If you have an established pond on your property that has difficulty staying clean, its probably time to start thinking filtration. Regardless of your ponds purpose: recreational, agricultural, or simply rainwater management, ensuring your water is clean is important. Crystal clear, clean water can be achieved regardless the size of your pond.
Adding a wetland to your pond is one of the best ways to achieve this. A wetland distributes water slowly through a layer of rock and gravel in which a variety of different aquatic plants are rooted. These plants purify the water naturally through both aerobic and anaerobic processes. This reduces harmful nitrogen, sediments, and toxins, while adding beneficial bacteria into the water. Wetlands are natures own personal filters, purifying our lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds: imagine what one could do to your pond!
Another great way to improve water quality is sustaining sufficient flow throughout the pond. Larger bodies of water will require a larger intake bay in order to have enough draw for the pumps. The use of jets is highly recommended: jets can be installed around the pond in several areas to prevent any dead water, and push water and debris where it needs to go for optimal filtration.
Here is an example of larger pond that was struggling to filter itself, and what we did to correct it.