Thnks. Kind of you to take the time to help a guy out. World of info since i stumbled onto this site. As for temps: Pond will run east-west, with south side a really steep wooded shade for most of day. A cool evening breeze always stirs down the hillsides at dusk, even in summer. So I expect water temps to be moderate in summer, but on the warm side nonetheless. Too warm for trout probably. I would like to have LMB but would be great if I could hold some small mouth too. If possible would like to have bluegill to fish with the kids.
Spillway may be an issue. THe builder is planning on 100 yr flood planning, due to size. Runoff is substantial in multi-day major rain. One side of the pond has a steep pasture in fescue, so we have built a large drainage ditch sloping along the side of the hill to slow it down and direct it better. But nothing I can do about the wooded terrain. I have tried to walk all the watershed hillsides to look at the runoff ditches. Some of them are 2-3' deep. But they are mostly a long distance behind the actual pond itself. It seems like the mountains fill up with water and then it starts flowing out of the springs below. I have a few springs right in the bottom of the pond, one on the bank of the pond, and one at the back entrance that forms a small brook flowing into the pond itself. This brook stops flowing in the dry season.
As for landscaping, I could use any suggestions. The water level will come to the treeline on one side of the pond, but it will be somewhat below it on the other side. Erosion control may be an issue there. It is the bank facing the south, so mostly in the sun. Looking at the results so far from the construction, the banks under the waterline are mostly clay and packing down really hard after it dries up. But I am worried about erosion from spring rains along the shoreline before i can get it under control.
I will post some pictures with my next message to give some idea about it so that anyone can make recommedations before I screw it up.
Tom
