PHOTO PROVIDED Some of Natural Waterscapes’ work, as seen on the company’s social media.

Sitting near lakes, ponds and other waterways can serve as a source of rest and relaxation for many, but maintaining them can be quite the chore.

Those looking for solutions to any problems that might pop up need look no further than Natural Waterscapes, 960 Route 15, South Williamsport.

Natural Waterscapes was founded by Jon Klotz, who holds a masters degree in hydrology, in 2007, after spending more than ten years doing environmental restoration work.

“I just decided it was time for a change to focus a little less on public sector work and more private sector work,” he said.

Initially a building firm focused on small ponds and water features, the business evolved large pond and lake design and construction around throughout the country, and in 2012, began selling pond management products at retail, while dipping their toes into the e-commerce realm.

In 2018, Natural Waterscapes transitioned away from design and construction to focus on their product offerings.

“Our e-commerce and product side of the business has grown substantially since then. We ship products into all 50 states, and in 2023, we opened a second distribution center in Richardson, Texas,” Klotz said.

Their products are available via a print catalog, directly through their website, as well as major online retailers such as Amazon.

The products offered by Natural Waterscapes include pond dyes to color the pond water and limit weed growth and much more.

“We sell a line of natural products that use beneficial bacteria and enzymes to help balance the pond water and prevent excess algae blooms. We sell some chemical algaecides and aquatic herbicides as well,” Klotz said.

“Some of our big sellers are aeration systems to improve the oxygen content of the water for a healthy environment for fish and other aquatic organisms and two different bottom ceiling products for both new construction or situations where someone may have a leaking pond or lake,” he said.

Natural Waterscapes offers their services to residential, commercial and even government customers.

Along with their large selection of products, Natural Waterscapes offers aquatic management services, locally.

“We have an aquatic management specialist who goes out to ponds and lakes, assesses their health and then puts together a treatment plan,” Klotz explained.

That specialist will then visit and treat the area on a bi-weekly basis throughout the growing season.

Other services include water testing through their in-house laboratory, identification of algae species and aquatic weeds.

That service can also help to identify cyanobacteria, an organism that can create toxins in the water.

Once identified, Natural Waterscapes can help create a treatment plan aimed at clearing up any of those issues.

But, profit is not the only concern for the business, said Klotz, noting their commitment to serving the community.

“We work with a number of local nonprofits and organizations around the country,” he said.

“We work with North Central Sight Services through kind of a unique relationship, where we use their vision impaired employees to fulfill some of our product and manufacturing needs,” Klotz explained.

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Debby, Natural Waterscapes, Natural Waterscapes Vice-President Heather Newhart, helped create a group called compassion campers, which the company helped to send around 50 fully-stocked campers to flood victims in North Carolina, according to Klotz.

“She raised a little bit over half a million dollars in support of that effort, and partnered with a couple other local businesses to do that as well,” Klotz said.

“To support their staff’s involvement in the community, every full-time employee is awarded 24 hours of volunteer time off annually to use in support of organizations of their choice,” a Natural Waterscapes video provided by Klotz said.

“This past year, their team contributed over 560 volunteer hours to a variety of organizations, the video said.

With such a community-minded focus, it comes as no surprise that Klotz cites customer service as their strongest selling point.

“We’re hyper focused on customer service, and we’re a company, unlike most e-commerce companies, where you can pick up the phone and talk to an expert,” he said.

“We really provide that hands-on level of guidance and expertise, and we focus on using natural products as much as possible to balance and care for the water bodies we service,” he Klotz said.

“If you go on our website and look at our reviews, that’s where most of our five star reviews come from,” he said.

“We’re very proud of that, and we’re easy to get a hold of,” Klotz said.

They can call us, chat through our website, text us, email us, or they can connect through Facebook and Instagram,” he said.

Those interested in any of the products or services can check them out at www.shop.naturalwaterscapes.com, contact them at 877-493-7660 or reach out on any of their social media platforms.