The Water Wizard Speaks
Former EPOA board member Lloyd Perino revamped the maintenance and repair of water features in Entrada over the last 18 month, saving member thousands of dollars. We reached out to him to see what the future holds.
The EPOA Board approved the introduction of sterile grass carp to help reduce algae growth. The chosen vendor, Sunfish Fish Farms, delivered the fish to the ponds on 3/30. There are 115 fish swimming in the larger ponds in Kachina Springs North and East-1 to reduce or eliminate the need for expensive algicides. The grass carp process will take time, with results not being expected for 2-6 months.
We anticipated that within the next few months, pots containing water lilies will be installed in a limited number of backyard ponds. This initiative will help deprive the algae of the sunlight it needs to grow.
Unsightly, nonfunctional, weighted air tubes will be removed from the ponds throughout Entrada. Non-functional aerators were removed from the ponds and sold for cash. Also, in Kachina Springs North, work has been done on the nano bubblers. These units have not shown to improve water quality; however, they may help with muck reduction. Currently, a trial is under way with muck busters (bacteria) with and without nanos to see if they offer a benefit.
We also removed nine truckloads of muck from the pond near the “Climbing Man” roundabout.
Recently, a pump vault flooded with mud, causing the destruction of a pump. To prevent this from reoccurring, a wall was constructed to protect the pump vault.
Southwest Pump will rebuild the failed water pumps. Our research indicates that repaired pumps work as efficiently as new ones. Furthermore, rebuilding these units can cut pump expenses in half.
Finally, the Board approved the hiring of summer staff to help maintain the ponds and streams. This new staff would work about four days per week for six months with our contractor, Paramount Diving Company.
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If you are curious why grass carp are sterilized, here is the answer: they breed like...carp. Carp on Viagra.
