Keeping vernal pool heathy for ducks

[shannonbaker87]

Ok so I have this small vernal pool/pond that is very close to my cabin. I am not sure if it is actually a vernal pool or a pond because it seems to stay filled most of the year. I have been raising free range ducks for a bout a year now and it seems quite impossible to keep them out of it. I offer them kiddie pools but of course they choose the pond. This spring was incredibly dry so I decided it would be good to scrape all the dead leaves and rotting wood out of it. We live completely off grid so it would be very hard to install some kind of electronic filter. With 12 ducks in the pond all day it has gotten murky and a little stinky but not completely disgusting (yet). Does anyone have any ideas as to how to keep this pond healthy? It is not very deep so I can't add fish. And if we have a drought again it might dry up killing off any aquatic plants I put in it. Any and all advice will be welcome.

 

[Wynette]

No filter, pump, plants, or fish...? I think the only thing left is to use a VERY fine meshed strainer or net and scrape it very slowly along the bottom (how big is it? Can you reach most of it if you walk around it?) and then dispose of the crud collected in the net.

 

[shannonbaker87]

I wouldn't be able to reach walking around it but if I get waders I could do that, I also heard something about using bailed barley or something of the sort and letting that sit in there until it starts to decompose to keep unhealthy bacteria at bay. Have you heard of anything of the sort?

 

[kmartinez]

I use a solar powered pump in my ducks kiddie pool to keep that water moving..Its a pretty big kiddie pool and habor freight had one for under 20 bux..the one i have says it is for a pond, they might have bigger ones for larger ponds I am unsure how large a pond this thing is for..