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Hi Dr Bob,
I just recently learned that you were
"Dr Bob". I've read some of your articles. I am new (2 years)
with having a functioning pond. I have ~8,000 gallon in-ground
concrete pond with embedded large rocks and a stone concrete
waterfall.
There are many trees in the area and a weeping pine tree all
of which, in the fall, causes major work on a daily basis
to keep the pond clean. I would like to place pond netting,
but it would be very difficult to remove and replace on a
regular basis to remove the leaves. I assume that using a
power blower to blow the leaves off the netting is probably
not a good idea.
I am considering "big top" netting where
I place several poles in the pond to support the netting above
the water. The deep end is about 5 feet deep and the shallow
end only 2 feet deep. If I place netting, what do I do about
the frogs?
Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
I will attach some pictures of the pond to help you see the
problem.
Hey Lar!
Your best bet for tree spit is a skimmer
array. Even with concrete construction, there are skimmer
designs that can be retrofitted to require the minimum amount
of disturbance to your pond margins.
A skimmer is situated at the point in
the pond margin farthest from your falls with its outlet
set so your pond's water level comes about 2/3 of the way
up over the opening. Surface water is drawn into the skimmer
either by a submersible pump in the skimmer box or by a
dry pump plumbed to the box with a bulkhead fitting. The
pump flow can be directed either back to your falls or,
preferably, to a seperate filter system independent of your
bottom drain. Anything hitting the surface of your pond
capable of even brief flotation will be pulled into the
skimmer for easy disposal.
I strongly recommend leaf netting
in the fall. I use a pre-fab hoop-house kit sold locally
by Midwest Trading in St. Charles. (Versa-Quonset) setting
up in early October with the leaf netting and then covering
with greenhouse-weight poly just before Thanksgiving.
Bob
Bob Passovoy
President
MPKS
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