Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We had a pond in our front yard when I was a kid. We used Copper Sulfate to kill off algae blooms. I think it was copper sulfate, it was copper somethingate. It was blue crystals similar or rack salt for a water softener. WE put it into a burlap bag and drug it around in our canoe, and then just left the bag in the water. It seems to work great.
Maybe no legal to use anymore. It sure worked like a charm.
Do not even let your dogs to wade/swim in, or to drink from a pond or lake with an algae bloom. Toxic!
This is an oversimplification and greatly depends on what type of algae. The vast majority of which are not toxic. But OP, eutrophication can be a sign of low flushing which likely also means you have a bacterial problem.
OK good. I was afraid it's some toxic stuff. Any way to treat a lake half an acre big? Or can only leave it to mother nature?
Alga can be toxic. You need to test the water for dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, pH, coliform count, and likely most metals. You should be able to find someone in your area to do this for you.
Once you know those numbers you can address the big issues. Eutrophication is almost always due to nutrient run off from land sources like fertilizers or animal waste. If you just have a long residence time, you can install a solar powered pump to aerate the lake which will get rid of most of the biological issues.
This pond/lake (isn't it just a matter of size?) is on a property I am interested in buying. I don't know much about this pond, but can ask questions.
I'd get it tested as part of your due diligence in buying the property. You can ask the sellers about it but take their answer with some skepticism. They MIGHT have already tested the water as part of full disclosure. You don't know and can't assume anything like a toxic algae bloom. Is the property in Mendocino? Was it affected by the big wildfires? Could be ash in the surface runoff. Ash contains nutrients....components can have a fertilizing effect.
This is totally reversible. Yes, the copper sulfate will kill most algae off. There are also some specific algicides you can buy. The question is why is there so much algae? Likely because there is too much nitrogen and probably phosphate. Why too much nitrogen? Possibly too much dead stuff in the pond--fish, invertebrates, algae that died, duck poop.
Once you get the current batch of algae cleared up, adding fish will help keep down any new algae as the fish eat it. Of course this will not work with a vernal or seasonal pool. Ducks are cute, but too many will spoil the pond as well. Depending on your weather, you might even be able to add goldfish which grow to be quite attractive.
But as mentioned above, there are various general kinds of algae and some may need special treatment. I think fish and wildlife departments are the pond people.
I have (in the '90's) flown over state of Florida many times. We have lakes and ponds of many colors. Some deep blue, light blue, and light to emerald green. I thought it was fascinating. It turned up that mineral deposits influenced the colors. So take that into consideration?
Algae? I have a pond on my property. It would show different colors of light to deep green. Can you provide better photos? Not saying posters who mentioned algae are wrong, but down here it is string algae, which takes over a particular area, not entire pond/canal/lake.
Gouligann is correct, don't ever let an animal drink from that. Even if I'm right, and it is mineral content; it could kill your pets.
Yeah, as a prospective buyer you could indeed contact someone official about ideas. If nothing else, it could help negotiate a contract. Someone here had a great idea about having the owner test it as part of your offer...and that should be by someone official you can also speak with.
Another clue...is there wildlife around this lake/pond? Even if seasonally? If not, that is an indicator.
It's not unusual for buyers to speak with neighbors. You might ask them how they like the area and any problem with the lake. You might hear something...maybe not. Might be off the wall, but you could
If the lake or the community has a name, you could google and add algae blooms or illness.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
