Hi another East Texan - Pond Boss Forum

Hi,

I have 20 acres in East Texas (Marshall, Harrison County just north of Sabine river right off 59) and I am thinking about putting a 1/3 acre "kiddie" pond on the property for my kids (5+years away) and grandkids (30+ years away) will have a place to fish some BG.

I figure I can start the pond in 2015 and hopefully by 2020 it will be a nice functioning ecosystem.

Also, there is a 2 acre gas pad smack dab in the middle of the property. This is BP country. Do they usually object to landowners putting ponds on their own land? I own surface and mineral rights but leased the mineral rights to them years ago and now it is HBP.

I live in Houston but the property is 3.5 hours north of me and I have an infant so I don't get up there often.

Well, here are some pics of the land:

Overall aerial view (land is about 3000 ft front to to back and 350 ft top to bottom):

http://i.imgur.com/CFZIXjS.jpg

Overall aerial view with proposed pond site (note how close it is to my property line...problem?):

http://i.imgur.com/34dXw2z.jpg

Now a detailed close up shot of the pond site with proposed dimensions (the lines aren't drawn to scale but these are the approximate dimensions written in):

http://i.imgur.com/7udirVa.jpg

And finally the topo map (The center of my property is the peak of this area and water flows down away from the center of my property northward to a creek that is about 1000ft to the north of my property):

http://i.imgur.com/M3ibHyN.jpg

Anyone know if I need a permit from Harrison County to build a 1/3 acre pond on my property?

Thanks,

TF

Texansfan, I don't know anything about Texas regs and such. However becoming a grandpa at 48 makes me wonder if your math is just really poor or you're just hoping. My math says grandpa in 17-18 yrs is a real possibility. Good luck with yer pond and offspring.
Also welcome to the site.

Hi Bob,

I think I will be a grandpa in 30+ years. My daughter is 8 months old so my guess is Lord willing I should have a grandchild around then.

In 5+ years (when she is about 6 years old) I should be able to take her up to the property and have her catch her first BG in her own pond.

I'll be planting 1,000 Pinus Virginia trees this January so she should be able to pick her own Christmas tree too.

That sounds like a nice plan. I dug up a White pine for my sons 1st X-mass and replanted it in the back yard. My wife, myself and he decorated that tree for many yrs. Kinda cold in Dec in Indiana ta decorate outside but back then I was young and dumber.
If ya get started next spring she can easily start catchin fish in the summer of 2017. They might not be real big but she will probably remember that first outing.

Welcome!

The county ag extension office is a good resource to start with.

A couple of thoughts that may or may not apply.

First, if a dam is needed on the property line, the width of the dam will take up a lot more area than one imagines. You have to keep the whole project on your side of the property line, and if a dam is required there it may take up a good portion of the part you are imagining to be the pond area. So the pond might end up being a lot smaller than imagined. If it is a completely dug pond (without a dam) then this is a moot point, but an area for the spoils (excavated dirt) has to be allocated.

If it is a watershed supplied water for the pond, is there enough watershed to keep the pond full adequately throughout the year? Being absentee most of the time, I'm assuming you are not planning on a well being drilled to keep the pond full. Will the desired location catch enough runoff water to keep it full? If you put a pond at the top of a hill, it does not get much runoff water.

Ok, three thoughts. The area just to the north and west a little - looks like a wash or ravine? This might be a better selection for water runoff to fill a pond? Don't know, just asking.

Originally Posted By: Bob-O

If ya get started next spring she can easily start catchin fish in the summer of 2017. They might not be real big but she will probably remember that first outing.

A feeder and air pump would 'supercharge' things. Some Tilapia in the mix might be a good 'early' option.

Originally Posted By: texansfan

I have 20 acres in East Texas
(Marshall, Harrison County just north of Sabine river right off 59)

I love that area...historic Jefferson, lots of pine trees,
Big Pines Lodge catfish dinners, and Caddo Lake.
I looked at some land on Big Cypress Bayou.

ps: welcome to PondBoss

Originally Posted By: Zep

Originally Posted By: texansfan

I have 20 acres in East Texas
(Marshall, Harrison County just north of Sabine river right off 59)

I love that area...historic Jefferson, lots of pine trees,
Big Pines Lodge catfish dinners, and Caddo Lake.
I looked at some land on Big Cypress Bayou.

ps: welcome to PondBoss

Zep,

My property is way further on the south side of Harrison county (Sabine River is county line) but I've been to Big Pines quite a few times. But I haven't been in about several years. I like that area north of Marshall all the way up to Linden and Atlanta on the way to Texarkana.

Who built your damn last summer? I really like the looks of your place. Although mine will be a kidde pond it has to "look nice" to get the wife to buy-in.

Originally Posted By: snrub

A couple of thoughts that may or may not apply.

