Why our pond cleaning process is environmentally friendly

Why our pond cleaning process is environmentally friendly

There’s a lot that goes into cleaning a pond. Traditionally, and still today, most companies use dredging to clean ponds.

Dredging is the act of removing sediment and muck (decaying leaves, algae and biomass) from the bottom of a body of water. The muck is harmful because it releases toxins and an overdose of nutrients, which in turn grows more algae and kills aquatic life.

Our method, on the other hand, doesn’t rely on excavation of your pond. Instead our highly skilled divers go down into your pond and vacuum out the sediment. It is a less expensive method, less invasive and also restores a healthy balance to the pond.

The traditional method of pond cleaning, mechanical dredging, is very harmful to the ecosystem of a pond. In dry dredging, the pond must be drained completely before being excavated, which usually means killing off the aquatic life.

In wet dredging, sediment and muck is dispersed throughout the water and releases buried toxins, which ends up killing the aquatic life as well. On top of that, the waste must be trucked away, causing damage to the surrounding area and letting muddy water drain out along the way. Additionally, getting the heavy equipment where it needs to be can be tricky, costly and can damage the environment.

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Our sediment removal system is much more efficient and environmentally friendly. We use suction pumps to vacuum up sediment and muck from the bottom of the pond, without disturbing the aquatic life. This way, your pond is cleaned of toxins and excessive algae growth and will have a restored, healthy ecosystem.

As a bonus, expensive hauling costs can be reduced. Rather than trucking away wet and heavy sediment, we pump it into geotextile silt containers. There the water can runoff and leave the sediment to dry. This rich soil can be used as landscaping material or simply graded out and reseeded with grass.

The nutrient rich sediment at the bottom of your pond does have a purpose. While it can be harmful in the pond, after being vacuumed out, this sediment can be mixed with compost to create enriched soil.

In order for sediment and muck to be useable it must be laid out to remove excess water. The sediment will often be suctioned into a dewatering geotextile bag (or silt container). This is a fabric bag that filters the water from the earth. The geotextile bag will remain on your site for about 60 days in order to let the sediment dry. The unique structure of the silt containers lets water out of the bag but won’t let rain water in.

Alternately, the muck can be outlet into a field or woods where the nutrient rich material can enrich the environment. Plants love this sediment and so do farmers!

By removing the excess toxins, nutrients and excess soil, the aquatic life in the pond will become healthier and able to thrive. It will even allow for a manual introduction of native species that may have been killed off by algae or choked out by pollution. Your pond itself will be clearer and more beautiful to look at.

If you have any questions about how we can help your pond get healthier, we’re glad to help!

Call us (1-877-772-MUCK) or email us!