Hire A Pro!

By Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

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Proactive Lake Maintenance

You may think you want a lake maintenance company to fix problems when they arise, sounds about right; however, that is considered reactive maintenance and while it will solve apparent problems, this type of maintenance will not prevent time consuming and potentially expensive situations from erupting.

Lakes, streams, and ponds are complex water features. For the best results, they require proactive maintenance: a preventative approach to maintenance to works in conjunction with the exiting ecosystem in order to prevent overbearing and costly situations from developing.

Lake maintenance companies with a reactive approach hire personnel who can simply and only react. A company with a proactive approach trains their personnel not only to solve problems but also to be forward thinking to prevent them. Proactive maintenance personnel understand the root of problems and are able to eliminate costly situations before they occur.

Much like gardeners or landscapers monitor plants in our shopping plazas, community centers, recreational parks, etc., proactive lake maintenance professionals monitor the growth of aquatic plants in our water features. Proactive maintenance professionals monitor and control aquatic plant growth gradually as it develops; otherwise, like land plants they will grow at their own will and out of control creating a need for timely and expensive reactive restoration.

To avoid expensive reactive restoration, a proactive professional treats problems even when they are not visible. For example, the origin of an overgrowth problem could be unseen accumulation of sludge occurring at the base of a water feature, a proactive professional will treat the sludge to prevent the more expensive situation of overgrowth. Further, proactive maintenance professionals remain aware of seasonal changes that may affect the body of water. For example, a proactive lake maintenance professional monitors aquatic plants while they are dormant, during winter months, to prevent unsightly overgrowth situations in summer months.

In addition to preventative precautions taken to maintain the actual body of water, proactive maintenance companies train their employees to understand the workings of all equipment in the underground Pump Vault: electrical panels, pumps, bloomers, fans and lighting systems. To prevent costly equipment malfunctions, a proactive professional will take the preventative measures to ensure all wiring and equipment in the Pump Vault is functioning safely and efficiently. For example, if a motor in the pump vault is hot the cause can be determined and the customer informed of the corrective action before the problem becomes increasingly costly. In such a situation, a proactive company may replace a $400 component, and save the cost of replacing a $7,000 pump!

The more you know about your lake maintenance company the more you will know about your lake – a proactive company will keep you informed about potential issues and provide you with preventative, cost-saving solutions. Proactive lake maintenance professionals take preventative measures to ensure that expensive, time consuming and stress causing problems do not become overbearing. Ask questions to make sure the company hired is not simply reactive. Any maintenance company can fix problems; you need a company that can also prevent them.

Water Features At A Glance

By Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

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Every lake, stream and pond has a unique environment. Each body of water has its own unpredictable behavior patterns. This face makes maintenance of these water features far more complicated than just simply treating your lakes, streams or ponds with some magic potion and walking away. With ten different water features, two might look “perfect” all the time and need very little maintenance. Three of them might be exceptionally difficult to maintain, and five might need simple preventive maintenance. It is the problematic ones that cause homeowners to throw up their hands and seek a specialist who possesses the ability to address problematic aquatic environment.

Homeowners with deep pockets can treat smaller aquatic features like swimming pools, so long as you expect nothing to live in them. If the feature does not have any aquatic plant life, fish, fowl or other wildlife on a regular basis, chlorine can be used and the system flushed with clean, sterile water. This would preclude more natural solutions in favor of using harsh chemicals resulting in a dramatic increase in your water bills and an unbalanced aquatic environment. Who wants that?

The other, and more favorable, solution would be to seek and hire a licensed aquatic professional to assess your individual issue(s). You want someone who understand how to balance both the natural and artificial aspects of your lake, pond or stream in addition to just “making it look pretty”. Taking the most cost-effective, lasting measures to restore your lake, stream or pond the aquatic professional will want to introduce certain steps to solve your problem. In addition to being necessary, just doing the basics – aeration, filtration, physical maintenance and pest management will go a long way in solving and eliminating problems in your water feature. Also, included in thesebasics would be the introduction of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, aquatic plants, fish and even some algae. The well-rounded professional will also want to apply products that reduce foam, clarify water, eliminate algae and bring color to an otherwise drab lake, stream or pond. These are but a few of the actions your professional may take to restore the beauty to your water feature.

