Advice needed about overflow system in my Pond!! - 03/30/10 02:38 AM
Hi, A few weeks ago I bought this 26 acre property in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. With the property came a 7 acre pond that I own 100% of. The pond has a healthy amount of large mouth bass, bluegill and catfish. Years ago the pond use to be over 20 acres, but a few years back the overflow pipe rusted thru and part of it fell into the water, thus lowering the water level. It once had a concrete cover and I've been told the weight of that cover helped the pipe break off. I guess the concrete cover is now laying in the bottom of the pond. The overflow pipe has been cut level and a debris cover placed over the overflow pipe.
I want to raise the pond 7 feet higher then what it currently is. I've had some say I could just put an extension onto the overflow pipe, but others say that ponds the age of this one used tar covered galvanized pipe and it's likely the tar is breaking free from the overflow pipe and when that happens the galvanized pipe will rust through and only last 5 years or so. They fear if I put a 7 foot extension to the overflow pipe, that the weight/pressure of the extra 7 feet of water could cause the overflow pipe to break off close to the bottom of the pond and cause the pond to drain with a major fish kill.
The latest recommendation was to install an entire new drain system called a Siphon System. This sounds good, but I know it's likely to cost a lot more money. This property is something I want to pass down to my own kids, so I want to do what's best for the pond, even if I have to save up for a couple of years if the Siphon System is what I need to do.
Please help with any advice that you all can share. I am so thankful that we were able to purchase this property. It's a dream come true for me and my family. I want to raise the water level up and make it into a premiere 14 acre fishing spot for my family and friends. Thanks for advice you all can share.
I want to raise the pond 7 feet higher then what it currently is. I've had some say I could just put an extension onto the overflow pipe, but others say that ponds the age of this one used tar covered galvanized pipe and it's likely the tar is breaking free from the overflow pipe and when that happens the galvanized pipe will rust through and only last 5 years or so. They fear if I put a 7 foot extension to the overflow pipe, that the weight/pressure of the extra 7 feet of water could cause the overflow pipe to break off close to the bottom of the pond and cause the pond to drain with a major fish kill.
The latest recommendation was to install an entire new drain system called a Siphon System. This sounds good, but I know it's likely to cost a lot more money. This property is something I want to pass down to my own kids, so I want to do what's best for the pond, even if I have to save up for a couple of years if the Siphon System is what I need to do.
Please help with any advice that you all can share. I am so thankful that we were able to purchase this property. It's a dream come true for me and my family. I want to raise the water level up and make it into a premiere 14 acre fishing spot for my family and friends. Thanks for advice you all can share.