I’ve been toying with the idea of building a 1/4 acre pond on my property for irrigation purposes. I love a green lawn but it is taxing on my well.

I did the mason jar soil test and my soil is almost entirely sand. My property is a hill at which the bottom is wetlands followed by a river about 800 feet back. The water level at the bottom is very high. I dug down about 2 feet at the potential pond site and with in 120 minutes had 8” of water. Keep in mind we are in a drought in nh and it is July.

Can a pond be as simple as a hole in the ground in a place where the water table is very high?

Do I need to be concerned with the right amount of clay for water retention give the table is so high?

Are there examples of a build like this on the forum? Any suggested reading specific to this pond type if it can be don?

BUilding in the sand and/or on a water table can be problematic. What allows the water to the surface, also always water to go back underground, and sand won't hold water. You need to get a copy of PB Resource guide and find a builder in your area and talk to them.

Part of the problem is trying to dig a hole that keeps filling with water quickly plus edge collapse (think digging a hole on a beach). You need to contact an excavator who knows what they are doing.

If your water table there is tied to the height of the river, there is also a good chance that flooding will overrun the pond and you will get unwanted stocking. The good news is the chance of it running dry is very low.

it would have to be excavated with a dredge just like a sand/gravel pit

Look at a "sand point well" for the bottom of the hill. Lots of youtube videos. Your sandy soil at the bottom acts as the reservoir and you merely pump water up the hill for irrigation.

Is your main well up the hill going dry?

Thanks for the advice. I’ve looked at sand point wells, but have heard nightmare stories about them clogging sprinklers and being difficult to maintain.

My hope with the pond would be for clearer water and less maintenance. The aesthetics are nice too.

Plus, I’m not sure what the refresh rate on the sandpoint well would be and from what I’ve understood, there isn’t much of a way to test it without going through the process of actually doing it.

No signs of the main well at the top going dry, just looking to prevent it and the maintenance on the well and pressure tank.

Right now I have 8 sprinklers going for 45 min a day. Would need another 16 or so to get full coverage.

I’m not so sure the water level is tied to the river hieght. It’s a small river, maybe only 2 feet deep. There is also 300 - 500 feet of marsh between the river and the pond site. I’ll try to get some pictures posted.

The pond would be at the bottom of the hill, more or less where the grass ends.



Here is a picture standing from the same spot, rotated about 45 degrees to the right to give perspective of where the house is in relation. You can see the same shadow in the two pictures to get the idea.



The third picture is roughly 100 feet to the right (if you were looking at the pond from the first picture) and down about 5 feet in elevation of the pond spot in early spring. This is the marshland behind the tree line you see in the first pic. The river is 300 to 500 feet behind this.

I’d also be interested in other methods you think may work. Seems like good drainage from the yard to fill a pond there. Could put clay in the bottom of the hole, but would still be concerned about high water table.

There are alternatives to creating a pond. Look for materials that is being used for indoor ponds and it will help you a lot.