Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site New pond layout

Hi, I'm new here and I have plans on building a 1/2 to 3/4 acre pond.

I am looking into buying 2.5 acres in a brand new subdivision in southeast Texas. The owners want me to provide them with a rough sketch of what the pond and house will look like on the property.

I cannot draw and have been searching everywhere do get this done right but cannot find anything to help me.

Do any of you know where I can find any help on this. Btw I can provide a plat survey of the land.

Thanks

Welcome to Pond Boss. You might have problems with runoff area. You can't count on neighbors use of their land.

Well if this makes any difference the land is on a cul de sac. One side of the pond will be up against unused farmland, that is landlocked.

By runoff do you mean if the pond overflows?

Hello Cdal and welcome to Pond Boss. Hold on for an answer, there is a program that is supposed to be fairly simple to use to help you out but I can't find it.

Anyone?

I'm not positive about whether by "runoff" DD is referring to water flowing into your pond (I think that is what he is talking about, but when Dave starts talking Texan nobody but the Texans really know what he's talking about) but that's besides the point. The point is you need to be concerned about two types of water movement. Water flowing into your pond, and excess water flowing out of your pond. Both will have a significant impact on your pond. If the water flowing into your pond is contaminated with fertilizer or cow chips or nuclear waste or something something like that it can have a significant impact on your pond. (Excess nutrients from fertilizer can cause excess algae blooms).

I highly recommend that you down load and read this publication.
USDA Agriculture Handbook # 590 "Ponds - Planning, Design, Construction"

It is a wealth of information. Also order and read Bob Lusk's book "Perfect Pond, Want One?", another must have pond builders guide!

Hang on for some better answers and a Texas to English translation.

If you want to spend a bit of time learning some software to do drawings, you could try this:

http://www.cad-schroer.com/index.php?&ziel=Products-MEDUSA-M4Personal&land=com&scr=1.3

It is free for personal use, and not that difficult to learn.

J.

By runoff area, I mean the source of water coming into the pond. You can never be assured of land useage on adjoining properties. If they change, your water accessability could be affected. Also, see other threads here regarding chemicals used on adjoining lands.

Thanks for all the quick replies.

Davedavidson1,
The source of my water will be coming from rain or a pump from water at my house.

I am in the process of creating a layout using smart draw trial version.

Once I get this ok'd I will start looking into locating a professional pond builder.
Btw I have searched the net for a local one but couldn't find anyone. Is there another way of locating someone for this.

Thanks

You might look here:
Pond builders

If I was close enough to Otto, I'd call him.

Dave has you moving in the right direction. Corral the fundamentals first. This includes water needs. Calculate the surface area of the pond, calculate the average loss from evaporation (likely significant in TX), and derive how much water you will need just to keep up with evaporation. This will be an eye-opener. The next step is more difficult; calculating your watershed inflow. This can be a brain teaser, based on how much acreage flows to the pond, the soil types and vegetation, and the average precipitation for your region. You mention water well supplement. When you figger the evaporation figure and match it up to your water well output, you could very well be on the losing end with both water supply AND the electric bill.
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(edit); I just read my own post and it comes off negative. My bad...but....it's the troof. Given some decent runoff parameters, you can be in great shape for a nice 1/2 - 3/4 ac pond.

Well I just got word from the owners of the subdivision that they accepted my drawing for the pond.

Thanks for all the help I received on this. I can't wait to start designing this project. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions. Thanks again.

Sorry that I haven't been back. Visiting small Grandkids have kept me away from the computer.

From Lusk's book Perfect Pond...Want One? Chapter 2 on planning a pond.

An inch of water covering an acre is 27,000 gallons. Calculate the amount of water(volume) needed for that 1/2 acre and that is dependent on just how deep you want it to be. Consider evaporation and water soaking into the soil. If you are counting on land contiguous to yours from runoff, remember that someone elses land use might change everything. Just how much water do you really have available?

Call the Pond Boss office and buy the book. It will be a pretty trivial expense.

I'll say. You can get all of Lusk's pond books for less than what most of us have to pay to just to get one piece of earthmoving equipment hauled in to the pond site, before it runs hour 1.

Wow! You all, or is it youse guys, pick on Dave. Then, Brettski tells us to "figger the evaporation figure..."
Careful or us Texans might cum up thar 'n beat y'all with a minner!