How To Maintain Ponds At A Golf Course in Florida

Maintaining your golf course ponds is essential if you hope to attract repeat clientele who want to visit you again and again. No golfer wants to contend with dirty, smelly pond water that attracts mosquitos while they're trying to concentrate on their game. Lakes, ponds and other water features are staples of the most respected courses across the country. That's why lake management for golf courses should be one of your top business priorities. Here's a quick summary on how to maintain ponds at a golf course in Florida to get you started in the right direction.

Aeration

While some golf courses take a chemical approach to pond maintenance, there are a couple ways you can achieve positive results without the dangers and odors associated with various chemicals. You can even save money by taking a natural route. Aeration of your water features is an effective way to control algae overgrowth and keep your ponds sparkling clean.

Aeration delivers oxygen to your ponds, which is essential to keeping a buildup of sludge from forming. An overgrowth of mud, muck and grime can quickly deplete the oxygen in your water feature. All that mess can invite an abundance of algae growth. It's this harmful algae that makes your pond appear green and murky. Algae blooms also smell bad and attract mosquitos.

Aeration uses air to water contact to spread oxygen throughout your water. There are a couple methods commonly used for aerating golf course ponds. One is surface aeration. These tend to float on the top of the pond to displace water, disrupting the water surface. This is what causes the air-to-water contact. These aerators are powered by electricity and work best for shallow water bodies. Subsurface aeration delivers oxygen throughout the water with an air compressor at the bottom of your pond. It creates bubbles that rise to the top, spreading the oxygen. This type of aeration is great for deeper water features.

Dredging

Another common form of pond maintenance is dredging. It cleans the sludge and sediment out of your water. When excess mud and muck are removed, you may find that your pond actually gains width and depth. A dredge is a machine that uses a submersible pump to suck out the mud and sludge, then sends them to a series of dewatering tubes or bladder bags. Tiny holes in the bags allow water to be released, while keeping the dirty mess inside.

A combination of aeration and dredging is often used for best pond upkeep. This is a particularly strategic approach if you've let your ponds fall into disarray. However, they can be used simultaneously to effectively prevent a multitude of problems, including sludge, algae, odors and bugs. Aeration and dredging are far easier than draining, excavating and refilling your ponds. A qualified lake management companies in Florida can recommend the best method for your particular golf course needs.