waterscape.biz

Large Water Feature

Sparkle Care Program

-Pond Categories (Based on Size of Pond)-

• BRONZE- 1,000 sq. ft. to 5,445 sq. ft.
• COPPER- 5,445 sq. ft. to 10,890 sq. ft.
• NICKEL- 10,890 sq. ft. to 21,780 sq. ft.
• PLATINUM- 21,780 sq. ft. to 43,560 sq. ft.

-Maintenance Programs-

Each program has the following services per visit:

                        -Surface / Algae Skimming

                        -Trash / Waste Pick Up

                        -Waste Disposal

                        -Flower / Plant Deadheading

                        -Water Treatment As Scheduled

            When choosing a program note that as you increase the number of visits you are decreasing the hours per visit.  The clarity and quality of the pond will degrade with less visits and the maintenance required at the visit will increase.  The more frequent the maintenance the better the overall appearance will be. 

• Slate-

-Monthly Visit (7 Average Total)

-No Bonus

• Granite-

-Bi-Weekly Visit (15 Avergae Total)

-Free Shoreline Water Test (Spring)

-10 % Off An Additional Add-On Program

• Quartz-

-Weekly Visit (30 Average Total)

-Free Shoreline Water Test (Spring)

-15% Off An Additional Add-On Program

-10% Off Aquatic Plants

-Available Individual Programs or Program Add On's-

          -Air Stone Cleaning                                        -Submerged Plant Removal (Raking)

                -Fountain Cleaning                                         -Floating Plant Removal

                -Fountain Storage                                           -Fish Removal

                -Marginal Plant Removal                             -Fish Stocking

                -Marginal Plant Transplant                         -Complete Water Testing

                -Shoreline Water Testing                             -Erosion Repair

               -Fall Plant Cutting & Removal

-Maintenance Descriptions-

Air Stone Cleaning- Over time air stones can become clogged with debris and will need to be soaked in an acid solution to return them to optimal working condition.  We will soak the air stones for you and return them to the depths of the pond when they are ready.

Bi-Weekly Water Treatment- Your pond may require water treatments to maintain a healthy and productive ecosystem.  For large water features beneficial bacteria, flocculent, and pond dye are often used as water treatments.  Bi-weekly water treatment will be added to the water feature every other week and total 16 visits a year on average.

Complete Water Testing- The chemistry of your pond water can lay the foundation for the right approach to treating the pond.  A complete water test involves a boat and a lot of different samples from the pond.  All samples are collected using EPA approved tools and methods to get accurate results.  The complete water test samples water temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, water clarity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, nitrogen level, and phosphorus level.  The water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels are tested at different depths to determine the depth of the thermocline.   Once all of the samples are collected the results will be put on a report.  The conclusions from the report will be used in determining the proper approach to ensuring the pond has a balance ecosystem.

Erosion Repair- Storm water, muskrats, children, and many other factors can cause erosion around earth bottom ponds.  Each case will be evaluated by our technician and a report of our findings will be given to you.  Immediate steps can be taken to repair the damages or a project that begins with prevention and ends with repairs can be set up.  Erosion reduces pond volume, decreases overall appearance, and can lead to expensive repairs if not fixed early. 

Fall Plant Cutting & Removal- During the season the plants in and around the pond are pulling nutrients from the water to perform basic plant biology like cell grow, flowering, and seed production.  By the end of the season the plants are full of the nutrients that they processed from the water they live in.  When the plant dies back in the fall and drops into the pond the nutrients will return to the pond during decomposition.  Fall plant cutting and removal helps prevent a high nutrient load in the spring and greatly improves overall water quality.  Our crew will trim all plants down to their proper level and remove the organic waste from the surrounding pond basin.

Fish Removal- In some cases the fish population of a pond will reach levels so great that pond health begins to suffer.  This situation usually happens when the fish population was not properly balanced with the correct ratio of predator and prey.  When a pond is all prey with no predator there is nothing to stop the population surge.  Fish removal is either done by draining the pond completely and picking up the fish or it is done by using large nets know as seines. 

Fish Stocking- Newly constructed ponds do not produce fish by just adding water and older ponds often are imbalanced between predators and prey.  Based on the important balance of predators and prey we will add fish to your pond.  Many different varieties are available!

Floating Plant Removal- Duckweed and Watermeal are the most common floating plants in Michigan and are found in ponds with little or no water movement.  Both types of plants prefer still water and do not do well in active water.  A special surface skimmer is used to move the floating plant to a shallow area where the plant can be removed with nets.  Several treatments may be required and the addition of active water is highly recommended.  Other floating plant removal occurs in the fall with Water Hyacinth or Water Lettuce to prevent the plants from adding to the nutrient load be decomposing after the frost kills them. 

