Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site buying land for pond

I have read that soil needs certain amount of clay, and a large enough watershed or spring (possible regulations), or high underground water table in order to build a pond. My question is, I see farm ponds, say 1/2 ac, all over the North Carolina triad area that don't have any above ground springs, or large watersheds feeding them, they are just excavated ponds and hold water and stay full. So, how important is it to test soil and water table in the same area?

My pond is just an excavated borrow pit like those you described. It does have runoff from the elevated pad that I built my house on. The soil makeup is 60/40 clay/sand and packs really hard. I have never had any issues with it not holding water. My only loss of water is from evaporation.

It doesn't take much grade to provide a watershed, but the more grade you have flowing toward the pond the better. Borrow pits are a dime a dozen down here in lower Louisiana and the terrain is very flat, but I've never seen one go dry.

Whomever you go with on digging it should have some pond experience and will hopefully be able to tell in short order if you've got the right soil makeup.

I have 20 acres in that area. I have a 1 acre pond on my property. It gets fed by a small snow melt creek in spring but that is only around for a short time. There is plenty of clay in the soil in that area as well. I haven't had any issue with losing water.