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AimeeH Offline OP
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Hi,

Hoping I'm posting in the right place as a new forum member, I'm seeking advice as a relitavely ignorant pond owner.

We had a two acre pond until the floods earlier this month in the Columbia SC area caused our dam to breach in two huge holes at least 10-20ft wide each(dam was approx. 40-50 years old). The entire dam as best I can measure was approximately 350 feet long. We had a drainage pipe close to the dam in the center and an overflow in a corner. We did have trees behind the dam as the entire area behind it is wooded. The water at its deepest looks like it was normally about 7-10 feet deep (to give an idea of the size of the dam).

We are kind of lost as to where to begin to get this rebuilt. I've talked to people who "move dirt" who say it's no problem but I suspect it is more complex than that.....needing to rebuild a proper drainage pipe since the back side of ours is probably buried now.

We don't know if the rebuild effort is worth it without getting rid of the timber behind it as one of those breach holes indeed had an uprooted tree in it (not sure if the tree took out the dam or the water took out the tree).

Forgive my ignorance as I see so many pond experts and enthusiasts on this sight and I'm seeking dialog and direction. I don't think we were entirely neglectful in causing this as we received 20 inches of rain in 72 hours. Our dam and pond were not large enough to be regulated by our state (DHEC).

All advice appreciated.

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Hi Aimee, sorry to hear of your misfortune. You're absolutely correct regarding moving dirt, vs building or reconstructing a pond. This is an area where experience counts, and finding the right builder is imperative.

I'm not experienced in choosing a builder, but I'll toss out a couple thoughts. Firstly, even though the damage is extensive, try looking at the situation as an opportunity. You mention the pond was 40-50 years old....chances are it contains a fair amount of silt and organic matter, possibly reducing its original depth by a substantial amount. Now is the time to make improvements and enhancements, while the builder reconstructs the dam. Spend a little time looking things over and making changes where needed. You have a chance to make the pond better than ever and turn it into exactly what you want, including fish, features, amenities, etc.

Secondly, maybe you could try your local extension office and see if they maintain a list of pond builders. That doesn't automatically mean that everyone on the list is top notch, but it might provide a starting point. Ask around....neighbors, friends, some of them might have had a pond recently constructed, and will share a name.

Ask for references! A good builder will be proud of their work, and should have no problem providing you a list of folks to talk to. And definitely follow up! Talk to those folks and see if they are satisfied, or found the builder lacking in some manner.

Good luck, hopefully someone will be along to share some good ideas shortly. Welcome to PondBoss!


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Thank you for your response. The pond was pretty much self sustaining with bass and bream....all gone now of course. We'd even cought bass over 5lbs before (threw em back). But you are correct......this gives us the time to address some shore issues we couldn't before.

My concerns are many. If we can't rebuild immediately due to cost, we will quickly have tree saplings growing in that two muddy acres that we can't get down into with machinery that we own to clear. Cost cost cost is my concern.

I'm going to try to contact the NRCS for help as our county website shows the stream feeding the pond and the pond were wetlands.

Does anyone have experience with that dept of AG agency?

I'm here to learn. Forgive my ignorance. Maybe someday I can contribute after we get through this.

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If the county shows a stream and wetlands, that may open an entirely different can of worms. The regs are a lot different now than they were 40-50 years ago, and interfering with the natural flow of water is often full of bureaucratic obstacles at best, and outright prohibited at worst.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Due to budget cuts, I seriously doubt that you will get any monetary assistance from any state or federal agency.

Here's what I would do. As long as the dam is breached, make sure the dam is breached all the way to the bottom. That will allow any water that might want to collect in the pond an escape route.

Get a dozer in there to push out all the organic soup that has collected in the pond bottom over the years through the breach in the dam.

Then get equipment in there to rebuild the dam core with good clay, properly compacting it as you go. Check to see if there are any trees growing on the dam, and if there are, remove them, their stumps and roots. Repack that area as well. Install a siphon drain instead of a thru the dam drain. Double check the emergency spillway and make sure that it's suitable for a large rain event.

I'm guessing that the overflow pipe failed somewhere after 40-50 years, and the water pressure hastened it's demise. When it failed completely, the flowing water cut through the dam, causing it to fail.

A siphon drain will flow more water per given pipe size than a through dam drain.

Talk to the NRCS, and they should be able to give you some contractor recommendations, along with sizes of pipe to use for your watershed and pond.


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I believe it takes a lot better dozer guy to repair a dam than to build a new pond. Anybody can push dirt.

The new soils, of the right mix and consistency, have to be knitted with the "old" soils.

It's more than just plugging a leak.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Welcome, AimeeH!

Trees BEHIND the dam are no danger to the dam itself. ON the dam, is a bad thing! Roots of a tree underground basically mirror the branches above ground. The outer reach of a tree, called the drip line is how far roots extend also. Those roots will eventually die, and once starting to rot, they leave holes for water to flow through.

If the trees are behind the dam, and the drip line does not extend more than a quarter of the thickness of the dam backside, the only reason to remove them would be for easier equipment maneuvering.

I really like automatic siphon drain systems. You move more water in same size pipes, plus you remove bottom sediments and anoxic water when installed properly.

FWIW, Ponds with Bass and Bluegill need to have bass removed to stay well balanced. Self-Sustaining does not mean quality or fish thriving. A 5 pound Bass is awesome to catch, but in your area, 10+ pounders should be found occasionally.

A pond only supports so many pounds of fish. It is always a dynamic number, but for ease of the explanation, assume the pond supports 1000#. It can be one 1000# fish, one thousand 1# fish, or 16,000 one ounce fish. Self sustaining means fish spawn, and every spawn, you end up with more, but smaller fish in that 1000# example. As pond owners wanting quality, thriving fish, we have to remove 50-100 pounds per surface acre annually in established fisheries to keep them the healthiest.



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I hope it isn't too bad form to rehash this old post but almost 4 years later it looks like we are finally beginning reconstruction of our 2 acre pond.

Will be seeking any input on pond prep for stocking as well as stocking once complete and filled.

Should I post those questions elsewhere or keep this with a build thread I'm wondering.

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Here is OK


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP

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