1. Anyone have experience, getting old timbers and brush out of a pond....without, heavy equipment. I thought about just throwing a snag hook of some sort and pulling it with a rope, if i got something to big to pull by hand i would just tie it to my tow hitch on the truck.

Any better ideas?

2. Cheap and easy way to aerate a small pond (1/3 acre). I need something that wont cost a lot to set up and/or wont use much electricity. Thinking about a windmill aerator, because its doesnt use electricity, but the initial cost will be around 1500. I dont know, but im estimating an air compressor would suck a lot of electricity every month.

Any ideas?

I'm rooting for ya! I don't know of anything that'll help but I hope you get it lined out.

aaaannnndddddd nuttin!

Go and buy 25, 1 lb cans of black powder. Drop it off near the pond and take your family out of town for the day. Call my new, disposable cell when you're 100 miles away from your house. I wont answer...but when you get back, your pond will be all cleared out.

Oh....there might be a few of your fellow LEOs and BATF guys hanging around when you return, but dont worry about it. Those coppers aint got nuthin on ya !

thanks, but i dont want to have to replace all the windows in the house or call an ambulance for the elderly neighbors.

Dredging- no idea, I don't like using the truck as the hook could pull loose with too much tension and smash your truck.

Aeration- If you have electricity, I'd get a submersible pump (not to submerse but to be weather proof) and run a hose to the pond and pump water to a small fountain. just be sure to keep the intake clear of debris and off the bottom.

Good Luck.

Make yourself the 6 ft wide and 8 foot long equivalent of a leaf rake out of steel pipe and 1/2 in re-bar. Kind of like a metal claw. Call it the pond claw. Know anyone up there that has a tow truck with a winch?

I'd say your quickest, safest, easiest solution would be to mount a wench on a tree or post near the edge of the pond. Then rig up some type of claw or grapple as stated above.

It doesn't even have to be a permanent mount - just a couple of big U-bolts or a chain to hold it there and hook it up to your car or boat battery.

And a claw-style anchor should do nicely to snag any big timber. You may need something else to get the smaller brush though.

thanks guys, definitely not gonna hook up to my truck

i might weld me up a grapple, got some old rebar lying around and find someone with a winch or a tractor

as far as pumps, ive learned a submersable wont be enough to oxygenate the whole pond.

talked to a guy who has a compressor with a 60 gallon tank, he uses his and just lets it bleed out slowly (about 100 pounds per hour) with a huge diffuser on the end. tank is 180 PSI. so its only kicking on about once and hour for a few minutes. he claims it put out lots of air and he only noticed about a 20 dollar difference in the his electric bill.

so i may hunt one down.

i still like the windmill idea.

If i could find someone with an old 16+ foot windmill base laying in a pasture somewhere. LOL

thanks fatty.

ive been all over that website, thanks to reading some of your posts.

seems most folks have nice big ponds, mine is a puddle compared to most on that site.

but i have learned alot. especially about water conditions and improvements etc.

which is part of the reason im trying to get some of the old timber and brush out ANd oxygenate.... i have high nitrogen levels.