Landowners, pond managers, irrigation specialists and landscape contractors all have one goal in mind when it comes to maintaining water: keep it clean and healthy.
Achieving those results, while retaining balance and sustainability, can be challenging when you take into consideration environmental factors.
Whether you are caring for a small community pond, an irrigation lake, or a body of water used for agriculture, the absolute most important factor needed in yielding a healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystem is oxygen. Without adequate oxygen levels, the water condition will deteriorate and will not sustain itself as a healthy ecosystem.
Proper aeration and water movement are key elements. Aeration, or the amount of oxygen being transferred into the body of water, is a natural, eco-friendly way to care for water systems.
The atmospheric air that attaches to the water happens instantly when the water breaks the surface. At this point, oxygen transfer occurs between the pond water and the air, breathing new life back into the aquatic ecosystem.
All aerobic organisms, from microscopic bacteria to the largest fish, must have sufficient levels of oxygen to live and thrive. Customers deal with “fish kill” when the water is not properly aerated and unhealthy. Poor oxygen levels cause fish to be susceptible to diseases, inhibiting growth, and ultimately, leading to death.
While it makes sense that fish need oxygen to survive, what is not always obvious is that low oxygen levels lead to the lack of beneficial bacteria required to maintain the decomposition of organic material.
If the organic material within a body of water does not break down, a chain reaction of deadly conditions begins. Levels of toxic waste increase causing the water quality to become unhealthy and not sustainable for aerobic life.
This article is a part of a series: The Way Water Was Intended
