The water depth and photic zone (where sunlight penetrates to the bottom of the pond) become shallower with increased sedimentation, and the ambient water temperature may increase, especially during warmer months (figure 1). Ponds that receive streamflow or stormwater runoff capture sediment over time, which can significantly change conditions in the pond. Image credit: Sarah White, Clemson University. Over time, ponds typically accumulate sediment and abundant plant growth.

Nothing yukier than walking across a sandy bottom and all of a sudden sinking barefoot into rotting leaves. Good luck and I hope you come up with a do-able plan. Others my disagree so I suppose it boils down to location like everything else. Ponds definetly come in a close 2nd to swampy areas as the nastiest things to excavate. I build bridges over all kinds of things in my line of work. The down side is the tracks would tear up the banks of the pond and then there's the problem of disposing of all the gunky stuff that comes off the bottom of a pond. Any fairly good sized excavator could reach 1/2 way across your pond without getting it's tracks wet. Practical thought would suggest as others have to hire it out to a company that can do the work. Suction hose though is nearly ridgid and in 4' size is fairly heavy in 10' length's.

Hi, Great imaginations or practical thought ? Imagination would suggest learning how to SCUBA dive and renting a trash pump from the local consruction company rental store ( they carry heavy duty as opposed to regular rental stores ), then building yourself a sluice from 1' screen from the local quarry, running the discharge hose to the top of the sluice and let it filter the leaves and logs and any thing you can pick up while swimming around with the suction end at the bottom. Re: how can i dredge my pond in reply to Dan from MI, 07-20-2005 18:23:29

Homemade dredge for pond