Rotting Straw cleans Up Farm Ponds

Rotting Straw cleans Up Farm Ponds LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 21-5-29 Water quality in farm ponds can be improved by sinking barrels full of rotting straw beneath the water. Researcher Greg Paranich of Lamont County ag service in Alberta says the rotting straw retards the growth of algae. That's because the microbes that break down the straw also consume phosphorus, which is needed by algae. A 2,500 cubic yard pond requires three or four 45-gal. barrels of straw. The top of the barrels should not be cut off. Instead, cut the lid all the way around except for a 4 to 5-in. portion that serves as a hinge. Fasten a hasp to the barrel (in the same way that a padlock is installed) and use a snap to keep the lid closed. Perforate the entire barrel with 20 to 30 holes, each about 2 1/2 in. in diameter, to let water flow through freely. Drill a 1/2-in. dia. hole into each end of the barrel and thread a 1/4-in. dia. nylon rope through the holes. Then tie the rope to form a loop outside the barrel. Drop a 30 to 40-lb. weight (rocks or scrap iron) into the barrel to add ballast. Fill the barrel one-third full with chopped straw and saturate it with water to remove any air pockets. Then add more straw and keep saturating it until the barrel is full of water and straw. After closing the lid, place the barrel in the water and tie the end of the rope to a stake. The rotting straw will compete with the algae for available phosphorus and will, in effect, starve much of the algae to death over a 3-month period. A severely infested pond should first be treated with lime or bluestone to clean up the water. The addition of straw will then prevent regrowth of the algae. After three months use a front-end loader to pull the barrels out, dump out the straw, and then refill the barrels.

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