Provided by
Swanland Village Association
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Swanland Pond

Swanland’s village pond greatly enhances the centre of the village. However the water quality has often been very poor in hot weather and especially so after the borehole in the old pump house was capped off, thus cutting off the pond’s only supply of clean make up water. The only replenishment water the pond got was rainfall into the pond and some run off from the road drains to the west of the pond. The road drains are polluted both from traffic oil and grease and also from nutrients running off adjacent agricultural land.
Swanland Parish Council, in conjunction with Swanland Wildlife Group, has been successful in securing a grant of £9,744 from Rewards for All. This is the first phase of a long-term project to improve the pond. Already the harvesting of water from the Village Hall roof has been completed. Work on the pond itself will get underway soon. The grant also provides for:
  • Harvesting water from the Village Hall roof - this has been completed as shown in this picture

Preliminary work took take place on Sat 30 May and the main work completed on Sat 6 June:

  • Pre-seeded coir rolls laid around the pond edges to establish a variety of Aquatic Plants And Reeds
  • A filter to trap toxins from road surface-water constructed at the west side of the pond.
  • Protective fencing placed around around the planting.

Future work will include:

  • Providing a permanent information board displaying the pond’s history, ecology and project updates.
  • Supplying pond-dipping equipment for children to use in future educational projects
  • Providing information leaflets
These basic measures will improve the quality of the water, re-introduce native plant life, oxygenate water, provide vital food and shelter and lookattractive. This will increase habitat and encourage the return of wild and pond life in, on and around the pond.

The black square raft that is floating at the west end of the pond is an ultra sonic device to eliminate, or at least reduce, algae in the water - this picture shows it being installed.

Beneath the floating raft is an electrical powered ultra sonic transmitter beams ultra sound waves across most of the pond. These are not harmful to fish or plants but it is claimed they will destroy the algae.The unit is being loaned free for a trial period and we have yet to see how effective it will prove. However it is only tackling one symptom of poor water quality and not its true cause.

Web Site created and maintained by Technical Documentation-----------------------------Page updated June 1, 2010 -----------------------------