Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Pond project from the beginning with pictures

+1, Great stuff. Thanks for letting us follow along.

Frank, what can I say - I'm spechless!!
You have done a fantastic job and the pictorial will be a family treasure.
Thanks for letting us share the journey.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Moderators,I nominate this thread for archival status.
"Pond of The Year"

Fly casting lessons on me Frank!!!!

EXCELLENT job Frank! Looks like a good candidate for a future spread in PB magazine.

Russ

First time checking this thread - no idea how it slipped by me for a year! Obviously I've been cheating myself out of a great read. This is exactly what I'd expect from someone who has thoughtfully prepared from concept to fulfillment and using the forum and publication as a guide. The animated version of this story is not only interesting, but provides great fundamental instructional material for all future and existing pond meisters. I have to admit I wish I could do things over again...document the process more closely, etc. But I'm really pumped for you and I LOVE hearing about the addition of SMB and HSB to your fishery. Remember to get advanced SMB fingerlings so those LMB don't swallow em up!

How many acres is the pond? Stocking qtys? Great job - thanks for documenting everything so carefully - serves us all well.

A lot of stuff happens on this forum that we don't tell you about TJ.

I miss some threads just like that TJ.

No sense wasting time trying to explain things I won't understand...I guess I see your point. Regardless - I'm taking my ball and going home!

No you won't. I know you. You have no more will power or strength of character than the rest of us.

Thanks so very much for posting this pond story including pics. I wish more of my clients would document this way. I am most interested in seeing those fish as they grow up.

For me it's like seeing my kids leave home......and actually go do something with their lives....

I caught this little guy today on a Rooster-tail. This is the first SMB caught from the pond since they were stocked around Thanksgiving 2009, and my first SMB ever. They jump a lot even at this size!

That's got to be a great feeling Peeps. Nicely done.

Frank, what size were they when stocked?

Awesome.

Dave, they were 4-6".

Dave, Chris is right on with the stocker sizes. This SMB is not much bigger than the smallest that were stocked, but I'm hoping they begin to grow quickly now that the weather and the water has warmed.

looks good

I am gonna start building my pond in august.The dam will be 250 long & 7 ft. tall.I have some ?'s I need help w/.
1 What size of dozer should I get for pushing dirt approx. 100 ft. I will rent for 40 hrs.
2.Do I have to use a sheeps ft. to construct the keyway in the center of the dam & or all banks?
3.What size of overflow pipe is needed/I have 30 acres that flow over me from a valley?
4.Can I simply use a spillway instead of a overflow pipe?
5. How do i size an emergy. spillway if i use overflow pipe?
6.What is the best panfish to stock?
7.Should I stock w/ SMB orLMB?

If anyone has any other info. I will app. it!

Welcome to Pond Boss Grant and congratulations on your upcoming pond project. I am far from an expert but will share some opinions of mine to your questions below...
1)What size of dozer should I get for pushing dirt approx. 100 ft. - I will rent for 40 hrs. - I have no idea about dozer size requirements and would recommend at least having an expert excavator look at your project. I'm sure a consultation would be well worth the cost in the long run.
2)Do I have to use a sheeps ft. to construct the keyway in the center of the dam & or all banks? - Compaction of the core and dam overall is very important, Again, I would ask an expert.
3)What size of overflow pipe is needed/I have 30 acres that flow over me from a valley? - Your water shed sounds very similar to mine in size and I used an 8" pipe, however soil types differ so your needs may be different also.
4) Can I simply use a spillway instead of a overflow pipe? - You can do that but most pond builders recommend a pipe.
5)How do i size an emergy. spillway if i use overflow pipe? - Your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agency should be able to help you with coming up with that information.
6)What is the best panfish to stock? - It really depends on your goals and I'm sure others will answer with recommendations for your area of the country.
7)Should I stock w/ SMB orLMB? - Again, it depends on your goals but you can always start with SMB and transition to LMB, but you can't do it the other way around.

thax for the info.
How do I post a new ad??? w/ a head title

Go back to the main forum. Click on the subheading that is appropriate to your question. In this instance, we'll go with "Building a Dam". Once that is open, you will see a blue box that says "New Topic". Click on that. Type in your subject, then go down to the larger white box and type in your questions. Once you are done, click on "preview post", you can see how it will look on the forum. You can make any changes necessary in your orig post, and click on "preview post" again. If everything is how you want it, then click on "submit" and wait for an answer.

Grant, what town in Indiana are you close to?

This is an awesome looking project!

For frame of reference, can you give a ball park on what a project this size costs?

Hey, BillG, welcome to Pond Boss! Glad you've joined us. Why don't you do a quick post in the new member intro section of the forum and tell us a little about yourself? It's great to have you here!