What are the alternatives to dredging my pond?

Dredging can be an involved process that takes time and money.  Most owners that ask, “how do I dredge a pond myself?”, end up with a lot of work and not much to show for it.  The alternatives to dredging usually revolve around aiding the decomposition of organic matter with biological or nutrient treatments.  If your pond contains a high percentage of organic materials (i.e. leaves, pine needles, manure) these methods may help decompose some of the sediment.  Aeration is another tool that has developed to help keep the same portion of organic sediment with oxygen to speed the decomposition process.  Sterile carp can help eliminate some of the aquatic weeds associated with too much sediment.  Armoring the banks upstream and stabilizing the streambanks can help prevent sediment from incoming into your pond.  However, once dirt (non-organic sediment) has entered a pond it is not going to be broken down with chemical, biological, or aeration treatments.  The dirt must be removed at some time.