OK all your green thumbed people and people who can keep plant alive.

My son is finishing his Eagle Scout project, which is panting a rain garden around an small wetlands at out church. In working around the wetlands my wife and I notice how clogged with green icky algae one portion of the wetland has become. So, as an addition to the project, the church (me that is) wants to clear the algae out and try to keep it clear. We would like to see if there are natural ways of first clearing the algae then to introduce plants or animals to keep it clear.

Facts:

• The wetlands is in a low lying area of the church. It is an over flow system, meaning that water will flow when there is a lot of rain but will sit most of the time.
  
• The area in question has cat-tails and other water plants growing
  
• As far as we can see there is no aquatic animal life in the wetland. There may be snakes, birds, frogs, etc. though in the surrounding cat-tail.
  
• No pump can be installed, the wetland will stay natural and the wetland cannot be drained.
  
• No chemicals are used on the church grounds (Better to feed people than grass)
  
• The wetlands is about 25 - 30 ft (8 - 10 meters) in length and about 2 - 3 ft (1 meter) wide. I do not believe it is more than a foot deep (1/3 a meter)
  
• There is a connection between the wetland and the golf course across the road. We believe it is a one-way flow because many (15 - 20) years ago the church tried to kill the wetland with weedkiller and damaged the 17th hole of country club. Luckily within the congregation were several key members of the country club -- oops
  

One person at the church had mentioned barley straw (or extract) and there are some chemical and enzymatic algecides available. Does anyone have experience in this type of reclamation? I would appreciate any advice.

MJ (a.k.a. Mr. Black Thumb)

i have a string algae problem with my pond. so i have to resort to several methods of control.

the algae is in the water because there are decaying nutrients feeding its growth. different algaes have different forms. the string type im speaking of looks like green flowing hair.
if it collects on the surface it looks oozy and bubbly and forms a sort of algal mat. it can grow at incredible rates. until i got the spring clean out on my pond. i could easily collect a pound a day out of there.

this sort of algae is not good. as it can deplete oxygen in the water. and thus harm the inhabitants of the ecosystem.

so , to control the stuff. is tough. but really to get rid of it. you must deplete it of nutrition. phosphates like from soaps etc also feed algae. and cause it to bloom. possible sources would be runoff water from the parking lot? how was that last charity car wash? fertilizers or grass feeding products from surrounding landscaping? all these really contribute to algal blooms.

since its a natural wetlands. the best way to ensure the system stays healthy. is to introduce a pump and bubble it! the more oxygen you introduce. the faster the decaying matter will go, and the healthier the ecosystem will remain.

barring these possiblities. i use a anti algal sometimes called organi-clean or green clean. i buy it from william trickers pond supply in independence ohio. its a granular formula. but it does affect somewhat the growth of other plants. although doesnt seem to harm them long term. it will make small scars on pond leaves lily pads etc. about 1 cup per 1000 gallons does it.

but again. use of an anti algal. and then a clotting formula in a ornamental pool, is one thing. and in a vernal pool like this. may not be a good idea, as there are beneficial algaes as well as harmful ones. not to mention bacteria, protozoa etc. . again, more dissolved oxygen that is in the water. the better it is for the animals and plants.

hope that helps. contact me the usual channels for more info

best
N.

oh and MJ. barley straw works very well. although im unsure of its use in a wild wetland setting. id be nervous about actually overloading the water with decaying organics.

Initially, this sentence doesn't make sense:

quote:

As far as we can see there is no aquatic animal life in the wetland. There may be snakes, birds, frogs, etc. though in the surrounding cat-tail.

how are snakes, frogs and bird not aquatic animal life? The cattails are a part of, not seperate from the wetland ecosystem.

as a rule, don't fuck with wetlands if you don't know what you're doing. Contact a local environmental group. Contact whatever watershed council applies. Contact the local branch of the land conservancy or sierra club. Far far too many people try to fix things in the environment and only make things worse. With the web, this should be an easy endeavor.

Does your church use fertilizer (whether chemical or not)? or the golf course? If they do, and the wetland is in a runoff area, then the algea growth is probably a direct result of that.

Bittersweet -- Sorry for the confusion -- in my mind aquatic life are fish, crayfish, amphibians and other animals that spend their entire life under the water surfaced. Snakes, Birds, and frogs are land-based to me. I am aware of the entire eco-system (including the cattails and other water plants).

The church does not use fertilizer in any form (we spend the money others ways). As for the golf course. There is little chance that any fertilizers reach the wetlands (I am aware that through ground water it can flow up) -- it is down hill from the church.

The wetlands was at one time 3-4 times larger. When we added on to the church, the town required us to conform to specific storm water run off, including creating retention ponds and installing additional storm sewers. Most of the wet lands was plowed under and berm with a storm sewer installed. That is why there is little flow in this part.

I get your point -- This is why I asked BEFORE doing anything. I will look for some local support. Thanks.

MJ

http://ohioline.osu.edu/a-fact/0003.html

copper sulfate is the most commonly used. i have sold a lot of it for farm ponds, etc.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ajay,

Thanks Ajay

copper and copper derivatives are used in marine anti fouling paints because copper is toxic to invertebrates. this means adding copper to a ecosystem , will not only damage the algae, but also insect larvae and insect life. thus impacting the bird amphibian and reptile populations.

id stick with bittersweets thoughts MJ.

I Know -- Copper solutions are also used in pressure treated wood now because it is toxic to insects, fungus, and molds. But Ajay's information is all a part of the greater info gathering so I do not look like a complete idiot when I talk with experts. Just an incomplete idiot.

MJ