Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Just daydreaming here!

Hi folks!
Doing a little daydreaming here to avoid chores!
Was wondering if you could either crush my dreams or help me figure out if they can come true!
I want a pond!
Not a huge fishing pond, just some where I can maybe swim a little, take the dogs for a swim, or just hide from the world and look at frogs!
I have a small year round spring. I'm wondering if I just dig out an area, it might hold water! If it doesn't hold water, I do have access to some clay type soil.
My Hubby says, it will get all icky?
Do you think just the spring would be able to keep it clean?
Any thoughts or ideas would really be appreciated!

welcome jah. pic's of area and spring would help us help you or at least help to give more sound advise.

Phase 1 of Pond Boss Syndrome:

1.)Day dreaming

followed by:

2.) Obession with the dream accompanied by sleepless nights

3.) Phone calls to excavators and then responses to estimates with "That's not as bad as I thought."

4.) Building a case with the wife or husband

5.) Putting money in a hole in the ground (literally)

6.) Spend, spend, spend some more i.e. fish, feeders, power, pier, etc. etc.

7.) Pond Boss Convention.

Thanks for the welcome!
Hope I did this right!
Here is the spring, below where I want to put the pond!

This is where I want to put the pond. It was kinda hard to take pictures because of the trees. The dog in the back, behind the plant, is pretty much sitting in the spring!


Hey Cecil Baird1!
I've lived with Pond Boss Syndrome for years!
I have the day dreams! I've had the sleeples nights!
But, if I can build a good case with the Hubby and I don't need to aerate, this might just happen! (someday)
He can get a big digging machine cheap! If He don't want to do that, I do have a big tractor and a nice neighbor with a backhoe!
(then we will move onto the pond I want to put in below the house!)

While I'm at photo bucket!
Here's my favorite place! It's more of a big beaver dam swamp! I've caught a few trout in it, it's just heck to get too!

WOW! What a beautiful property you have justaheifer! I am envious... Keep the dream alive, I don't know beans about soil needs and pond construction, but it looks to me like you may have have found a good spot. Figure out a budget and run with it!

I love the dogs! I have a black lab myself who's laying at my feet as I type this...

Beautiful property and happy dogs living the life of Riley. What more could you ask for.

Oh wait! A pond.

Soil considerations (will it hold water) after a test dig and you may be on your way. Is the spring seasonal or 24/7 year around?

If it's continuous you may want to consider a trout pond. Trout ponds don't have to be very big.

One more thing... any restrictions on ponds in low areas? Is this a wetland?

Thank you, I thank the big dude in the sky everyday for being able to live here!
Yea, my dogs have a ruff life! The black ones are lab/rottis, the red one is a Chesapeke bay retriever. They spend their days watching over me, chasing what ever furry critter they have been taught to chase and swimming in the creek!

The spring is year round. Since we have been pretty dry lately, it should be about as low as it gets. It can swell up if we get alot of rain!
The site I want to put the pond is on high ground. The spring drains into the pond in the last picture.

What's the best way to do a test dig?

And I do want to thank you for your help on this!
I really do appreciate it!

I thought the brown one looked like a Chessie... Great family dogs, but depending can be quite protective. Can be quite a good thing if you live in the country!

Ms Heifer, I love the creek area! How long does it stretch out like that? Could you get a canoe in there? Really looks great!

Mrs. Heifer I'm by no means an expert but I would be very carefull not to distroy that very beautiful natural spring. Infact I would trade all of my 1, 2.5, and 4.5 acre ponds for a spring even of that size that flows year around. It appears that the spring is at the top of a very steep slope is that correct? Does it flow down hill to the beaver pond creek? I think I would condsider placing the pond below the spring and not touching it if the slope isn't so steep to prohibit that. If the soils are poor in water retention I would install a linear. It will indeed make a good swimming hole. With flowing water there is no real need to aerate.

CJBS2003, yes my Chessy is very protective of me and anything she thinks is mine! Gotta love her!

Rmedgar, what you see is pretty much all of the open water there is. Just finding a way to walk back there is heck, don't know if I would want to try to carry a canoe! I do have a small plastic boat back there, luckily it is durable and draggable!

Rockytopper, so how much land you talking trading?
The spring comes out of the bottom of a hillside and used too run through some trees, about 75 yards, then down the hill to the beaver pond. We had some major rains a few years back that split the spring. The two springs rejoin just before heading down the hill. The site I want to turn into a pond is the new part. The cows have turned that into a slop hole! I can either try to get it to run the right course, fence it and let it go, or I can fence it and build me a pond!