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YOY PS

Luckily I have a few local waters that supply any species I want 4 species of sunfish included.
I just wish I could catch & stock more green sunfish.

Welcome to the forum!

I am leaning towards what Fishingadventure is saying. I think it's a groundwater problem and not pond related. In any case you might need to do two things.

1) Call a professional. in regards to the pond overflow pipe. You could use a battery powered grinder once the water level is lowered 12". Cut a large square out of one side of the overflow pipe. Weld up a framework out of steel angle that has a 3/16" (.187") channel around the inner "U" shape. Have someone form up a curved piece of 10 ga steel (.135" thickness is nominal) that has a curve and will be able slide up and down in that channel. OR, weld up a frame that is straight and use filler pieces to weld that to the curved outside of the overflow pipe. That way the "door" that will slice up and down could be straight.

That way when you want the water level to be to the top of the overflow pipe, all you have to do is re-insert the door in the frame, slide it down so it stops the water from exiting the pond.

2) Dig a french drain around the outside of the house, down to the level of the basement floor. Have that french drain dump into the sump pit and the sump pump will continue to work. Place a battery backup and extra sump pump in the pit, or have the french drain dump into a totally new sump pit.

Do #1 first after the pond is drained. Then when it's dry outside (say July) fill the pond up and see if water comes into the sump pit by mid August. If not, you know it's not the pond that is doing it, it's just the groundwater level around the house.

I have a french drain around the basement and drain tile under the basement floor that dumps into a sump pit. Right now with the wetter spring, the sump pump is running every 4 minutes to empty the pit. When it's drier out, it never runs.

Not worried for the following reasons:
1. blue heron come by almost daily
2. LM bass and crappie prey on smaller fish - sunnies and perch in particular. Both species have grown nicely in the last 5 years.
3. The pond is 8' deep at one end and averages 6-7' with bottom vegetation and pads. More than enough O2 along with the usual suspended algae production.

Sunfish that feed on bread (near 20 at a time), range in size from 2" - 6" and the large ones attack lures which I prevent hook-ups by bending the jig's hook point close to the soft plastic body. They're like pets along with the 12" crappie that have been slamming lures since Feb.

I think nature has a way of culling to prevent overpopulation. In fact, I still need to add some yellow perch and pumpkinseed sunnies - the former bass like to eat / the latter because they are one of the most beautiful freshwater fish.

I'm not an expert in this matter, but serious doubt that the pond 75' away is flooding basement. My thought , may be worthless , is that water table rises , causing pond to rise , water table rises, causing wetness in basement . If pond water migrated 75' from the pond , the pond couldn't fill , Clay lining would be worthless . my $.02 , just my logic , waiting for an expert . I've dealt with a flooded basement , If you have a home alarm, a water sensor can be placed in your sump , having your Central Station notify on high water . Installed them for 39 years , work well. Welcome to PB , truly hope you get it under control.

I like your idea of potentially cutting a hole or area out of a side of the stand-pipe vs. just taking the whole circumference down by 10".

I would think that would be easier to shore back up if you find the pond level unrelated to water in your basement.

Let's see what others have to say.

Hi Sunil,

Thanks. The pond has a fairly steep slope so the area loss will not be too great. I would prefer it as large as possible, of course....but I am hoping my proposed course of action balances success with acceptable cost and landscape effect.

Welcome to Pond Boss!!

That's an interesting situation you've got going on.

Do you have a sense of how much reduction in surface area of the pond will be lost if you take 10" off the stand-pipe? Will it become 3/4 acre for example?

Let's see what others have to offer.

Total newbie here with a question. I have about one acre pond in front of my house created by a driveway damn with a outflow stand pipe of culvert steel in an "L" shape and about 24 inches in diameter. I had the pond built about 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, when the water level rises every Spring to the top of the outflow pipe, I note that my basement drain backflows water into the basement. I suspect the water level of the pond is about 8 inches above my basement floor (The pond and basement are about 75 feet away from each other). It is discouraging but not too much of a hassle when I am home to keep an eye on the sump pump functioning. I also placed a standpipe in the basement drain which helps somewhat but I still get leaks wetting the basement floor. The problem is my wife and I are considering snow birding out of town for the Winters and the thought of an unmonitored, flooded basement gives me concern.

My first pass plan is to cut the top 10 inches off the culvert, thus lowering the max pond level by 10inches and hopefully favorably changing the water table around my house. I have a few questions:

1) Is there a better method I should consider?

2) If I cut the pipe and discover the basement flooding is not caused by the culver, Is there someway for me to apply a water tight sleeve or other method to return to the previous pond level?

3) Could I consider just making a 10 inch x 10 inch square notch in the pipe top instead of cutting the whole thing off....a notch which could perhaps be re-damned if preferred?

4) How do I cut thick culvert piping?.....blowtorch?, Sawzall with the appropriate blade?, should I file down the sharp edges? ..........Call a professional?

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

Mike

April showers, bring May flowers ... DD1 road trips to his ponds!

Hope some prolonged gentle rains are heading your way this spring.

Clearly the awesome concrete dock is still paying dividends!

Also, very nice to see the high "catchability" of your WE. I don't recall any threads over the last few years where people were catching as many WE as they were catching their YP.

About to make the 70 mile drive to mine. Neighbors weather systems said 2.5 inches rain in the last couple of days. I’m still about 7 ft low over a couple of acres.

Installed a new type of aeration system in my pond today (well, yesterday) as a test. Testing will continue all summer long.

That’s what its all about.