My backyard pond - a few notes

31 August 2002

Small pond: installed liner with oval-shaped pond about 4' x 6' x 2' deep last autumn (2001). Two species of insects now found in water: Mosquito larvae and another small unidentified black insect.

24 August 02 purchased a bottle of DeChlorinator from Concord Feed and Pet Store, Pleasant Hill, California for $8.39 + tax. Also purchased three Water Hyacinth plants for $1.75 each. Added DeChlorinator and Water Hyacinth plants to pond at 10:45 AM. Also, a few bits of Duckweed and some Algae came along with the Water Hyacinth plants. Measured depth at deep end: about 18 inches deep.

29 August 02: drove to Hayward and visited the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District HQ; received some Mosquito Fish for free and a small Water Hyacinth plant, all in my small square yellow plastic bucket.

31 August 02: 'early AM: pond water is very brown and opaque this morning: the work or play of Raccoons last night? Mosquito Fish still alive. Some of the weeds growing on the side banks of the pond were shredded up. The Water Hyacinth plants had been moved

around.

10 May 03: there seem to several Mosquitofish still alive and well in the pond. The latest addition is the stringy, filmy algae, which has appeared early this spring. It is a bright yellowishgreen and hangs in filmy filaments in most of the pond. I have been using a mesh scoop to remove some of the excess Pondweed and stringy algae. Actually, a couple of months ago, the Pondweed had spread to cover the entire surface of the pond.