permaculture

[<permed@nor.com.au>]

>>Re: Ponds
>>
>>I'd like to stock some fish too:) But ponds are mostly surface water fed, 
>>and
>>have always had a brownish color from mud...made worse by cattle loafing,
>>excreting in them.
>>I had geese that didn't seem to mind...but coyotes got them all when pond
>>froze over.
>>Eight Canadian geese settled in for a test for a day or two but then took
>>off. A large blue heron visits often when cattle; Australian shepherds are
>>not around. Unfortunately I haven't really planted the banks which could use
>>some sort of cover. Fescue is growing in spots, but even fescue needs better
>>soil:)

Not good to allow cattle direct access to ponds for precisely this reason 
- ideal is to reticulate water to watering troughs, next best is to fence 
around pond leaving small access for cattle to drink (take ends of fence 
into water)
Turbidity is not such a bad thing for fish growing and gives them some 
predator protection (birds can't see them so easily). Some fish, like 
carp, are bottom feeders creating and maintaining constant turbidity. The 
big issue with fish is nutrients from the manure - too much will deplete 
DOS (dissolved oxygen) levels and encourage unhealthy/toxic blue-green 
algae blooms. With cattle excluded from (most of) the edges you can start 
planting some rushes and sedges to help maintain water quality and 
encourage a healthy ecosystem for introducing fish.
Robyn