Cleaning Muddy Pond Water

Master gardener Paul James answers a question about muddy pond water and how to clean it.

Q. Recent rains resulted in my small pond filling up with muddy water. How do I clean it?

A. Depending on how much mud you're talking about, be patient and wait for the mud to settle to the bottom of the pond. Along the way, however, you'll probably need to clean your pump filter several times, assuming your pond has a pump and filter. If within a week or two conditions don't improve, you'll probably want to go ahead and drain the pond.

Assuming your pond has a pump, you can attach a garden hose to the pump outlet and drain the nutrient-rich water into a nearby garden bed or the lawn. Or use it to water potted plants. Once you've drained at least half the water, fill the pond again and continue to let the pump run. Repeat this process several times until the water begins to clear up. But whatever you do, don't leave the pump running unattended, because if the water level drops below the pump intake, the pump motor will likely burn out.