Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Keeping Pond Empty During Construction

Hi,

I'm planning to build my own 3-4 acre pond this year and as I research drain systems I'm thinking that siphon/bottom draw solution makes alot of sense. I know one of the benefits is avoiding drain pipes at the bottom of the dam and I like the idea of this for future maintenance/repair and decreased likelihood of leaks. My question is, since I'll likely be moving dirt for the dam gradually over several months, how do you keep water from backing up in the pond until the dam is complete and siphon system installed? Should I be prepared to use a pump and/or temporary siphon solution along the way?

Maybe there is some clever solution I haven't thought of...or maybe the simple act of starting a pond project will jinx me and keep the rain away. ;-)

There are several ways to do this. One way is to keep an open trench in the creek bottom, depending how big your dam will be. Another way is to build a coffer dam upstream to capture water as you build.
A common way is to put a pipe in the bottom, along the lowest point, through the dam site, hand pack soils tight around it, with anti-seep collars and build the dam, leaving the pipe in place. Then, concrete it at the end, put a valve on it, or whatever you want to do.
If a bottom release pipe is install properly, and made of the right material (PVC, steel, but not corrugated), then it will work.

I was thinking that the pipe through the dam was ill advised but I can see where if properly installed with the right materials it would be unlikely to cause problems. Having the ability drain the pond without the need for priming a siphon system might also be convenient. Thanks for the advice!

What I did was dig a pit for all the water to go into. I pumped out of that when it started to get full. The main water source was diverted to go around the pond until done, then rechanneled. The pit was pumped while I worked there, or when it got full and I didn't want it flooding into the area I was working. Over the winter it filled, so in the spring I pumped it all out and waited till it dried to work again.