As I write this I am in the middle of a one week rental of a backhoe and am digging out a low area full of cattails and standing water. This area has an outflow culvert and receives water whenever the neighboring field is irrigated. In addition there is a year round artisan well flowing into the pond. It presently flows through a pipe to within 50 feet of the low area and then runs across the ground as it choses. It flows at about 20 gallons a minute. The plan is to extend the pipe into what will be the new pond and provide for open water (small amount at least) during the winter. The water is 55 to 60 degrees year round. Also the water table is at about 3 1/2 feet with water flowing through the gravel. After the first day of digging the hole filled up to the surrounding shore level within about 6 hours.

Many questions but a couple at the top of the list: we are digging all the cattails out by the roots with the backhoe. Should I take any other measure or should this allow me a head start on controlling them. I would like a few left just not an overwhelming amount.

Second - since the artisan has some head I could have it exit a pipe above the surface of the water (i.e. sprinkler style) rather than bubble up. Pros or cons?

The digging is about 2/3 complete with lots of finish grading to be completed. It is randomly shaped and is about 1/2 acre. I want to end up with a natural ecosystem and will be stocking some bluegill and bass (local) not sure about crappie. Hearing mixed views for this size pond - your thoughts will be appreciated - I'm in southern Idaho by the way. Thanks in Advance!

This is interesting. I don't recall anybody from Idaho coming on here. What is the environment and where are you? I assume either mountainous or high desert. With an average water temp of 55 to 60, spawning can be interesting for bluegill, bass or crappie.

Check on the water quality as in alkalinity and ph.

Are there any fish in it now? Do any of the neighbors have ponds?

I was in Idaho last year and want to return. It's a beautiful place.

Good morning - you misunderstood me on the water temp part. The 55 to 60 degree water is the artisan. The pond temp will be considerably warmer in the summer. Don't know what it will be yet of course but warmer for sure.

I am outside of Boise a ways and the ground water is moving off of a higher plateau across old river bed into the Boise River.

No fish now and I will check the PH after the digging is done and the water has settled some.

The are a number of ponds around and the ones with fish have blue gill and large mouth for the most part. Some ponds have small mouth as well. The reservoirs have Crappie but I don't know yet if many small ponds have them. Something I am trying to learn.

With a water table of 3 1/2 ft, that should be the constant water level of the pond but that depends on the amount of water coming from the well. I like the idea of aerating the water from the well before it comes to the pond. Natural well water seldom contains oxygen.

Cattails can get pretty invasive. They spread by both seed and root but are controllable by both chemical and manually pulling/digging.

I'm going to leave the fish segment to someone who is more knowledgeable about your area. Hopefully Dave Willis can chime in.

Good evening purple sage. Just an initial fish thought. Largemouth bass are the best predator in that group you mentioned. Don't count on smallmouth bass to be an effective predator on bluegills and crappies. Also, you will get very mixed reviews on the use of crappies in ponds from folks on this forum. My experience has been that if you have a high density of small-sized largemouth bass, they can control reproduction by bluegills and crappies. Let us know your best guess for your habitat. Do you expect clear water, aquatic plants, etc.?

The pond dig itself is now complete. Today we will do some final dressing to the banks and dig in the artisan line. The small pond portion has cleared up except for a reddish tent but the large side is very cloudy from the constant digging. Not sure how long it will take to settle out. The level seems to have settled as well.

Still trying to figure out how to inject air into the artisan line (four inch).

I am fairly settled on the fish now as well. I have now talked with enough pond owners to find that the most successful are stocked with local bluegills and larger mouth (as you've suggested). Works for me so I will stock a week from friday if the water clears enough by then.

Thanks for your responses. Jon

If you're stocking BG/LMB, keep in mind that you have to get the ratios correct. 20 to 30 BG split as close to 50/50 as possible between Males and Females for every LMB stocked.