Pond maintenance

[Bekbos]

I have a small pond, 6 ft deep, 10 yard diameter with 5 ducks on it. The pond is right beside a field and when we get a good rain significant runoff from the field goes straight into my pond. I'm assuming this is bad for my water and could possibly harm my ducks over time (I've already had 2 go lame and die for unknown reasons) Not sure what all get sprayed on that field if anything. How should I handle this? I also need some general pond advice, it was looking pretty dirty this winter before it froze.. does duck poop eventually build up in the water and hurt them? How do I avoid that issue? I would like to plant some lillies or other water filtering plants but I live in the midwest so the pond level varies a lot, it went completely dry in Sept and I had to add a couple feet of water from my well. So does that take out the option of planting water filtering vegetation? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you are concerned about run off I would ask whoever the field owner is if they spray or add fertilizer. Ducks are pretty hardy, so I wouldn't be too concerned. We have a smaller pond like that that fills in the spring. It isn't practical to filter, nor try to grow plants with ducks on it. They would just destroy them.