Our residents are asking about the dredging process on the main lake so I did some research:
Silt and muck build up over time so ponds need dredging to maintain their water quality and flow. The lakes on our golf course serve as the water source and flow for our irrigation system throughout the park. When the muck or silt gets sucked into the pumps, it causes them to get plugged. This in turn causes blockage to the sprinkler heads on the golf course and through the irrigation system to our landscaping and palm trees throughout the park.
Hydraulic dredging works much like a vacuum cleaner to suck
up the fine silt and muck. This is the
preferred method in a man-made pond like our golf course. The pontoon looking thing in the middle of
the lake has a large 8 ft wide apparatus that runs along the bottom of the pond
and sucks up the silt. It is then piped through the large orange tubing and is moved
over to the far end of the lake away from the pump system. This will provide temporary relief to
our pump system. Future plans call for the complete removal of the silt and
perhaps even replacing the liner that covers the bottom of our lakes.
Researching on the web and visiting with the Operator (Pat) working
on our lake, I’ve learned that the muck can eventually be removed and dried out
with the use of a dewaterer (yes, that is a real word!). Then they are able to deposit that dried sediment at
a dump site or a farm field with an erosion fence surrounding it. The federal
government requires a permit to dump sediment in a way that
won’t negatively affect the environment.
Pat says it makes great fertilizer for his garden.
Pat is controlling the pontoon with the use of a
remote. There is a small black hose
attached to the orange tubing that sprays water back into the pond. By watching that flow, Pat can tell when the
area is clear of sludge as the water will be clear instead of black or muddy.
