Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Long story of my pond dream...

OK, this long-winded, but I thought I’d share my experiences as they’ve gone. It’ll help me remember all this and all of you might find it interesting (I hope) or useful in the future.

Bought the house and 50 acres in late ’97. Beautiful pasture, nice stream flowing through which runs about 10-11 months of the year. It’s actually a named stream, which in Iowa means there are lots of regulations involved with any changes to it. In addition to this main drainage area, there are several smaller “ditches” off to the sides which all empty there.

I began planting trees and shrubs and food plots spring of 1998, and contacted local county folks to inquire about the availability of money to build a pond which had been my dream since I was about 12 years old. There was money available, and if I had time I was to visit them sometime and fill out applications. 2 days later, I started a process which has taken 5 years, but just now may come to fruition.

After going through REAP, CRP, SWCD, DCS and many other (I’ve forgotten all the acronyms) and several other programs, summer of ‘02 was to be THE YEAR! There was lots of money (who knows where from) floating around Iowa to give out for projects just such as mine. More paperwork and trips to the Louisa County Soil and Water Conservation District offices and we were all set to collect these funds and build PONDS. The gal in charge of the whole thing (Chris) made several trips to my home, and with a surveyor in tow, laid out 3 locations, all prime, for separate structures. After all, she said there was lots of cash and if she didn’t spend it some other county would. Might as well apply for funds for all 3 at once, and I had 5 years to get all of them built before the money went away…

(BTW, the main stream was just TOO big to consider damming up as it drains nearly 500 acres and would require a major “Corps of Engineer” type structure to control it. So the 3 sites were separate from this.)

Unfortunately, she must have told this to all the people she worked with, because over 100 applications were received and there was only real cash to fund about 5 of them….none of which were on my property. Erosion is not an issue (straight pasture, with great brome grass stand) and as it’s not currently in production, I got no points for that either. Another year down the tubes.

In February of this year, Chris called and described an interest free loan (10 year deal) which, while old and seldom used, was still in effect, and almost guaranteed. I laughingly agreed to apply. She sheepishly admitted that this time she didn’t want to get my hopes up after the last 5 years of efforts. No guarantees, but file the paperwork and we should know by May 1.

Well………I started calling in May, but no word had been received from the state. Called all summer with the same results. I’d given up hope, when a letter arrived September 4 which said I’d been granted about $7000 in loan funds to do what I wanted with. WOW…excited, I started calling pond builders to get bids on Saturday and had the first one show up on Sunday. I wasn’t familiar with the program, and neither was he, but he’d contact Chris to get the skinny as well as blueprints.

Next, I contacted bankers who, if they participated, would just render an opinion on my financial worthiness and take money from county to pay dozer operator up front. They’d then cut a check from my account once a year for 1/10th of the principal and forward back to the state. This was the tough part for these people, as they couldn’t grasp the principal that they had to loan NO MONEY, just do the lien (which a separately reimbursed expense) and render their opinion. They’d get paid $200 for this…but I got turned down by 2 banks before my mortgage lender finally figured it out and agreed to handle it. For finance people, they sure can be thick sometimes.

Chris said she couldn’t do the official survey til 9/17, but, lo and behold, they were there yesterday when I got home and will try to get the drawings out by mid week, next. Then, official bidding starts. The surveyor figures it’ll be close, but the 7 grand should cover it, and I can fork over up to $1000 (thanks to my wife) if necessary to finish things out.

One final problem is that it’s been so dry here this summer that it may actually be TOO dry to build. I guess you can’t pack dust and the dam would settle terribly if they went ahead and did it anyway. So…I may have to wait until it starts to rain before we can get started. Just hope it doesn’t turn into one of those 40 days/nights kind of falls that so often follow drought summers around here. I always worried that the good word would come in spring and we’d have a wet summer and have to wait til fall or winter to actually work on it. Guess that wasn’t an issue.

Oh well, the project is getting started, and I’ll wait on the “experts” to see when the first shovel gets moved. I’ll try to get some pictures and post them if anyone’s interested. Hope I haven’t bored any of you too much, but I’m so dang excited about this, the wife says I act like it’s my birthday every day…

Matt Clark

Good luck with your project. I have a 1/3 acre pond in the front yard of my 3 acre property but am going to sign the paperwork today to buy an adjacent 10 acres to mine that has a nice low spot about 2-3 acres with a wet weather creek. Humm maybe momma won't see Danny and the backhoe out there next year!

Bob

Government assistance in pond building has been discussed here before, and we have checked into it ourselves for our land. The general consenus is that if you can afford to do it without Uncle Sam. Leave him out of it. Seems that when he wants to pay, he wants to control.

