The Pond Site
I decided to dig the pond in the NE corner of the land. I left a 36' margin between the pond and the 2 adjacent ditches on the perimeter of the land. I think... I hope that will be wide enough to not worry about critters and tree roots causing leaks. I stepped off 400'x150', using my longest stride. I later measured my stride, and it was an inch or 2 more than a yard. Because of the longer stride, the 400' length may be as much as 450', and the width may be as much as 160'. That should make my pond at least 1.5 acres, more or less. Some day I'll measure it accurately with a 100' tape.
I prepared for the digging phase by mowing the grass and weeds as short as possible. It was early March, and the mowing was tough because the ground was pretty muddy. After mowing, I allowed the ground to dry a couple of days, then busted it up with the disk harrow. After another day or 2 of drying, I busted it up once more. I then began to scoop up the fine dirt and build up the levees. The levees started out around 2 feet high, 10' wide, with a margin of 2 feet from the banks of the pond. The finely powdered dirt eventually settled out to about 16" high and 12' wide. It took me 2-3 weeks of long days to finish the levees. I sewed a mixture of bermuda and centipede grass, and the levees now look just great when freshly mowed. The reason for the levees is to prevent the pond from being flooded after heavy rains. I have seen in excess of 6" of floodwater where the pond is located. I can imagine all the bullheads and maybe even carp in that water, not to mention bream of questionable lineage. I must avoid the floodwater co-mingling with the pond at all costs. Among the reasons for locating the pond in the NE corner is the nearby gully. If we ever have a severe dry spell, the gully could be a lifesaver. It only takes 1/2" of rain to make it flow briskly, so it's a valuable water source from which to pump. I think water could be pumped 48 hours straight from a 1/2" rain. That's not a tivial amount when the pond is seriously low. The gully also gives me enough depth to siphon out the pond. It would prove to be very useful in the rainy season.
Next installment: "Digging, Digging, Digging".
