Floodwaters that inundate farm ponds and neighborhood lakes can contain all sorts of stuff that is bad for the health of the pond. Sediments and pollutants such as trash, bacteria, auto fluids, fertilizers, etc. can turn once healthy lakes into unbalanced messes where algae and other pests can thrive.

How Do You Use Your Pond?

If your lake is used for aquatic recreation as in the case of swimming during summer camps, then the water should be tested for e-coli and fecal coliform bacteria.

If you use ponds as a drinking water source for watering livestock, these may be unsafe for cattle. This could be due to pathogen or chemical contamination. If you use well water to water your livestock, it may also be contaminated also. If the wellhead was under water the well seal may have breached. Test drinking and irrigation water tested.

Fish ponds should be avoided after floods until sediments settle. A pH test will determine water quality for fish. If a large algal blooms develop actions may be necessary to mitigate the growth.

If you pond or lake is a passive landscape feature and people or livestock are not contacting the water, the pond may not need to be tested. Time will allow sediments and pollutants to settle out and water quality will approve.

If you have questions about managing your pond post-Helene, give us a call.