Is it safe to swim in? Are the fish safe to eat? Do you want to know why your pond grows so many weeds or so much algae? The biolo- gists at Cason & Associates can help you answer these questions with a Professional Pond Assessment. During a visit to your pond, one of our biologists will meet with you to discuss your specific concerns about your pond. We will then collect information about the pond. This will typically include measuring the surface area and depth of the pond, identifying problem weeds and algae, testing water clarity, assessing dissolved oxy- gen concentrations, and measuring pH, alka- linity and hardness. If warranted we can also test the following:
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus concentrations to assess nutrient loading
- Chlorophyll concentrations to measure algal abundance
- Residual Pesticide concentrations in both water and sediments
- Fecal Coliform levels to assess if septic wastes or manure runoff enter the pond
- Several additional water pollution indicators
After analyzing the results of the pond assessment, your biologist will put together a set of recommendations for dealing with your spe- cific pond management concerns. Cason & Associates charges $90/hour for a Professional Pond Assessment, including ‘round trip travel from our office in Berlin, Wisconsin. Pond assessments typical take 1-2 hours onsite. Ad- ditional laboratory analysis fees apply to certain parameters that cannot be tested in the field.
A Professional Pond Assessment will help ad- dress your pond concerns and will allow you to use scientific data, not trial and error, to man- age your pond. Call to schedule an assessment today!
Article originally published in the Cason & Associates Spring 2010 newsletter