Clearwater Services

Customised solutions to meet your needs

Lake management isn't an exact science because you're dealing with mother nature. You can get a lot of information from books or over the internet but lake management is more than that, it's a mix of both art and science. To manage lakes effectively you need to think about your immediate situation and the effects your decsion making will have in future years.

A good consultant will find out your goals, look at your circumstances, ask questions, give thought, raise issues and awareness and provide a range of recommendations to assist you in your choice of action. We can help you in the following ways;

Consultancy

Clearwater Lakes and Ponds provides a range of consultancy services including: * preliminary on-site inspection and advice * basic site inspection, testing and brief report * thorough on-site inspection, testing and in depth report Our consultancy services can be tailored to suit your needs. We use current scientific methodologies and equipment but our reports are user friendly without scientific jargon. Our services are targeted towards customers that require sound advice in an easy to understand format. If you’re after a full blown scientific environmental impact assessment or report then we’re probably not for you.

Diagnostic Water Testing

Our water testing services use the latest equipment to test a number of factors that contribute to overall water quality. We can arrange for single tests or ongoing monitoring to determine changes over time. Our reports compare your results against standards or norms relevant to your water use and provide suggestions of required actions should any results be out of range. If you prefer to test your water yourself then we can provide equipment and training to do so or if you want highly accurate results then we can arrange testing in a laboratory.

Recreational fishing lakes

People have been stocking farm dams with fish for years but purpose built private fishing lakes are relatively new to Australia. Creating a recreational fishing lake isn't as simple as digging a hole, filling it with water, stocking it with fish and catching them. Fish need habitat and with the right advice you can turn your lake from an aquatic desert into an environment where fish will thrive and give you many years of enjoyment. If you're building a new lake then you may only get one shot at it. Putting the right structure in the right place and providing good cover for both target and forage species could make the difference between a successful fishery or catching stunted fish from a barren environment. If your pond is already built then there are still things you can do to improve your fishery, it's just a case of getting the right advice. We have an international network of consultants and suppliers and keep up to date with the most current methods and practices used to manage private fishing lakes and adjust these techniques to suit our enviromental conditions and fish species. Private fishing lakes are fun to build, fun to manage and fun to fish, and we're proud to be one of the pioneers developing this industry in Australia.

Swimming ponds

Natural swimming ponds have the advantage of looking good all year round and offer chlorine free swimming. Whether you're building your own and need some help with design or supply of component products or would like a custom designed, engineered and installed masterpiece, we can help. Natural swimming ponds can be designed and built to create traditional swimming pool shapes and sizes or be converted farm dams. Swim ponds are cleansed using beneficial bacteria and aquatic plants in the same way as biological filters keep fish ponds clean and healthy. Before committing to a natural swimming pond you should understand the differences between them and traditional pools and be aware of both the benefits and challenges you will face. When you research swim ponds you'll see there are different systems available and you may find it useful to seek some impartial professional advice to help reach the desision that's right for you.

Water treatment

We’re always happy to discuss the pros and cons of any water treatment you’re considering. If your lake or pond requires application of algaecides, herbicides, biological products or treatments to adjust water chemistry we can help with supply of product and equipment, contract labour or referral to specialist companies. We don't just recommend products, we work with you to better understand your individual circumstances then provide a range of available options and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each. Once you've made your choice we'll help you understand how to use a product safely and effectively to minimise any negative effects. Selecting and applying water treatments impacts your beloved environment and it's something we take seriously.

Install / Maintain

Our preference is to train our customers to install and maintain their equipment themselves but if you need assistance with installation and maintenance then we have a network of companies throughout Australia capable of installing and maintaining your equipment. Whether it's lining a dam, installing an aerator or putting a pump in a garden pond we've got the contacts to help. Fountains, aerators, pumps and other machinery used in lakes or ponds all need regular maintenance. The better you service your equipment the longer it will last and the greater value you will receive. Water treatment application could be an ongoing part of your lake management and we can provide schedules or plans to make sure you stay on track. Managing a lake or pond is similar to managing a lawn, maintain it regularly and it will be easy and quick to do but leave it for a while and it will be hard work, costly and time consuming. We can help keep you on track so your lake or pond is low maintenance and easy to manage.

Education /Training

Our goal is to educate our customers to become better stewards of their aquatic environments. We provide training and ongoing support to all customers making sure we’re more than just a product supplier. Our training and education services can be tailored so suit your needs so if you need someone to train your maintenance staff on the basics of pond management or need a speaker for a trade show or conference then give us a call.

Aquatic Weed Control

Before spending time, money and effort trying to reduce nuisance aquatic plants you need to know what they are and make sure you’re using the right methods to remove them. We can help identify the types of plants you’re trying to control and provide options for their removal. If you're building a new lake or pond then we can offer strategies to minimise risk of aquatic weeds establishing themselves to nuisance levels. Aquatic plants are like any other with their ability to grow limited by nutrients, sunlight and temperature. Some of these factors you can control and some you can't, we can help with those you can. Chemical treatments of aquatic weeds is an effective option but there may be alternatives for you to consider. Nutrient reduction, controlled plantings, biological control or shading are all options for you to explore. We'll consider your individual circumstances before making any recommendations and give you a range of options to choose from.