How to Dredge a Pond Without Destroying It

Ponds need to be kept clean and healthy for enhanced animal life and the surrounding environment.

Considering that ponds are small bodies of standing water, (and do not receive any freshwater) it is understood that they can easily become unhealthy ecosystems.  Sediment, silt, and other items, such as trash, can fill up the bottom of a pond. This material build-up can then limit the quantity of water and oxygen for plant life and fish.

The solution: Dredging. Dredging is the best process to keep your pond clean and stop excessive weed growth.

Due to their nature, ponds may be considered dying ecosystems from the moment they are created. With no source of fresh water flowing in and out, a pond is a haven for organic matter (such as dead leaves, dirt, debris, dead animal remains) to settle on the bottom.

This pilling of organic matter is nature's way of eliminating "harmful ponds", ones with decomposing organic and toxic gases harmful to pond life.

However, ponds can also deliver healthy and beneficial ecosystems for wildlife to thrive. Migrating birds can find a temporary home here. Frogs, dragonflies, and butterflies can use the pond for their home. Larger land animals, such as deer, can use ponds as a viable water source.

Today, the dredging industry offers several dredging techniques that can be implemented to dredge ponds while keeping them safe.

Mechanical dredging

Mechanical dredging is a solution employed to remove muck, weeds, sediment, and other harmful materials from ponds.

For mechanical dredging to take place, the pond should be drained completely and all aquatic life must either be relocated or killed off. This process entails bringing in heavy equipment that often ruins the entire shoreline of the pond, falls nearby trees, and kills off all aquatic life. In the end, the pond is often left the worse for wear.

Modern Dredging

Today, the dredging industry offers modern dredging techniques that disregard the use of heavy equipment and protect the ponds.

Hydraulic Dredging

Hydraulic dredging doesn’t use a “scoop” to remove the silt. This dredging process works more like a vacuum cleaner, one that sucks up and filters the bottom to remove contaminants and create depth.

Hydraulic dredging machines are commonly used on dredging jobs, including offshore dredging. Hydraulic systems use “mechanical or jetting cutting” technology to facilitate the dredging job, effectively chopping and scurrying up the material and sediment before transporting it via pumps.

U.S. Aqua Services' hydraulic dredging equipment is capable of working depths up to 1000 feet and at an efficient pace up to 600 cubic yards/ hour.

Suction Dredging Systems

Suction dredging systems entail the use of suction pumps to complete the dredging process. These suction pumps are placed in the pond and remove the bottom sediments and decomposed organic matter (waste material that is often the root of the problem).

The most cost-effective transportation and disposal method involve pumping the material into a field and letting the water and sediment dissolve and be absorbed into the ground.

Another process involves pumping the silt and water into a dewatering bag. The dredging system pumps a low volume of water and a high concentration of solids. The waste material is then separated and managed while returning the "clean" water back to the pond.  As a result of the separation, water filters out with good clarity.

This process not only will restore life to your pond, but it may also get rid of the bad odors and toxic gases and nutrients being released from this matter.

CHOOSE U.S. AQUA SERVICES FOR YOUR POND DREDGING NEEDS

U.S. Aqua Services understands the need for pond dredging that is environmentally sound and preserves pond life. Our submersible dredge pumps are perfect for removing silt, sand, and other organic matter from a pond. These little powerhouses can quickly restore your pond's health. No longer do you need to destroy pond life, nor is pond dredging such a chore.

U.S. Aqua Services offers dredging services and dredging equipment rentals in Louisiana and all throughout the United States. Our team uses our 100 plus years of combined experience to customize a solution for your needs.

With an emphasis on customer experience, we ensure your needs are met while staying within budget and on time. We understand the value of your time, so our team works expeditiously to complete your dredging jobs.

Reach out to our team to get started today!

Related Articles

The Importance Of Dredging -  In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of dredging and some of its benefits.

Beneficial Uses For Dredged Materials - Here are some of the most beneficial uses for dredged materials that US Aqua Services has found.

How Dredging Helps With Water Management - Here's more information on how dredging can help with water management.

The Benefits Of Dredging Your Pond - Explore the benefits of pond dredging: sustaining natural lifecycle, boosting property values, and promoting cleaner water.

About U.S. Aqua Services

U.S. Aqua Services was created to support the dredging process in advancing commerce and responding to its many challenges. To accomplish this, our dredging company assembled an exceptional group of experienced individuals and a diverse inventory of dredge equipment.

We utilize marsh buggies and amphibious vehicles in our dredging operations in order to increase efficiencies, eliminate headaches, and help to reduce some of the challenges faced in these high-stress environments.

With an emphasis on mobility, dependability, durability, diversity, efficiency, and safety, our dredging rental company can ensure that our different types of dredging systems are easy to move through any terrain and can work in the most rugged and remote environments. Our multi-function hydraulic systems are built with jetting and mechanical options that can efficiently move loose sediment or stiff layers of clay.

US Aqua services also and maintains a ready fleet of amphibious equipment capable of completing dredging projects in some of the harshest and most remote environments. U.S Aqua is also the dealer for Louisiana of the amphibious vehicle Fat Truck. No matter the size or scope of the job or the remoteness of your work location, you can rely on Fat Truck’s industrial off-road utility vehicles to get the job done right.