When looking for an aquatic professional, make sure that they are licensed and reputable. Be sure to ask questions about their background and expertise. You want someone who is both knowledgeable and action oriented, but also someone who has been in the industry long enough to have seen various aquatic issues and can better determine a solution tailored to your specific water feature dilemma. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your aquatic specialist that are directly related to your particular lake, pond or stream issue.

Man-made lakes, streams and ponds are just as problematic as natural lakes, streams and ponds. In urban environments, both types of water are prone to runoff land with soaps, oils, greases, phosphates, nitrogen, organic materials and minute plant life.

Listed below are two actions, to avoid, that can result in lakes, streams and/or ponds becoming unsightly, odiferous and difficult to keep under control.

• Runoff from highly fertilized landscapes, vehicles being washed and debris draining into the waterscapes after a hard rain brings nutrients into the water features resulting in excessive algae growth, unbalanced water and an odor, leaving the water very unappealing to the eyes and nose.

• The positioning of trees near the water, trimmings being dumped into the water features, branches and leaves falling into the aquatic environment. Debris from tress is a major source of nutrients staying in the water; these nutrients increase the growth of algae and are also a source of that black sludge you see on the bottom. The depth of the sludge will increase as the years pass and you’ll find your lakes, streams or ponds having more sludge than water, resulting in an unsightly and odorous mess. For some odd reason, landscapers and homeowners alike seem to feel dumping trimmings, leaves, baby diapers, chairs, trash and other odd assortments of items into the water features is not going to have an adverse affect.

All of these actions have an affect on your water feature and none of these contaminants are beneficial to a water feature. They make bad things grow and they also make good things grow to the point where they are considered a nuisance.

Whether this aquatic environment is man-made or natural, “nature” will still be at work. From time to time, nature or humanity, may wreak havoc, similar to what’s mentioned above but, the resulting displeasing look can be eradicated and the water restored to an aesthetically pleasing appearance and nose pleasing smell.

There are a variety of tools that can be used to deal with tricky water features, some work as promised, but no single step is a complete solution. The best approach is to restore the natural balance by doing those previously mentioned “basics”, managing the nutrient levels, establishing a proper balance of fish species, and removing the amount of debris by using manual labor, water treatment products and/or necessary equipment. The trick is to not create a new problem by using only one solution.

Just follow the basics. Remember, when those basics are used together, they are the solutions to your troubled water. Lastly, remember, an aquatic problem cant’ be “fixed” by making one change, or using one “magic” solution and moving on. The problems, most likely, will be ongoing and have to be solved as long as your water feature exists. So take care of that waterscape just as you do your landscape and when those problems arise take comfort in the knowledge that where there is a problem, there also is a solution and the result is a breathtaking water feature!

Beautiful, Inviting Water Features Are Easy To Maintain

By Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

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Your dreams have come true. . . the property is beautifully landscaped with running streams, cascading ponds, and water features. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty, the simplicity. Everything has been planned out carefully. Everything is in balance.

To the casual observer, it may seem that water features maintain themselves. But many don’t realize that streams and ponds are living, growing ecosystems that if left unchecked, can get out of whack.  Then you’ve got real problems.

Some basic biology of aquatic ecosystems is needed to understand the underlying forces of lakes, ponds, and streams. They are not merely large swimming pools where you can get by with just skimming the surface. If you know the root cause of the problem, workable solutions fall into place.

Green plants and algae use photosynthesis to convert nutrients into usable materials so they may grow, flower, and reproduce. Energy from sunlight drives this process, using elements like nitrogen, carbon dioxide, phosphate, and iron, and like magic, creates new plant growth and oxygen.

All ecosystems operate best when there’s a balance between the elements that go into the system, and the products it releases. So you see there’s much more to water features than clearing away leaves. Diversified Waterscapes is a group of dedicated professionals who deal with water features daily. They can spot potential problems quickly and provide real solutions.

Some problems common to ponds and streams are listed here.

• pH is a measure of how “acidic” or how “basic” the water may be and is ranked on a scale of 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral (balanced). Low numbers represent acids while high numbers indicate good alkaline or salt solutions. Evaporation, field run-off, salts, and minerals all affect the pH. Water circulation, aeration, and addition of chemical can restore a pond or stream to its proper pH quickly.

