of natural vegetation and exposure of bare soil. Roads and paths leading to the ponds should be curved to reduce erosion. Site disturbance dramatically increases surface runoff and erosion that contributes sediment and phosphorus to ponds. Sediment causes the water to become turbid making it difficult for fish to see and feed.
• Maintain a buffer zone of natural vegetation along the shore to contain erosion and assimilate nutrients before they reach the pond. Leave at least 25 feet of undisturbed buffer with more on poor soils or steep slopes. Buffer strips intercept runoff and filter sediment and phosphorus from water before it reaches the pond.
• Seed and mulch bare soil as soon as possible after clearing and place hay bales downslope of disturbed areas. Hay bales trap sediment and the phosphorus they carry.
• Do not use fertilizer near the pond shore. If you must use fertilizer on your lawn and/or garden use it sparingly and in multiple applications rather than one large one. Choose fertilizers that contain low, or no phosphorus. Solid, inorganic fertilizers are readily dissolved by water and transported to the pond in runoff.
• Do not use herbicides and pesticides in excess on your garden and lawn. Avoid their use if possible. Many of these products are toxic and can get into the water.
• Encourage vegetation growth in shoreline areas, especially "native vegetation". Leave trees along the shoreline. Trees and natural cover best protect against shoreline erosion and sedimentation.
• Do not bathe, shampoo or wash pets or other objects in the pond with soap or phosphorus containing detergents. Do not wash automobiles near ponds or drainage ditches. Runoff containing detergents can add more phosphorus to the pond contributing to algal growth. Runoff should be diverted to vegetated surfaces and allowed to seep into the ground where phosphorus can be removed.
• Do not dispose of paint, paint thinners or chemical products on the ground. These products cannot be removed by soil and can contaminate groundwater and pond water.
• Do not feed ducks or other aquatic organisms; there is plenty of natural food available. Nutrients in the feed material, which is produced outside the pond's watershed, will be added to the pond through the organism's feces.

©Aquatic Ecosystems Management, Inc.

For more information download A Pond Owners Guide.