Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? deep pond aeration

I am planning pond for next spring. 2 acre in steep ravine, will require 30-40 ft. high dam 150ft long. Pond is deep, 50% is 25ft deep. Do I need to worry about aeration. I typically avg 3-8 mph winds during daytime. S central Il in natural glacier gouged ravine. Any info for deep pond appreciated. Reading forum for over a year. When I see deep pond mentioned they are usually 15 ft. avg. I don't consider that deep. BTW no help from WSC dept., Polite but don't get involved unless stressed animals or over 5 acres.
Thank you, 1st post

If the pond thermally stratifies, the hypolimnion almost always develops anoxia especially after the 2nd or 3rd year due to increased productivity which means no oxygen below the thermocline. Aeration then determines if you want the deep zone oxygenated. Oxygenation from circulation of the hypolimnion (destratification) is almost always beneficial to overall long term water quality unless special goals are desired.

The only way you will get oxygenation below the thermocline is for the water to be clear (visibility 10+ft).

Ty, very clear explanation. I wll build and stock and evaluate.

Check with your counties NRCS office. They can offer advice on building the pond too. (site survey, watershed calcs, primary and emergency overflow sizes, etc.)

Just my opinion and I may be wrong. If ya have a 25' deep pond and it stratifies at 12' it seems that you aren't gonna have anything living in the bottom 13'. That is losing better than half the pond for fish to live in thus only being able to have half or less fish.
If I'm wrong I hope someone will explain.

Here is some food for thought if damming up a steep ravine...A dam over 25 feet tall will require an engineer and permits be filed BEFORE any construction starts.

Even if you had an average depth of 10 feet, at 2 acres, that is 20 acre/feet of water, and requires an "Engineered, Permitted, Dam".

Excerpt from IDNR....

Class III Dams
A) The owner of a proposed Class III dam shall obtain an OWR permit prior to the start of construction if the dam meets any of the following criteria:
i) the drainage area of the proposed dam is 6400 acres or more in a rural area or 640 acres or more in an urban area; or
ii) the dam is 25 feet or more in height, provided that the impounding capacity is greater than 15 acre-feet; or
iii) the dam has an impounding capacity of 50 acre-feet or more, provided that the dam height is greater than 6 feet.
B) If a permit is required for the Class III dam under any of these criteria, then the owner must do all construction and maintenance of the dam in accordance with this Part, as it applies to Class III dams.

I did check with them, no help. New policy in IL help if needed for stressed animals or over 5 acres.

I did check dam height with IL soil,water etc, damis classified IV not 3. Only way to lower dam height is to fill in natural ravine with 10 ft of fill. Could be done but then My surface area would increase about 1/2 acre, this may be better option. It would give me some lower slopes for spawning etc.
Thanks.

Understood, but I really want walleye and crappie and yellow perch.
Due to some other advice I may fill in deepest part of ravine another 10 feetdoing so will give about 1/2 acre more surface area.
Thanks

Not sure why you say nothing lives below stratifier level? Most walleye i catch are deep. Crappie, yellow perch usually caught below 12 ft.

You don't need depth for those fish! Many here have yellow perch in ponds much shallower than 25 feet.

I don't think you really want crappie, regardless of depth. Crappie in a small (i.e. less than 50 acres) pond are difficult to control.

Would you consider smallmouth, redear sunfish, and yellow perch with walleye as a bonus fish?

Just because you're fishing below 12 ft doesn't mean you're fishing in the oxygen-depleted hypolimnion (below the thermocline). You'll be fishing in the epilimnion (above the thermocline) or in the metalimnion (the temperature transition zone where fish find their preferred temperature). In deep, clear, big bodies of water, the thermocline will usually be much deeper than in your 2 acre, 25 ft max depth pond.

IDnr, soil,water conservation district said class IV dam due low damage and very low loss of life if dam failed. They told me if dam is 25 ft or more in a situation not being farm pond then permits etc would be required.
I am inclined to fill in ravine 10 ft and keep dam below 25 ft. This is probably the best scenario and one I had not thought of doing. By filling in it will also become part of inside dam slope both are beneficial.
Thanks

Yes to res bg lmb, but i love to eat we, crappie, yellow perch. I,ll net them crappies if needed to control. Heck i ll probably end up netting we and yellow perch to eat. Catching we not always easy. This is a recreation and food pond.

Thanks to all for help. I'll try and post some pics of proposed site.
One thing vitally important to me is good visibility up to 6 ft. Ponds with out spring etc I thought needed aeration to help maintain clear water not murky looking tub. If I cant acheive visibility I'll just drain it and forget it. Clean good visibilty water more important to me than just having a pond.
My goals may be different.

You are certainly welcome to try crappie. Many have tried before. Maybe you'll find he secret!

You may be able to control visibility with a combination of alum/lime and pond dye.

Bocomo, thanks for explaining fish living below 12'. That is exactly what I intended ta say but couldn't spell them big words.

I added better description and site photos in new pond planning. Thanks to all. This is one of the best forums I have been following.

Ha!

In some lakes that are very oligotrophic (very low nutrients), the water can be clear enough for light to penetrate beyond the thermocline in levels that plants can still use. Nate Herman's lake is one of these, he tells me.

The quality and nutrient content of the source water for his pond will primarily determine how clear his water will generally be. clearer Water will be "easier" with steep sides 25 ft deep than at 12 ft deep.

Walleye will have a very hard time controlling crappie. HSB may be needed in the stocking combo. Just what type of net are you planning to use in a 2 ac pond to catch walleye?

You might want to make a visit to the Herman Brothers Goose Lake Ranch in IL for a good education on pond building and management for the species you desire.

Drag net w tractor

I will check out Herman Brothers. T
Thanks