I installed a new pond last year with the help of several people here (mike from Illinois - who gave me advice regarding a bottom drain and Jenny B who helped me through some questions about freezing weather). Due to some underground wires - the pond was situated halfway under a pair of large ash trees. I completed the pond in late summer and before long, the leaves started falling and many of them got into the pond before I bought a net to cover the pond. The pond water began turning tea-colored and I assumed it was from the ash tree leaves. I netted as many leaves out of the pond as I could, but winter set in quickly.
All my fish survived the winter, but the water was even darker in spring. I got most of the leaves out of the pond in spring - but the brown water persisted. I tried adding bags of activated charcoal and partial water changes - but nothing was helping.
I decided I needed to get more scientific about this - I got a bunch of old jars and filled them with water and in each jar I added something from the pond - one jar had green ash tree leaves, another had old brown ash leaves, and another jar had some of the mulch I used around the pond, another jar had topsoil, etc. I monitored the jars of water over the next few weeks and a couple of them developed a light tea-colored stain - but none of them were anywhere close to the color of my pond - by now the pond water was almost black. I had 20 pounds of activated charcoal in there and I was doing a 20 percent water change weekly . . . I didnâÂÂt know what to do next . . .
I was sitting on the bench next to the pond when it suddenly hit me . . . I my effort to reduce the âÂÂpearl necklace effectâ of a string of round rocks around the edge of the pond; I had placed two logs (maybe 3 feet long each) half submerged at the edge of the pond. They looked so natural and blended in so well that I never thought about them. I pulled them both out and let nature take over. . .
The pond cleared up by itself in a week. I now have crystal clear water and everything is running fine. I do miss the logs though - they really did look good - IâÂÂm trying to nestle some plants into the openings they left.

There is always a solution to every problem - you just have to keep trying . . .

Jeff