In the programs that we have checked into, we would have to deal with lots of regulations, red tape, inspections... It is better to do it yourself and then you can do it the way you want to. Don't know if that is a possibility, but if you can do it without the government. Dont even consider them.

Actually, in my case, it turns out that the gov't may be more help than harm. For no cost to me, I get a couple of engineers on the place for many hours, many good suggestions as to changes or layouts and an engineered dam with blueprints for any decent dozer operator to follow.

It's been pretty long and drawn out but I figure it's probably worth it. They're good people with lots of experience and knowledge. One of my dozer guys says that the folks at the NRCS office here in Louisa county are the best in all of S.E. Iowa and he's worked in about a dozen counties.

Matt: Sounds like you're going to have a great little lake. Jeff

They finally got started mid week, last. Some equipment issues slowed them down a bit, but owner worked Sat & Sun, and the pond's really starting to take shape.

Talk about a dream come true, and to top it off, he used the D8 himself, and told me to "jump on that 7, and move some dirt around. It's yer place and what can you hurt..." That was a real blast (actually pretty scary) but over an hour, I dug out a little hole about 60 feet across below the pond, to hopefully hold a little water and attract some more ducks. I plan on keeping bait (bullheads, crawdads and chubs) down there for river fishing. Putting a hydrant in below the dam to keep water in it if necessary.

Now I've also got about 100 yards of the blackest, richest dirt you can find stockpiled to use some other time.

It was a little frustrating at first, but now that it's going, I'm excited. I've taken about 24 hours vacation on 5 days just to watch and run gopher for the operators...livin' the dream...

Matt. Congatulations!!!!!!

How big will it be?

Well...this is a little different than most projects run by the NRCS office. Normally, they come out and survey, and decide on dam placement and then calculate acreage based on that. You get bids on the project and it's all pretty much locked in. However, in my case, the county laid out the original dam, and said "Here's all the cash we have left. Go build whatever you can with that."

So...the contractor did his own survey work and determined he could move the dam about 60 some feet farther out and keep the same elevation and steal his clay from the north bank and the top of the knob (makes for a much better view as well as a large flat area overlooking the water). Don't know exactly how big now, but probably closer to 1.5 - 1.6 acres. About half again as big as original plan. Only about 15 acres of drainage, though, so it may be a while to fill, which gives me more time to place structure and build my dock...

Hey Matt, you might want to look at my website and how I built my dock using reinforced 4 inch pvc pipe, it is only 16 ft long but is sturdy as a rock and will never rot. Might give you an idea.

PS - Make sure you get it high enough above where you figure the water table to end up. I had to add some couplings and 9 inches of PVC to keep to wood out of the water this summer!

Bob

Hang in there....It will be worth the wait. Our wait was not due to Uncle Sam but constant wet weather on the east coast over the past year and a half. We started our project in August of 2002 and it is now mostly complete. The fall colors are amazing and the wild life loves the new water hole. Here are the photos from this past weekend: http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?sh...ide%3Dtrue&Ux=0

Nice pictures, Tuzz. Bob, what is the address of your website. The dock's got me interested.

Getting a little perturbed (gotta maintain my perspective, though). Slow going, with the lack of machinery right now. Bob keeps pushing dirt til dark every night, but I can't help feeling he'd be way ahead to just take a few days and get his tractor trailer fixed and get the scraper moved down here.

He's supposed to be moving the tiling machine in today to do the overflow and the water hydrant. Worst part is I've gotta be in Texas all next week, so if he doesn't get done by Sunday, I won't be around to watch or answer questions. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't start raining (finally) and just keep on raining....

Hey Matt, just click on the little house beside the date time stamp on my post. It will take you there. Nice feature of this BBS. You can also get there by clicking on a persons name and then link from their profile.

Bob

Now, if it'd only rain. I'm not too particular, maybe 10-12", spaced evenly over 10 days time, with no thunder showers at all. Am I asking too much?

Seriously, the pond's done, and I should have just cooled my jets and let the man work. In the end, I got about twice the pond I'd contracted for, with a great beach, an island and tons of structure, both natural and manmade.

Got maybe 5-6 feet of water out of a total of 16-17. Volume-wise, though, it's maybe 5% full. Only wish he would have gotten done a few weeks earlier so the grasses I've planted might have had time to sprout.

Used prairie grasses and wild flowers on about 75% of the disturbed soil, including the island. The rest is just garden variety lawn grass seed. It'll look pretty cool next year, but I just hope we don't get too many toad-choaking rains this coming spring (man I'm really looking out there, huh?) to avoid serious erosion. I can fix whatever comes, though.

