Pond Vegetation if Controlled Can Be Good
Aquatic plants are an important component within any natural lake ecosystem. Plants are the beginning of the food web and act as natural filters and consumers of nutrients. Unfortunately in many urban and rural lakes today, nutrient accumulation and watershed run off often lead to excessive plant productivity. Algae in its many forms are one plant group that can compromise a lake's functionality and aesthetic value.
Problematic algae usually occur in two forms; free floating microscopic cells of phytoplankton that can reduce water clarity; or mats of filamentous algae that can greatly limit lake access. More serious water complications are often associated with blue-green algae, affecting taste, odor and toxicity to animals.
Hypolimnetic anoxia may occur when low oxygen levels develop in the lower layers of the lake. Chemical reactions within the sediment may allow the release of more phosphorous, iron, sulfides and other nutrients into the water, causing stratification and algae growth.
Pond Aeration limits nutrient availability by creating more toxic conditions near the water sediment interface. This promotes other chemical reactions that bind the phosphorous within the sediment, inhibiting the development of excessive aquatic plant growth.
Professional lake managers use aeration as a tool to manage aquatic plants and to enhance the attractiveness and functionality of a water feature. Depending on a lake's conditions, lake managers may use a combination of aeration and water circulation techniques to improve water quality.
Aeration techniques employed for larger lakes may involve diffusion aeration, full-lift or partial-lift aeration, or layer aeration. Diffusion aeration is the most widely used aeration technique for this situation, provides both water circulation and de-stratification by reintroducing oxygen into a lake by transferring it from gas to a liquid solvent.
Article contributed by Leisure Ponds.
Pond aeration is a great way to help keep your pond clean. By aerating, you can begin cleaning up your water, which is better for cattle, horses and even fish.
Aeration also helps keep a pond from turning over which means less fish kill in the spring and fall and less chemical usage for algae control. Using an aeration system along with a water pump for irrigation not only benefits the environment but also reduces monthly energy costs. And because pond aeration improves the water environment, lawns and gardens benefiting from trickle irrigation will receive cleaner water.
© 2006 Koenders Water Aeration Blog
