Hello all,

I have 13.5 acres in Enumclaw WA (outside city limits) that I want to build a trout pond. I have looked through a lot of posts and have some great ideas for design. But the hardest part for me is doing this by the book. King County is very strict and I dont want to cross them because I am also building my house there.


I am new to the forums and have done some searches trying to find some help for permits and the process or contacts that someone here has maybe gone through. Any help is appreciated.

I would build the house first, you will have inspectors, etc... crawling all over your property. What I have encountered is that when you do something to your land that inspectors are unfamiliar with (or the county differs from the city) you will run into a mess of red tape and confusion, with the ultimate answer always being that you can't do what you want to do. After the house is done, and prying eyes are fewer, well, maybe you move some dirt around.

You are most likely correct Gallop. But I still have to make sure I follow as close as I can the letter of the law with them. King County is good at grabing money and they do flyovers every year to see if people are buiding or clearing without permits. Even after I get done with it and want to stock the pond, I still need to get a stocking permit and let an inspector/biologist on my property to tell me if I can.

There is an old drainage ditch that runs next to where I want to put the pond that has cold clean water that I want to help feed my pond with; it has trout already in it. I guess I could just build my pond so they can get in somehow then I wont need to really stock it.

I have been looking and doing research trying to find a cost share program or some other program through the state but to no avail.

I guess this might be something that is not done often enough for King county to have a clear process on this that they publish.

Thanks for the reply!

Sounds like moving to a state that does not tax and regulate the crap out of you would
be a better option before you decide to start digging.

Truer words have not been spoken!

The company I work for is all over but my Angus farm that our family runs is here, and I dont think trying to move is the best idea right now. But believe me I want to.

I think Montana would be real nice.

Well I guess you gotta stay where the cow pooh is...