Matt sounds like a nice pond. Do you have any pictures of it?

Matt,
Write a diary of your adventure. Your story will read well for those seeking to build a pond. You have jumped through many different hoops, and your experiences can benefit many.
It would make excellent reading in Pond Boss.

Matt, I'm really glad for you, have finally reached some of your major goals with the pond. the snow from winter will fill her up by spring time, the grass will root in over winter. through your adventures,I'm sure you figured out why some people have to work for the goverment, sounds like you have been very persistent in your dreams becoming reality , thats what it takes today. wait till ya hook that first fish , it's worth it.

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, but the danged thing is built, or dug or whatever and man is it gorgeous. Close to 1/7 acres, triangle shaped, sloping from maybe 4 feet at the shallow end to about 17' at the dam. I've kept track of all the stuff that happened, and it was actually a lot of fun...stressful, but fun.

Bob (dozer guy) built a heckuva nice beach, an island and lots of structure utilizing the 2 concrete slabs that needed removed.

For all you handy guys, keep this in mind. I got hold of several sections of "warehouse" type shelving, infinitely adjustable in height that span about 13 feet and stand equally as high. This kind goes together like an erector set and uses 2x4's for actual shelves. I am building a 35 foot long bridge over the finger nearest the house. The main "pillars" are concreted in now so the as the water comes up I can finish it at my own pace.

Oughta be pretty interesting and allow a few older friends of mine to get out and fish some of the best structure.

I've got a few pictures (not digital, so I'll have to transfer them soon) and will take some more once the other guy gets back with my digital camera. Can I actually post those here, or do I need to do something else to show them to you???

I tend to ramble, so just tell me to shut up...once I post this that is.

Matt Clark

Hey Matt.... We know how you feel. Congratulations! I still love to just go down and take a look at our pond. I think I have as many photos of it as my kids. Just need to wait for Spring and I'll have all 4 seasons photos. Enjoy it. We skated and Cross Country skied on ours last weekend. I'm looking foward to see how the fish did over the winter and hope to start doing some catch and release fishing in the spring.

Tuzz, I can sit and just look at that hole and dream for hours. Wife gets to rollin' her eyes whenever I bring up something about the pond, now. (Heh, heh, she just lets me ramble.) Built a bridge, and adding all kinds of structure...man I can always find things to do out there. Luckily, it's only about 100 yds from the house. Just wish it would warm up...

Well...it's been pretty dry this spring so far. Little runoff, but it's filling nicely, all 1.5 acres of it.

I'm going to try posting a picture to see if it's possible. If I can do it, I'll post some pictures of the pond tomorrow.

[img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3A5878323232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E232353276%3C468ot1lsi[/img]

Wow...looks like it works, so I'll try to get some pics of the pond tomorrow. Ain't the web neat??

Give us some photos of the bridge and structure as well. I'm looking for ideas for both and a dock.

Also want to do a beach too so take some photos of that as well.

It's getting nice and warm here now.

Tuzz:

Might be a day or so, and I've only got 2 of the 3 "pillars" set for the bridge, but those are the ones that will submerge first, so that was important. I've not started the dock, yet, and the water's not that high either, but I've been busy planting 600 trees and all my food plots, so the pond's kind of taken a back seat since I'm not stocking till fall...drat, forgot about the shellcrackers on this Thursday. Better get the tank ready some evening...

I've finally gotten all the "pillars" in place and the horizontal members in installed (even painted the danged thing). Still have to install the decking (steel rock screen from the local quarry) and I'll paint that once in place. We only got half of the screens cut Sunday before we ran out of oxygen. I'll try to get photos today or tomorrow and post some.

Still need 5'3" of water to completely fill the pond, and we won't get that til this fall or even next spring, maybe. Oh well, patience... :p

Matt , you having a serious drought out there?

Well, Ken, no drought here. It's just that it's been (actually) a pretty dang good season if you're a farmer. Rain's been coming regular, about an inch a week, maybe spread into two 1/2" events.

Unfortunately for me, having built a new pond last November, I've been wanting to see some ground pounders in order to get some decent runoff. With only 11 or 12 acres of drainage and a pond of 1.75 acres or so, it takes a decent rain for that to happen.
The island is still a peninsula, and the beach has some weeds growing on it and my bridge is about 7 feet above the water. (It ain't sposed to be HIGH!).

I guess I'm just a little impatient. It'll fill, as my old buddy says, but I just have to wait any longer...and patience is not my strong suit. :rolleyes: