We are located in upstate NY. Our pond is approximately 90' x 50', 8' deep in the middle in Spring, gradual entry all around. Last year, at the end of a very dry summer, it was only about 6' in the middle. I am not sure what type of fish are currently in the pond. I did see one dead fish last year at the top which looks like a hybrid bluegill (possibly). The other fish we've spotted are mostly long and narrow, silver in color - some with a horizontal stripe down their side or a stripe on their tail, ranging from a couple of inches up to a foot in size. There are many frogs as well.

I am assuming this pond is manmade, sometime within the last 10 years. It has a muddy bottom. It is surrounded by long grass/brush and cattails, no trees. No livestock utilize the pond or surrounding meadow (other than lots of deer and rabbits). There is currently no filtration or aeration system set up in the pond. It is fed naturally by springs, and has an overflow/outflow to a nearby creek. We do not use any fertilizers or weed killers on our lawn/meadow.

I have a few issues/questions with the pond I'm hoping someone can help.

1) Last year, by the end of the summer, the pond was quite cloudy, and had a greenish tinge. It smelled fine - somewhat like sulpher, but we do have sulpher groundwater here. This year so far, the color seems much more cloudy and brown than it did last year. I cannot see the bottom, even on a clear day, a few days after a rain (allowing for sediment settling). It does not have an unpleasant smell. Is there anything we can do to improve clarity? Would installing a fountain or aerator help with clarity? If yes, what kind? Does it need a filter or would aeration be adequate?

2) The pond is completely surrounded with cattails. Last year at the end of Summer, we pulled and cut 75% of the cattails, following the protocols set out by the Cornell website (cut and pull below water level in late summer), in the hopes that the water level would rise in Spring and keep the cattails from growing back. While there does seem to be a slight reduction in the overall number of cattails, I am disappointed at how much regrowth we are seeing. We put in a TON of work last year to remove them. Does anyone have any suggestions to limit the regrowth - they really impinge on the usability and visibility of the pond. I'd rather not use anything toxic - unless absolutely necessary to save the pond - as it has fish, and is used for swimming. Are there any kinds of fish or other plants we could introduce to compete with/consume the cattails?

3) At the end of last summer, we noticed some hair like thin and straight/stringy suspended algae. Is this ok to have, or does it indicate a problem? Also at the very end of the summer, some clumps of floating green furry algae seemed to form. I do not see either of these in the pond (yet) this year.

We'd like to use this pond for swimming, or at least observing the fish! Thank you for any help you can offer!