• Foam is particularly unappealing, caused by soaps, cleaners, and dead organic matter such as plants or animals. When correctly applied, de-foamers and other chemical can solve the problem almost overnight.

• Natural pesticides are good at knocking-down annoying pests, but over spraying may cause fouling of the water system. Stronger pesticides eliminate the bugs very quickly, however run off can threaten fish and wildlife. Ultra fine oil, insecticidal soaps and carnivorous snails may be good alternatives.

• Artificial dyes can enhance water features to give you the pristine blue-green color that’s so inviting and peaceful. Too much can interfere with photosynthesis, which in turn, may lead to plant die-off, loss of fish, and wildlife. Proper water circulation, filtration, and aeration can keep these problems in check.

• Algae is a good thing in small amounts. When lots of additional nutrients are available, algae can go crazy with rapid growth called “blooms”. This can cause the water to look cloudy and dirty (turbid) and smell like rotting garbage. It slows down photosynthesis and can increase ugly foam mats to appear. Left untreated, bigger problems start to appear, like plant, fish, and wildlife die-off.

Know your water features and know your limitations. Know when to call a professional before the problem becomes overwhelming. If diagnosed early on, treatments can produce visible changes almost overnight, saving you time and money. At Diversified Waterscapes, we can solve your most difficult water feature problems. We can restore the delicate balance needed for healthy ponds and streams. We can help you restore your dreams.

Protecting The Water In Water Features

By Patrick Simmsgeiger, Founder of DWI

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Part of the commitment you make when you decide to install a water feature is maintenance. In many respects, the smaller a water feature, the more maintenance it requires (per unit of size). Forget about relying totally on chemicals and an occasional cleaning. Water features aren’t pools, especially when you include fish.

Filtration and Aeration

Filtration and aeration are very important with smaller features. You want a minimum depth of two feet with constant circulation and filtration. Waterfalls or circulation pumps should pump water through a properly sized sand media filter. The media in the filter should include two-thirds sand (12 to 16 mesh) and one third activated charcoal. The filter will remove organic contaminants and keep the water clean. Waterfalls can increase oxygen content as well. If you don’t have a waterfall, install a fountain-type aerator or injector-type aerator to go along with the circulation system.

An alternative to a media filter is a bio-filter, which is essentially a gravel bottom that acts as an intake through which the water circulates. Beneficial bacteria (aerobic) will become established in the gravel and keep the water both clean and fresh. At least two thirds of the feature bottom should be covered with a foot of gravel over perforated drain lines that return the water to the pump. Use river rock or granite. Avoid limestone.

Water pH can be a problem, especially for some of the beneficial bacteria on the market. Microbes prefer 6.5 pH. It’s not unusual for public water to run about 8 pH in the Southwest. It might also have a salinity problem. Test your water source just to be sure. Alkaline water can be adjusted with small quantities of acid. Salinity can be adjusted to a degree with gypsum (calcium replaces the sodium).

Caring for Fish in Your Water Features

Some algae (filamentous) are actually preferable for fish. Consult fish suppliers for the right number and combination of fish to stock water features. Avoid over-feeding fish to avoid organic buildup.

If you stock your water features with fish, provide access for observers to enjoy watching the fish, such as bridges and decks. Visible enjoyment should be balanced with audible input, so include waterfalls and fountains. Lighting is very important to water features at night.

Lake larger features, the safest bet is a natural balance among fish, beneficial microbes and nutrients. In the case of small water features, this weighs heavily on filtration and aeration. Chemicals can’t replace basic mechanical measures. But occasionally, a clarifier or dye might spruce up your water feature now and then.

Dyes can improve the appearance of shallow water features and slow establishment of aquatic weeds. Do not paint the bottom of water features a dark color that will absorb heat. Make them reflective to keep water cool, and avoid rough concrete surfaces in favor of smooth surfaces for the fish.

Enjoying Your Water Feature

Water features provide a type of enjoyment that has lasted for millennia. They are now available to a greater number of people. Keep in mind the thinking of our Buddhist predecessors, pay attention to the “now” and you will assure the success of the future.