I just finished my third pond at 1/2 acre (first one that I built myself). I do not like doing the work but its tough to find a knowledgeable pond digger in my area and it seems that some operators simply cannot understand the concepts involved in pond construction. The fellow who built my first pond was excellent, but he retired. My second pond took 4 different contractors to finish and it went way over budget. In addition the dam is a cliff even after hiring another contractor to fix it as best it could be.