Camp Vacation Home

This year, the water is full of brown, stinky "pond snot." I'm sure there is a more scientific name for the gel-like formations that resemble ferns, growing up from the bottom. We used a heavy-duty garden rake to pull out as much as we could from around the edges. I worked the east and south sides, Paul was on the north and west sides. It was cold (58-degrees), windy, and lightly raining. But having the pond nice again is a goal Paul and I share so we put up with the rain. On the bright side, the rain and clouds kept bugs and sunburns away.

To get the muck off the rake, you tap all four sides of the rake on the ground, one at a time. Sometimes you have to use your hands to pull it off so I wore water-proof garden gloves. It splashes everywhere, and is slippery. I fell on my ass once, fighting to pull tall grass roots out from between two huge rocks. Luckily, it was a soft landing on wet moss.

The muck is the result of using mechanical equipment to remove weeds and grass, and allowing the cuttings to fall into the water. Large puddles of debris float on the surface, turn brown, sink and create the fern-like formations. So the muck that gets raked out is a combination of floating debris and underwater formations, caused by vegetation, sediment from erosion, and wildlife waste. We don't use chemicals. We are considering an aeration systems because of the pond's shape and structure, which has to do with why it's in this location.

The pond started out as the camp foundation. It was excavated in September, mid-1990s. By the following spring, it was full of water from the underground spring we didn't know was there, and also run-off from the snow. So, it became a lovely pond instead, and the camp was built on higher ground.

After I read Robin Walls Kimmerer's struggle to get her pond into shape after ten years of neglect in Braiding Sweetgrass, I was inspired to do the same. I had already been researching and found Penn State Extension's information on natural ponds, algae, and healthy pond plants helpful but hadn't moved into action until now. The pond is oval in shape, with both shallow and deep ends, has a run-off parallel to the source, and a separate overflow to manage depth.

We have wildlife visitors, like deer, geese, bear, herons, fish, frogs, salamanders, dragonflies and others - and we realize too much wildlife will upset the water quality but nothing stays around long. We even had a pair of swans visit for a few days. The mechanical objects used to weed-eat and cut grass do not help, so we are now working toward directing the cuttings away from the water. We want to enjoy it without feeling like it will adversely effect our health, or that of our family and pets. And we want wildlife to be part of it, too. I enjoyed looking at a frog, and he looked at me, for the longest time just frozen in our tracks. I think we came to some sort of understanding. Minutes later I pulled in a large polliwog who seemed to say, I'm here. I sent it on its way. Two salamanders also looked in on me and didn't appear worried. And my husband encountered a baby fawn. He worked hard to not disturb it until it didn't like the sound of the rake hitting the ground, squeaked loudly and ran into the woods.

I emailed The Pond Guy for advice and I bought two marsh marigolds, two cat-tails, two blue iris, and three water hyacinth. The cost of those was $100.00, and I feel like the little girl with the mustard seed. I also pulled tiger tail from our around our home to fill in areas where sediment seeps in. From what I read, you want to reduce areas that are on the surface and "shiny." Below are the things I planted with the trowel angled toward some of them.