permaculture

["souscayrous" <souscayrous@wanadoo.fr>]

There was a very useful discussion a while back on reed beds/ living
machines etc, which got me thinking and then researching and then to the
point where I needed more information: thus; -

Being in need of water during the long dry spells of summer (and even the
winter this year) I have decided to construct a pond/wetland to capture the
runoff of the surrounding agricultural land.  This water is currently being
fed into a succession of small soak-aways that eventually converge and feed
a river (a river bed rather that flows only after heavy rains).  Whilst I
could divert some of this runoff onto a field and a succession of swales on
the 15% slope there is a problem: this runoff comes from the surrounding
vineyards that are being fed a continual toxic mixture including;
glyphosate, pesticide/s (unknown), copper sulphate and some conventional NPK
fertilizer.

My question is therefore; are there any aquatic plants for the pond/wetland
that would help sequester the above chemicals so that the water could be
safely used on my land?  I am particularly thinking of a plant able to
uptake large amounts of copper, as this is the element found in largest
concentration.

On a more general point regarding ponds/wetlands, does anyone have any tips
or www links for their construction and their stocking (both plants and
fish/shellfish)?  This is for a different pond to above with a cleaner
source of roughly 25 yards by 25yards by 3yards deep.  The soil is a clay
loam and I intend to gley the interior using our pigs.

Thanks for any help

Souscayrous