new pond with SMB, HSB, YP, RES AND POSSIBLY HBG - 09/01/16 04:31 AM
My new pond will be dug by a reputable pond builder in the area sometime around September 15th of this year. He has done hundreds of ponds in the area. Many friends used him and not one bad experience have I heard. I had test holes dug to 15 foot and the ground looked fine, only minimal sand close to top by one hole out of three. It should be around .5-.75 acres in size. The information I have read on this forum is overwhelming, but I feel that I have grasped what I need to build a good pond. Thanks for all the help to everyone in several threads that members have done to follow their pond builds.
I plan to to post pics of the whole process. Any suggestions or tips are welcome and appreciated. Now for the plan.
The pond will be dug on flat ground that is now planted as a hay field that lies between my house and a waterway that drains crop fields to a small crick. I plan to mound dirt enough around pond so no field runoff will get into pond to reduce the nutrients coming in.
The pond will be for swimming/fishing. The wife wants it to remain fairly weed free for the kids to swim. So blue dye will be added. The entire front half will be mainly for swimming and the back half for fish habitat/structure. I will put liner under beach sand and for other shallow spawn area with river rock/gravel.
I plan to aerate with vertex , possibly one diffuser shallow and one deep. Talked to Sue the other day, very nice and helpful , and she suggested installing system in spring 2017. Also will feed fish. I will plant annual rye in pond basin right after completion and plan to seed grass this fall and use one row of straw mats above rip rap border to help with erosion.
Not too worried about stocking of fish yet due to late pond build. Probably won't stock anything until spring 2017 unless recommended to do so. Not sure if enough water will be present this fall. Plan on doing FHM , GSH and softshell crayfish first and possibly RES in spring. Fall 2017 do YP and HBG(unless talked out of it). I have read mostly good things about HBG and want something the kids and I can catch and eat during summer. Then SMB added in 2018 and HSB with the SMB or wait until spring. Gonna try to be patient and build forage first.
I have collected a bunch of broken concrete and over 400 cinder blocks so far for free to use as structure. I also have made some artificial trees. And plan on making SMB beds on shelf in pond as seen by examples on this forum.
I am willing to take any suggestions on pond layout and whether or not enough structure and fish stocking plan. I am completely new to this, other than the hours and hours spent reading this forum.
Thanks, scott
I plan to to post pics of the whole process. Any suggestions or tips are welcome and appreciated. Now for the plan.
The pond will be dug on flat ground that is now planted as a hay field that lies between my house and a waterway that drains crop fields to a small crick. I plan to mound dirt enough around pond so no field runoff will get into pond to reduce the nutrients coming in.
The pond will be for swimming/fishing. The wife wants it to remain fairly weed free for the kids to swim. So blue dye will be added. The entire front half will be mainly for swimming and the back half for fish habitat/structure. I will put liner under beach sand and for other shallow spawn area with river rock/gravel.
I plan to aerate with vertex , possibly one diffuser shallow and one deep. Talked to Sue the other day, very nice and helpful , and she suggested installing system in spring 2017. Also will feed fish. I will plant annual rye in pond basin right after completion and plan to seed grass this fall and use one row of straw mats above rip rap border to help with erosion.
Not too worried about stocking of fish yet due to late pond build. Probably won't stock anything until spring 2017 unless recommended to do so. Not sure if enough water will be present this fall. Plan on doing FHM , GSH and softshell crayfish first and possibly RES in spring. Fall 2017 do YP and HBG(unless talked out of it). I have read mostly good things about HBG and want something the kids and I can catch and eat during summer. Then SMB added in 2018 and HSB with the SMB or wait until spring. Gonna try to be patient and build forage first.
I have collected a bunch of broken concrete and over 400 cinder blocks so far for free to use as structure. I also have made some artificial trees. And plan on making SMB beds on shelf in pond as seen by examples on this forum.
I am willing to take any suggestions on pond layout and whether or not enough structure and fish stocking plan. I am completely new to this, other than the hours and hours spent reading this forum.
Thanks, scott