Mike, what state are you in? The grass like stuff looks like sedge. It might have grown there when the pond was low at one time. The white foamy stuff looks like pond scum that is dying off. Your lily like plant is Spatterdock, that's why I asked what state that you are in as we have Spatterdock growing in Central Alabama.

I'm actually in south Florida, I figured the Lilly were good for the pond but any suggestions about clearing out the other stuff

If there is carp in there, they may be grass carp and they may eat the pond scum but there are very few things to eat sedge. It is a tough plant. If it is all within a hoe's reach of the edge, I'd say to manually uproot it and throw it away from the pond. Sedge doesn't normally grow under water.

Oh, I knew Spatterdock grew in Florida but was surprised when I saw it growing wild up this far. It is one tough plant and native to Florida. I use to live in NW Marion county in Morriston, Florida.

ok well I think I can get the grass type stuff from the edge, as far as that fluff goes I'll just have to skim it or something? Yea the Lillys look pretty healthy and I like the fact that they grew there on their own.

Some of the grass in the last picture looks like it could be Horse Tail Rush. It has blackish joints along the stems every 4" to 6".

Mike, my suggestion is to contact Aquatic Ecosystems in Apopka. You have great pictures and I'm sure they can tell you how to fix it, they specialize in ponds and lakes.

If it were mine, I would hit it up with a herbicide this spring, then keep up with maintenance after that.

Looks a ground water pond. Which means the water level will fluctuate with the level of the ground water. When the water level was way down, that looks like when the rush started growing. Then the water level came back up and it's submerged now.

Corrie

ok thanks, I'll try that corrie, and I can also control the level once I finish fixing the sprinkler pump since I can pull from the canal to add to the pond if need be.

My first impression since you recently bought the house was that someone cut the grass/weeds around the pond and let the cut stuff fall in, thinking it would just sink. It didn't, it rotted.