What to do with cattail/pond waste

[HUCKthe1]

I just had my pond cleared a little over a week ago and have piles of cattail remains and I mean piles. It looks like huge mountains of clods and dead cattails. The contractor did a great job of keeping the brush separate so it is just cattail roots, cattails, and dirt.

My question is what can I do to help them decompose quicker so I will be able to use them and the dirt as fill? I need to build up a few low areas before the rainy season starts or will I need to wait a year for them to decompose?

 

[Defective]

If you have any way to chop them up, they'll decompose faster. Then throw some topsoil over them & turn the whole works about once a week. I've had usable fill within a couple of months this way & probably could have used it even quicker. It all depends on where you'll be using the fill. If it's going into yard area, you may be able to let it decompose in the ground.

 

[HUCKthe1]

Another question I have is should I keep it in large mounds or would it be better to spread them thin?