Algae in pond in memorial park

It looks so bad, and I was wondering, would it help if we just raked it out? I'd be happy to, with my kids. but I'm afraid it would grow right back. Is there a solution for this?

Is it algae or duckweed? Haven't walked by in a few weeks.

When the lily pads and other aquatic plants get going as the season wears on the algae should lessen significantly. Right now all the nutrients are going toward the algae. The plants will outcompete it and the lily pads should help block sunlight.

I don't think raking it out will do much. Algae grows very quickly, and if it has abundant nutrients it will just come bouncing back.

Duckweed is a whole other issue. Control is more difficult, but skimming it out can be helpful to ensure other plants don't get crowded out of the sun. 

from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemnoideae

Duckweed is an important high-protein food source for waterfowl and also is eaten by humans in some parts of Southeast Asia. As it contains more protein than soybeans, it is sometimes cited as a significant potential food source.[6] The tiny plants provide cover for fry of many aquatic species. The plants are used as shelter by pond water species such as bullfrogs and bluegills. They also provide shade and, although frequently confused with them, can reduce certain light-generated growths ofphotoautotrophic algae.

#OhNoDuckweed

I think the turtles that live in the pond also eat duckweed. Don't think they typically eat algae, though.

mrincredible said:

#OhNoDuckweed

It never gets old...

marylago said:

mrincredible said:

#OhNoDuckweed

It never gets old...

Yeah it does. But I couldn't stop myself. 

Now I am consumed with regret.

#OhNoRagrets  (We're the Millers)

not duckweed.

What about the thick layer of nasty dark colored slime on the bottom of the pond?  Is that a part of a healthy ecosystem, or should it be cleaned up?  I'm not being sarcastic, I actually don't know.  In larger bodies of water there tends to be a balance, but I don't know if it works the same on a small scale in a man made body of water.

If you see fish moving in the water, it's healthy.   If the fish are floating on the top, it's not.

We have a huge pond with that algae on it. We have fish and frogs- all's good although it has only been the past few years we have been getting this algae. Our pond is stream fed.

Used to maintain a pond in Ithaca years ago. Would get a thick algae across the top called summerkill which choked all the oxygen out and killed the fish. Resolved it by running a pipe into the center hooked up to a pump and circulating the water which oxygenated it.Problem solved.

Doesn't this happen with some regularity?  And doesn't the town address it each time?

ctrzaska said:

Doesn't this happen with some regularity?  And doesn't the town address it each time?

I think either pond maintenance has gotten significantly worse over the last several years, or new conditions have caused more stagnation. It used to be fairly free of clogging for much of the season.

IIRC cracks occasionally develop on the drainage system that feeds the pond, causing water levels to drop, stagnation, algae, etc.  They check for the source, repair it, and all's well until the next one.  Not sure it's maintenance rather than wear and tear and simple age.  Assuming, of course, that that's what's behind it.