Fountain Cleaning- Pond water contains lots of nutrients and plenty of organic materials.  Fountains work hard all season and by keeping them clean you will increase their productivity as well as their longevity.  Cleaning is done with brushes and clean water and may need to be done at our shop if the fountain is really dirty.

Fountain Storage- Fountains often need to be removed from the pond in the fall due to the winter weather in Michigan.  Storage of these fountains can be painstaking and through the winter is always in the way.  We have warm and dry storage space available for your fountain and will make sure it is ready to go in the spring.

Inorganic / Organic Waste Disposal- Ponds can produce organic waste when nutrient levels are high.  That waste product can pile up over time and having near the pond can be a real eyesore.  Not only does the pile grow and look unsightly but if it is close to the pond it could also be adding nutrients back into the pond.  Storm water, Detention, and Retention ponds can bring in all kinds of interesting items.  Inorganic waste or Trash belongs in the dump not in your pond.  Both inorganic and organic waste will be collected and removed by our maintenance crew where we will take them to their appropriate resting place.

Marginal Plant Growth Control- Marginal plants or shoreline plants thrive on the nutrients in the pond and the surrounding soil.  Many of the plants have root systems that spread through the soil to maximize their nutrient uptake.  Certain plants can become invasive to your pond if left unchecked.  Our maintenance crew can make sure your beautiful shoreline plants do not become a nuisance by cutting them back based on the plant we are controlling.

Marginal Plant Removal- In some cases your marginal plants have turned your once beautiful pond into what looks like a swamp.  Invasive plants can take over a pond in a manor of a few years and sometimes need to be completely removed in order to restore a proper pond ecosystem.  In rare cases a homeowner has a particular plant removed because they either don't like the way it looks or they have a renovation plan in place.  Whatever the case is our maintenance crew will remove the plant or plants from your pond completely.  Some species may require a return visit later in the season to remove any remaining plants.

Marginal Plant Transplanting- Plants when first purchased are much smaller than the full grown variety.  Occasionally a plant will grow to big for a location and block a particular view.  Instead of completely removing the plant it could be transplanted to another location around the pond.  Our maintenance crew will dig out the plant and transplant it or them to the desired location.

Monthly Water Treatment- Your pond may require water treatments to maintain a healthy and productive ecosystem.  For large water features beneficial bacteria, flocculent, and pond dye are often used as water treatments.  Monthly water treatments are applied on a monthly basis and total 7 to 8 treatments. 

Seasonal Water Treatment- Your pond may require water treatments to maintain a healthy and productive ecosystem.  For large water features beneficial bacteria, flocculent, and pond dye are often used as water treatments.  Seasonal water treatments are applied at the beginning of the pond season in either March or April.

Shoreline Water Testing- The chemistry of your pond water can lay the foundation for the right approach to treating the pond.  Shoreline testing involves taking a few samples using EPA approved methods and tools to determine the basic water chemistry.  The basic analysis includes water temperature, dissolved oxygen level, water clarity, pH, hardness, and alkalinity.  Our trained professional will calculate the findings and write up a report.  This report will determine the correct approach to maintaining your pond.

Submerged Water Plant Removal (Raking)-  When a pond ages and does not have an effective nutrient load reducing program in place muck (organic build up) will begin to develop on the ponds bottom.  This layer of muck gives submerged plants the perfect place to seed and flourish.  Submerged plants can be highly invasive and if left alone will take over the shallow areas of the pond quickly.  One way to remove submerged plants is to use a specialized rake that cuts and removes the plant from the pond bottom.   Our maintenance crew will remove the plants physically on an hourly charge.  This is usually done monthly to keep up with the reemergence of the submerged plants.

Surface / Algae Skimming- Two types of algae can plague a pond, suspended and filamentous.  With suspended algae treatments are needed to combine the free floating particles.  Filamentous creates giant mats of dense green algae that float on the surface of the pond.  A pond with a high nutrient load will create blankets that can completely cover the ponds surface.  Floating rakes are used by our maintenance crew to pull the thick mats to the shoreline where they can remove them from the pond.  Skimming is done on an hourly charge.

Trash / Waste Pick Up- Ponds that are in commercial, industrial, and residential communities are prone to the occasional bottle or old newspaper.  We will walk around the pond and pick up trash to keep the pond looking clean and natural.