Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam 1 Acre Pond - Need overflow pipe suggestions

Location - southwestern Pennsylvania

I'm building in a natural small ravine that has a spring flowing through. The drainage area that flows through this ravine is probably about 20 acres at most - mainly agriculture and a bit of woods.

I'm not sure of the flow of the spring just yet. There's an old spring house in the field from when there was a barn nearby that burned down many years ago. The spring house was surely there for watering cattle.

Over the years from plowing and sediment the spring house is nearly buried. A neighbor said he could remember standing inside of it many years ago. I plan to dig up the
old spring house, lay some slotted drain in a rock filled ditch beginning in this spot for about 20 feet or so, then transition to solid pipe. From there to the pond area is probably about 200 feet, with about 10 feet of elevation drop. Theguy building my pond is a local old timer and I've seen ponds where he will
turn the pipe up into the air at the discharge point to aerate the pond. Seems to work pretty well and I may have him do that here as well.

My pond will likely be about an acre in surface area, and about 8 feet deep at it's lowest point. I plan on having the dam/embankment about 12 feet high and allowing for an emergency spillway at about 10 feet.

Just trying to figure out what to do for the overflow pipe - looking to do myself for as cheap as possible, aren't we all.....

Thanks in advance for ideas/suggestions

Scott

Wivell:
Your question is hard to answer until you know the flow of the spring to keep the pond full. If you have 1 gallon going in you are going to need to have 1 gallon going out plus drainage. I would be glad to discuss this with you. You can call my office at 1.800.822.3478 or email me at: mikeotto@ottosdirtservice.com and Sheri will assist you in contacting me.
Otto

Otto,

Probably have about 5 gpm from the spring flowing into the pond.
There will be some runoff enter occasionally. For the most part though, the surrounding fields seem to absorb most any rainfall.

Scott

Wivell, you could probably get away with a small riser tee system, as in 8" riser, 6" thru the dam, and if you want a gate a 6" gate in the water with a pull handle for drain the pond. I would suggest a deep water trash rack for pulling the water below the surface rather than skimming the top water. http://www.ponddampiping.com

Thanks for the reply. I have sent you an e-mail.
Curious about the deep water trash racks - how deep?
I was considering placing a 15" pipe over an 8" riser and pulling water from the bottome of the pond.

The deep water trash rack would do something similar, and maybe better?