How Fertilizer Runoff Effects Pond Water Quality

Golf course Superintendents often find themselves struggling to maintain a balance between generating lush, healthy turfgrass and reducing fertilizer runoff into their pond water. This fertilizer runoff can introduce high levels of nitrates and phosphates into the pond, reducing overall water quality and disturbing the natural balance of the pond's ecosystem. There are several steps that golf course Superintendents can take in order to promote healthy water quality without adding harsh chemicals to their irrigation water. This includes adding All-Season Pond Bacteria (8 oz Water Soluble Packets) or All-Season Pond Bacteria (Dissolvable Blocks) to the pond water. These products are natural and safe for use in irrigation lakes and ponds as they will not harm turfgrass. These formulas will reduce problem causing nitrated and phosphate, as well as eliminate murky water, bottom sludge and odors. They achieve this without the use of chemicals!

Fertilizer runoff into ponds and lakes can negatively affect the pond water resulting in reduced water quality. During and after heavy rains, fertilizer can be washed into the pond, adding excess phosphates and nitrates.

Improving Pond Water Quality Naturally

While some fertilizer runoff is expected in golf course ponds and lakes, there are a number of pond maintenance steps that golf course managers and Superintendents can take to improve pond water quality and promote a healthy environment in their ornamental ponds and irrigation lakes. The following Super’s Choice products can safely and effectively help improve pond water quality by reducing phosphate and nitrate levels, eliminating bottom sludge (muck), and removing suspended organic and inorganic particles to clear up murky water. These products are natural, they do not contain harsh chemicals, so they are safe to use even in irrigation lakes.

• All-Season Pond Bacteria: Beneficial pond bacteria formulations eliminate murky water, bottom sludge and problem-causing nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate.
• Pond Bacteria with Barley Straw Powder: Pond Bacteria with barley straw formula helps promote clean and clear pond water by combining the benefits of beneficial pond bacteria and pulverized barley straw.
• Natural Phosphate Binder: Phosphate binder for ponds will bind to problem causing phosphates, making them inactive, and therefore improving pond water quality.
• Concentrated Water Clarifier: This safe and effective clarifier is a concentrated flocculant for ponds and lakes, which pulls together small suspended particles and settles them to the bottom of the pond, resulting in clear pond water.