Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Is my goldfish/shinner pond too close!

Hey everyone, great and very informative web forum, I've been reading through this site for literally hours. I'm getting the mag on my next paycheck, this is too good.

My problem is you can call it that is that we have 2 ponds a 1/2 acre about 300 feet from my septic tank which isn't a issue, and our 50x50 rectangular shinner/goldfish/crawfish/grasshrimp, raising pond. Now the raising pond has been there for 4 years but believe it or not the problem of it having a chance to be too close to our septic has just dawned on me, really because, it's causing no problems at all. But to make it quick it's about 30 feet from the septic. I know different states different rules/laws but this is just a small hole that has been tested by a freind who knows about water resources and i myself am going through school to become a marine biologist and wildlife management conservation. so we know the pond couldn't cause problems to the septic. The water is prefect no problems. But what do you guys think? I know a good bit about small pond management can't wait to share, but i'll delve into that later.

Several variables to be considered here.

A. . Where does the water come from to keep the small pond filled? Is there an outlet or overflow for the small pond and where does it go?.

1. Where is the septic leach field from the septic tank and where is it in relation to the smaller pond? Maybe you do not have a leach field?

2. Septic tanks are not supposed to leak or drain except for the outlet tile from the tank. Outlet tile either goes to a drainage tile then to a ditch or creek, or a leach field; hopefully a leach field.

3. Likelyhood of water moving from septic tank outlet or leach field to the small pond is based on porosity of the soil. Sand or loose non-clay soils are more porus and then septic seepage is more likely to move into the small pond. Septic discharge moving through the soil to the small pond will get some natural degradation and processing depending on the distance the septic water travels through the soil to get to the sm pond; if it even goes in that direction.

4. If you do not drink or swim in the water from the small pond then I would not be too overly concerned. Natural bacterial action combined with algal and plant processes will "to a degree" naturally purify some mild or minor septic inputs. Mammal, bird and fish manure is processed by all ponds. There again degree of processing/purification is dependant on it depends on the amount of septic water entering the pond and amount of bacterial & plant biomass and their activity within the small pond.

PS - Are you studying marine biology or limnology? Hopefully you know that there is a big difference between the two.

Thanks for the reply! I just got into the study of conservation and wildlife/fisheries management. I wanna get into that feild because my passion for it is strong. I guess biology fits in their with ay type of fish conservation. somewhere but I'm not gonna be a biologist. Right now i'm starting at point which is the ecosystem,sphere,population control,and fixations and such, ALOT.. It's hard but it's worth it, i can see this site is gonna be a lot of help for a young buck like me. I'm always digging smalls ponds just to test different situatons out, thats just me.

Okay now to raising pond. I do have a ditch way with a 30 foot pipe that drains in to the feild for that purpose, it's opposite of the pond. I also have a draing area between the pond and septic just to be safe, where as if the tank got overflowed in a hurricane or heavy rain cold front all water would drain away from our ponds house 400 yards down. I'm good on that.

The watershed area is about 10 acres, see i built a heavy duty pvc 8 inch pipe drain with a stone like water fall deal that keeps the pond filled which is 200 foot from the deck of my pond. I made sure there could be no way or contamination. And plus like I said i'm into all that stuff, so sometimes i tend to do more than I should.

Also I dont know what this means, but our entire 20 acres is like spring heaven 4 springs feed the 50X50 pond and like 15 little springs keep my 1/2 acre filled. I wanna make my 1/2 acre a 2 or 3 one day but i dont know if i can cause you can see like creeks coming out the ground everywhere.

My soil is a combination of about 60 % clay 30% soil 10% sand. I dig down there is about 2 foot of very fertile black smooth topsoil, then i got a thick gummy clay, which if I dig too deep i hit the sand and springs.

Thanks again. Look forward to your reply

Springs feeding both ponds should keep water moving out of the pond rather than water seeping from the septic tank into the pond. Doubtful if any septic enters the small pond.