I suggest you try some peat separately first. I would fear that peat would color the water indefinitely. The water in the tundra where many forms of peat grow is always brown.

Interesting project! The following is going to introduce you to a new learning curve and company where I know you will receive some hands-on, educated help. Go to http://floridavetiver.com for more information on how to contact them. For your general information Google "Vetiver grass" where you will find a tremendous amount of information on this grass which is used for water purification, erosion control in warm climates around the world. I have used Vetiver grass in a number of situations and know that this company will help you solve your problem.

I was wondering about the peat and coloration issue and I have been looking into coir instead; I just haven't found a source for a significant amount as of yet.

Nandina... Thank you for the link; very interesting plant with an amazing root system! I am contacting the company right away.

The link below is the photo of the test launch of the island; it is about 110 sqft on the surface. I am trying to find coir to load it with and I was a little short on the webbing. I just wanted to get it into the water to make sure there were no bubbles.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi
What you need are floating aquatic plants. There are many many choices but the runaway best for water clarification
is water hyacinth. They float on the water no soil required. They have an astounding growth rate and pull impurites from the water equally as well.
M ajor drawback lol They are an "Invasive weed" in all warm areas of the world. It is illegal to grow them in florida in theory lol.
I use them in my water gardens for mainly clarifying reasons but they also have very beautiful flowers.
They will require constant harvesting but easy just pull them out they can't grow without a water source.
Again there there are many other choices of floating plants but none comes close to WH for this purpose.
gary

Don't know the reason behind it, but in areas of Canada they submerge a small bale of straw in livestock watering ponds. It will help control algae and moss growth for several months.

Water Hyacinth's. Hmmmmmmmmmm I googled it, and may sink a container just to grow the flower, and I wouldn't mind putting a few fish in there for the grandkiddies to watch.

How are they as a cut flower? They look beautiful, and I'm wondering how long they last as a cut flower. In a bouquet with roses, oh my!!

I live in a warm area, so they should thrive! We have clay soil, and a high water table.

I love this thread.

Several projects are established or underway around the world using Vetiver grass to absorb contaminants from water. The link to my blog below will lead you to the report on the progress of the Lake Wister, Oklahoma project. This is the first major use of this technique in the USA. My nursery in Puerto Rico is supplying the plants being used here. Check the blog for more on Vetiver grass and our contact information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quarry Island Cove Demonstration Project , Oklahoma, USA

Water hyacinth will take over everywhere and even plug everything. The Astez indians used floating gardens in what is the area around Mexico City. I wish I could remember now but there is a website where this gentleman have been traveling around the world showing people how to grow where nothing would grow before. In this process he has found many ways to improve and as he said clean water to the drinking point.

Be sure any floating platform you use is free from fire-retardant chemicals. Much of the EVA Foam (anti-fatigue mat) material - possibly those made in China) contain trace amounts of flame retardant. Some places - such as in California - are showing a thinning of Peregrine Falcon eggshells potentially due to the flame retardant in plastics... best use coir or a certified plastic...