First, if a dam is needed on the property line, the width of the dam will take up a lot more area than one imagines. You have to keep the whole project on your side of the property line, and if a dam is required there it may take up a good portion of the part you are imagining to be the pond area. So the pond might end up being a lot smaller than imagined. If it is a completely dug pond (without a dam) then this is a moot point, but an area for the spoils (excavated dirt) has to be allocated.

If it is a watershed supplied water for the pond, is there enough watershed to keep the pond full adequately throughout the year? Being absentee most of the time, I'm assuming you are not planning on a well being drilled to keep the pond full. Will the desired location catch enough runoff water to keep it full? If you put a pond at the top of a hill, it does not get much runoff water.

Ok, three thoughts. The area just to the north and west a little - looks like a wash or ravine? This might be a better selection for water runoff to fill a pond? Don't know, just asking.

Wow that is a lot to think about.
I'm more concerned with a damb breach on that side and it floods the neighbor's property.

Since BP installed a gas pad on the property they dug a well to service it. I could use that.

The problem is the overflow/spillway direction would have me pushing the water down on the gas pad. I don't want to upset their operation.

I'm going to give Otto a call and see if he can make a field trip to Marshall. If not, I'm headed up there tomorrow and will walk the land again and make some videos of potential pond location sites.

Originally Posted By: texansfan

Zep, My property is way further on the south side of Harrison county (Sabine River is county line) but I've been to Big Pines quite a few times. But I haven't been in about several years.

Big Pines Lodge burned down about six years ago and they
rebuilt a great new place in the same location. The sweet old
lady that ran it for years died a few years ago but her
family/friends carry on the tradition. You can drive up in a
boat or a car to eat. They have great porches and the
hush puppies they bring out first are still delicious!
BigPinesLodgeOnCaddoLake

You must be down closer to Carthage?

Originally Posted By: texansfan

Who built your damn last summer? I really like the looks of your place. Although mine will be a kidde pond it has to "look nice" to get the wife to buy-in.

The big pond on my place was there when we bought the property,
but my brother and I had a small pond built a year or so ago
by a local guy in Edgewood, Texas named Lee Thornton. Lee
built the big pond before we owned the property. Great guy,
reasonable prices, great pond builder, my pond is almost always
full.

texansfan,
Welcome to Pond Boss, from another East Texan......got a wealth of info here.....

Just got back from the property.
Took lots of video and some pics.
Met a few more of the neighbors by chance.
They are giving me leads on who clears land and who builds ponds.
I forgot a buddy of mine worked for Marshall NRCS eons ago and he was reciting the pdf that is linked around here verbatim.

He told me to call the local NRCS office and they would walk me through it.

Thanks all.
I will keep you in the loop as my progress updates.

Zep,

I was going to say I'd go to that catfish place just for the hush puppies and cole slaw (sorry I'm not good with names of eating places I just know how to get there).
Have you ever eaten at the Stillwater Inn in Jefferson?
great, GREAT food there
a bit on the hooty tooty side but GREAT food
not a "down home" place but it is a great place to take the wife if you're in the dog house!

Originally Posted By: texansfan

Zep, Have you ever eaten at the Stillwater Inn in Jefferson?

I don't think so....I will try it next time I am down there.
I love Jefferson. I would have preferred to buy a place down
on the bayou....but hell it's just too far from Dallas.
Almost 3 hours compared to Wills Point being about one hour.
But I still intend on going down there 'bout once a year.

Studying menu now...lol
Stillwater Inn

I hope u guys don't mind if I chime in. I'm Tracy and I own a place on Big Cypress just a mile or so down from Big Pines. Great Hushpuppies for sure. I could just fill up on them and an Iced T. And my land is five min from there. And so I hunt and fish the area as much as possible. Deer and Duck and what ever bits my pole.

Welcome, Tracy...sounds nice. I'm up NE of Livingston, TX...

Here's all the videos I took.
I simply dumped them into Youtube.
I will try and annotate them later:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oaSb1I1XKoWqWeAPpTQVg/videos

I'm not sure if my first choice is all that viable.
Instead about 500 feet to the east of the gas pad was a place that already was puddling lots of water.
The night before was some serious thunderstorms.

Originally Posted By: TGW1

I hope u guys don't mind if I chime in. I'm Tracy and I own a place on Big Cypress just a mile or so down from Big Pines. Great Hushpuppies for sure. I could just fill up on them and an Iced T. And my land is five min from there. And so I hunt and fish the area as much as possible. Deer and Duck and what ever bits my pole.

Hi Tracy.
Welcome!
I am new myself but we are neighbors on opposite sides of 20.
I'm about five mins south of 20 near 59.

http://www.landandfarm.com/property/59.98_Acres_in_Harrison_County_Texas-1359036/

My neighbor's place with a nice pond on it.

it's nice to know the neighbors, and I know the area off of 59, and I have fished and hunted Lake Livingston. I'm glad I found Pond Boss and I always wanted a good pond. I know about fishing but little about pond management, kinda like learning about Land habitat. And I look forward to future discussions