algae

A range of issues can conspire to make any good, man-made pond or lake head in the wrong direction. Addressing those factors and remediating poor water quality is a real specialty, says pond/lake expert George Forni – one that calls for an understanding of biology and chemistry as well as hydraulics. Here, he details the variety of techniques his firm employs when faced with a body of water that has taken a turn toward the foul and fetid.

When Ponds Go Bad

It's a fact: A great many of the ponds and lakes in the western United States are simply not part of nature's scheme. Whether used for water retention, landscape beautification, fishing or swimming, these artificial, man-made bodies of water are inclined (and in some cases doomed) to be troubled, usually because of fertilizer- and pesticide-laced runoff from surrounding developed areas. Indeed, some of these problem watershapes are filled with just about the worst water the environment has to offer. As our business has developed, a large portion of what we do has focused on setting things right in these troubled watershapes and