I recently bought some land in Bandera,TX with seasonal creek fed ~one acre pond on it. It was full this time last year and started dropping in June of this year after the creek stopped flowing. By the end of July it was completely dry! Recent rains earlier this month filled it up about half way, but three weeks later it almost dry again. I suspect it is going through or under the dam because water is collecting behind the dam more than after the before mentioned rains. I could never tell before because there is a larger pond directly below my dam on the adjoining property which dropped in water level enough to see the collecting water. My question is this: I was told that trees on dams are bad and I have a few large cedar trees and one mesquite on the dam. Should I cut them down or will that only make things worse because of the roots rotting and leave spaces in the soil?

Also I heard that a mature cedar can drink up to 60/gallons a day. There are cedars all around the pond. Would clearing all cedars within 50-100 feet of the pond help?
Thanks for any input!

Redfinger, you don't mention how deep your pond is, but it sounds like you have more than 1 problem. First, it doesn't sound like you're holding water to begin with, do you know if there's clay lining the dam and bottom ? Second, trees on a dam are always bad news, and removing them can cause more harm than good. My advice is to have an experienced dozer operator out to take a look, he should analyze and estimate for free. He would also be familiar with the area and may even check to see if clay is present to correct your problem.

i agree with eastland. are you sure the pond is holding water? here is my concern. cedars typically grow in areas that don't make good ponds!! they grow on ...if i remember my college botany course correctly...secondary growth areas..i.e. areas that were once cleared or burned or have shallow soil...THAT's the important part...areas with shallow soil usually have....shelf rock. and no clay.. shelf rock often has cracks/spaces etc that drain. those are bad areas, and need to be covered really good with clay if found.

As far as the trees on dam issue...several topics in past on this. from what i remember/gathered...if fully grown..leave them because the rotting roots will eventually leak..probably more than the amount they are consuming from being there. mark

You are going to have to dig them thangs up by the roots! Then patch in the holes they leave with clay! This is very bad, because if the there was ever a storm it could blow the tree over and breach the dam!!! get rid of trees on the dam as soon as possible!

Cedar trees aren't the problem here. Bad soils around Boerne are the issue. Your soils are rocky, leaky.
Investigate soil options...do you have any clay on site? What have the neighbors done to solve similar problems? Do all surrounding ponds leak? What about the one directly below yours?
Your answer will be found if you follow the dirt.

listen to Bob, he knows a lot more about that soil stuff than i do! I would like to add, save those cedar trees when you doze, don't burn all of them,,, put them back into the pond for cover. i found out that those cedar trees float pretty dang good. so i went to my local concrete plant and got..for 60 cents each...concrete blocks with plastic like wire running through them to anchor them down. the game and fish guys around here use them to sink structure on bull shoals and norfork lake. a whole lot easier and cheaper than making your own. mark