Dig a Pond for Dragonflies
Notes on renovation and maintenance of existing ponds
Where practicable, it is sound conservation practice and often less expensive to renovate old ponds rather than create new ones. Plant and animal communities that have already become established can, through careful management, be modified and enhanced. Populations of dragonflies should be monitored before and after management takes place in order to test its effectiveness.
Heavily silted and overgrown ponds should never be cleared completely in one operation. Autumn and winter are the best times and, if clearance is staged over a couple of years or more, natural recolonisation can take place. Unwanted plant growth should be removed carefully and with restraint. The use of herbicides is not recommended: decomposition of plants reduces the oxygen content of water and may be detrimental to dragonflies and the other animals on which they depend for food.
Mechanical diggers are very convenient but should be used with care. It is easy to chum up pond margins and possibly cause damage to the bottom lining if one is present. Heavily shaded ponds should be opened up to expose them to sunlight, either by selective removal of shrubs and trees or by careful pruning. Coppicing or pollarding may also be considered.
Farm ponds may receive too much manure from sheep and cattle. This source of increased nutrients should be reduced where possible. Pollution from slurry should be prevented. Farm ponds may well be called upon as a supplementary source of water for irrigation in times of drought. Needless to say, large fluctuations in water level should be avoided if possible. Measures should also be taken to prevent ponds from being damaged by traces of fertiliser and pesticides introduced when washing out spraying equipment or through spray drift.
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