LOL, chas. You are correct, the initials do stand for Dept. of Natural Resources. As can be expected there are a lot of those alphabet agencies out there that may or may not be helpful. Which one has helpful info. in your area varies in the extreme. Some are identical to other agencies that have totally different objectives. Then there are private companies that want to sell you something. Mokitty, there is no reason in the world why a holding pond, retention pond, dew pond cannot be ornamental. From what I see in the photos, someone has tried to do that in the past and has recently let it go. Recently being totally subjective. The grasses around the pond can be cut back, the old bridge removed or replaced, wild shrubs and other plants identified and volunteer saplings removed. That should keep you busy for a while. Cutting back the grasses will help control the number of migratory ducks that use the pond.I wouldn't mention the ducks to anyone but the Extention service and would be cautious even there. They might prevent you from doing anything that might change the current function of the pond including cutting the grass. The Environmental Protection Agency is well known for that. Avoid them if possible. Here are some sites that look like they can give you decent info on the purpose of your pond. http://www.gotalgae.com/retention_ponds.htm coastalwaterwatch.com/product2121.htm http://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/61/Stormwater%20Management%20Basins.pdf Call the DNR and the Extension service and specifically ask "Do you have any material related to small retention ponds or dewponds and wildlife habitat?" This is one of those projects that may or may not require lots of planning and/or physical intervention. For now, look for traces of a previous pathway to the pond and improve that. Starting at the bridge may go faster. Observe what the weather does to the water level. Keep track of water levels for as long as you can, months are better than weeks and compare them with rainfall. See what happens to the pond and the surrounding area during and after a heavy/light rain. Locate and clear any over/outflow. Identify grasses and other plants. They may have been chosen for specific purposes such as erosion control, wildlife cover, food source, etc. Tall grasses may prevent debris from overwhelming the pond. Search for electric hookups. Do they even exist? Is there a bad odor like sewage that would indicate dredging for organic matter is needed and the pond is deficient in oxygen. Float something on the surface to see if there is any sort of water movement. You might find that overflow where your float ends up. Check the soil on the outside of the pond and on the inside of the pond to see if it is the same. Are there lots of rocks on the sides of the pond? How deep is the mulm/debris on the bottom? Did the former owners leave any pond equipment behind? Get the water tested or get a testing kit and do it yourself. No strips. They just don't give good readings. There are people out there who can do the hard work of cleaning out the pond for a hefty price. Before you hire them, know enough about what the pond does that it will be you in charge. Ask questions. There are enough posters here to answer most questions or who will send you where you can get the right answers. I hope this has not overwhelmed you.

I would definitely request a functioning remote thermometer. I have one but it never seems to read when the main control is inside. I think maybe it's too far away. And I'm constantly focused on the temps. So it's quite frustrating not to be able to tell what's going on in there. FROM INSIDE MY HOUSE That about a hundred other things :)

Interesting: This is the most level portion of my property (exactly 1/2 or three acres) near the road and my home sets back off of the road and up on a small bluff. From the road it slopes about 150 feet to the lowest point...quite an elevation change. And while that slopes, I have rolling hills running perpendicular to the sloping hills. In other words my property is wavy and sloping and surrounded by hills - very similar to a football stadium where the bleachers are the sides of my property and people doing "the wave" lol ;-) Flat (kind of, lol) Mercer County, Illinois 675B�"Greenbush silt loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes Map Unit Setting Elevation: 360 to 1,020 feet Mean annual precipitation: 32 to 40 inches Mean annual air temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F Frost-free period: 150 to 180 days Map Unit Composition Greenbush and similar soils: 95 percent Description of Greenbush Setting Landform: Ground moraines, till plains Landform position (two-dimensional): Summit, shoulder, footslope Landform position (three-dimensional): Interfluve Down-slope shape: Convex Across-slope shape: Convex Parent material: Loess Properties and qualities Slope: 2 to 5 percent Depth to restrictive feature: More than 80 inches Drainage class: Well drained Capacity of the most limiting layer to transmit water (Ksat): Moderately high to high (0.60 to 2.00 in/hr) Depth to water table: About 48 to 72 inches Frequency of flooding: None Frequency of ponding: None Available water capacity: High (about 11.5 inches) Interpretive groups Farmland classification: All areas are prime farmland Land capability (nonirrigated): 2e Hydrologic Soil Group: B Typical profile 0 to 6 inches: Silt loam 6 to 17 inches: Silt loam 17 to 75 inches: Silty clay loam 75 to 80 inches: Silt loam ------- then: Mercer County, Illinois 8D2�"Hickory silt loam, 10 to 18 percent slopes, eroded Map Unit Setting Elevation: 350 to 1,200 feet Mean annual precipitation: 32 to 40 inches Mean annual air temperature: 48 to 54 degrees F Frost-free period: 150 to 180 days Map Unit Composition Hickory and similar soils: 90 percent Description of Hickory Setting Landform: Ground moraines Landform position (two-dimensional): Backslope Down-slope shape: Linear Across-slope shape: Linear Parent material: Loamy till Properties and qualities Slope: 10 to 18 percent Depth to restrictive feature: More than 80 inches Drainage class: Well drained Capacity of the most limiting layer to transmit water (Ksat): Moderately high to high (0.60 to 2.00 in/hr) Depth to water table: More than 80 inches Frequency of flooding: None Frequency of ponding: None Calcium carbonate, maximum content: 25 percent Available water capacity: High (about 10.2 inches) Interpretive groups Farmland classification: Farmland of statewide importance Land capability (nonirrigated): 3e Hydrologic Soil Group: B Typical profile 0 to 6 inches: Silt loam 6 to 51 inches: Clay loam 51 to 60 inches: Loam Elevation: 360 to 1,020 feet Mean annual precipitation: 32 to 40 inches Mean annual air temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F Frost-free period: 150 to 180 days Map Unit Composition Greenbush and similar soils: 95 percent Description of Greenbush Setting Landform: Ground moraines, till plains Landform position (two-dimensional): Summit, shoulder, footslope Landform position (three-dimensional): Interfluve Down-slope shape: Convex Across-slope shape: Convex Parent material: Loess Properties and qualities Slope: 2 to 5 percent Depth to restrictive feature: More than 80 inches Drainage class: Well drained Capacity of the most limiting layer to transmit water (Ksat): Moderately high to high (0.60 to 2.00 in/hr) Depth to water table: About 48 to 72 inches Frequency of flooding: None Frequency of ponding: None Available water capacity: High (about 11.5 inches) Interpretive groups Farmland classification: All areas are prime farmland Land capability (nonirrigated): 2e Hydrologic Soil Group: B Typical profile 0 to 6 inches: Silt loam 6 to 17 inches: Silt loam 17 to 75 inches: Silty clay loam 75 to 80 inches: Silt loam Good for Hickories (score!) and... there are a lot of Walnut groves planted in my neck of the woods. People from Chicago have been buying up the land and planting these Walnut groves. Cheers, thanks! Dax

Five years ago, we put in a simple vinyl liner salt water "play pool" for about $28,000 including gas heater, fencing, landscaping and restoration of the walkway between my neighbour's and our house. (Toronto) Our kids, 7-13, used it for two weeks and that was that. I went in once and almost drowned, as I had forgotten how to swim in the 40 years or so since I had last been in a bathing suit. The new owners left the pool covered for the first two years, then spent $30K+ landscaping the remaining backyard; the pool is open as a water feature. Surprised they haven't turned it into a fish pond. Ditto my former neighbour who now blames me for convincing him to build a pool. Huh! This post was edited by worthy on Mon, Aug 25, 14 at 1:24