Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Tips for buying a property with pond / lake

Hi all,


Just joined this forum and thought these are the type of people I needed to hear advice from! We are planning to buy a property with lake, and are hoping to hear some advice from those who know better. The lake would be about 2 acres to 1 hectare in size and would only be used for leisure; neither myself or my wife nor any of our family being keen fishermen. However we realize that before we undertake this adventure we need to have some more practical knowledge esp cost of lake maintenance + how to determine what is a healthy lake / pond.

With this in mind I'd appreciate any tips on:

• Any standard set of questions that we can ask to estate agents or sellers to know if a lake would be healthy or not?
• Lake inspection. Can you suggest any warning signs or methods(visual, otherwise) that we as noobs can use to determine if a lake is healthy or not? e.g. water color or things around the lake or lake sources?
• What is your annual cost in maintaining a lake? Again since we don't plan to have it as a fishing lake, would this cost be reduced as a result?
• Would anyone be suggest any water quality laboratories that they have used and would recommend, and their cost?
• If we like a property and make a 2nd visit, we plan to take a sample of the lake water. Any tips? Can we just use a normal water bottle or do we need to use a bottle that is specially sterilized etc?

Thanks

I doubt that an agent would know whether a body of water is "healthy". The rule of thumb here in the colonies is determined by a water test and visibility. Normal healthy water should have a visibility of between 18 and 24 inches. That is phytoplankton which is the basis of the food chain. And even though you're not interested in fishing I'll bet that you don't want an area infested by mosquitoes. Fish eat the mosquito larvae. You will rarely get a mosquito bite around a lake/pond when fish are present. My only experience with water testing is here across the pond so can't give you a reference.

I would try to determine water depth and average depth. If it is shallow, you might be buy a swampy mess.

I use a new baby bottle to take a water sample.

Cost to maintain is hard to judge. If you want a beautiful pastoral setting you will probably want to mow.

Take a good look at the dam. If there are any telltale wet spots in a certain area it could mean a leak. Those can be expensive to repair.

How much runoff area is there? In other words, look at a topographic map to determine just how much land drains rainfall into it. How is the excess water removed? Is there a pipe through the dam to keep it from overflowing instead of washing out the dam? Is there a spillway for a huge rain event that the overflow apparatus(if there) can handle.

What legal issues might you have regarding a body of water? How about insurance issues if a child wanders in and drowns?

Who built the pond and how long ago? If it is over 20 or so years old, it might have a lot of silt on the bottom that could shorten its life.

And on all properties that you might wish to buy, what are the neighbors like?

Bob Lusk, owner of Pond Boss, has written a book titled "Perfect Pond...Want one?". I would contact the Pond Boss office and order a copy. It will tell you a lot about buying or building a pond.

BTW, welcome to Pond Boss. I believe you may be our first Brit.

Hi Dave,

Greetings from across the big pond! And thanks very much for taking the time to assist a noob like myself. I am definitely going to print this forum post out and take it with me when inspecting.

Just some more info that might help you / everyone:
- I have not yet physically seen the property yet -- will do so on Saturday
- the property we have our eye on has a lake of about 2 acres in size. It is apparently both stream and spring fed. I have a picture of the stream
- the lake and grounds are private, and the total plot itself has about 7 hectares and is fully fenced
- I don't know the pond age etc -- definitely noted
- the nearest neighbor is 1 km away

When you say dam, do you mean finding the river source of the stream and looking at that dam? Or another dam?

Thanks for the suggestion of the book! Will definitely buy it!

Thanks again

By dam, I mean the earthen or concrete structure that holds the water back. It impounds the water that is contained in the hole in the ground.

Another consideration is the stream. If a neighbor builds a dam upstream, it can cut off your water supply. In some areas of the US, that is illegal.

I once heard a saying that we all live downstream from somebody. Who and what is upstream? This can effect water quality. I am aware of a housing development that surrounds a 80 to 100 acre lake. It was once renowned for having the best fishing in that part of Texas. Then, someone upstream built a chicken raising operation. The effluent coming downstream has made a toxic mess of the water in the lake. I wouldn't want to live there.

Most US streams have fish of some kind so you can check on that. Does the creek/stream ever dry up? Are springs shallow or deep? Do they ever stop flowing?

I would ask the agent or present owner to provide a history of the pond. This would include age, any past fish stockings, depth(s), work and maintenance that has been done, etc. What happens in the case of heavy rains? Was the pond/lake/body of water built for flood control, watering livestock, or enjoyment. Has the present owner used the land for raising of farm animals?

How close is the dwelling to the pond? That can sometimes be a consideration as regards to safety. It can also effect the dwelling if it's too close.

Since it is both spring and stream fed, you will have what we call a flow through pond. Water continuously enters and leaves.

I understand that it has been a little cold in Europe. Yeah, I know that's an understatement. Therefore you will not, at this time, be able to determine what kinds of vegetation, if any, grows in the pond. Pond weeds generally(at least in the US) die back in the winter and flourish again when warm weather returns. These can be unsightly and expensive to control. Are there any photos of the pond during warm weather? If the water is deep, rooted weeds have a problem getting enough sunlight to grow and propagate. If the whole thing is shallow you might wind up with a big mess.

I know very little about the soils there. However, I would also get a soil test done. Will the soil support native or improved grasses?

A 2 acre pond on 17 acres(if my math is right) is a significant feature of any property. You are certainly right to be asking questions.

If you are interested in the place, I would definitely meet or at least check out the neighbors. They can be a source of pleasure, friendship or nightmare.

Get Lusks book ASAP. He's the master and I'm just a pond junkie.

I just happened to see prices on lake property around here and was blow away at how much the prices have come down. Two reasons: 1.) Bad economy and it's a buyer's market 2.) The taxes on lake front property skyrocketed here a few years ago.

You almost have to give away regular houses around here they're selling so poorly. There's one across the highway across from me that has been for sale for at least 2 years! It's really nice house too!

Thanks Dave! I really appreciate all the information.

We got lucky(perhaps?) and I managed to find a local gov't authority whose business is actually to test water etc. and for a reasonable fee, they diverted a technician to take a water sample from the lake. This just happened on Friday and I'm of course eagerly awaiting the results...

We managed to visit the property again today and after spending some time their we observed all the wildlife around. We saw ripples(assume they're fish) but we also saw a duck had made itself at home on the lake, as well as an otter, and numerous small frogs. Would it be too much to assume that the water was healthy etc with all these guys making themselves at home here?

Thanks

The ripple doesn't, in itself, assure that it's a fish. However, the otter is a carnivore that eats fish, frogs and other wildlife. I know very little about frogs. If you have small frogs I would assume that the weather is now warm enough for insects in the water. Look for them.

A duck might have just stopped by so it would be hard to say. The duck, if it like most US ducks, will mostly be a herbivore. During the Spring, ducks usually come in pairs so you might just have a goofy duck. If you have plants, it might be a good sign of healthy water. However, polluted water abounds with algae and other noxious plant life.

Ask the government people to explain their findings to you. I find that it is best for me to ask scientific types to explain their findings to me on the stupid level.

I would prefer to have some idea of what the water hole is like during the summer. It would really help to find someone with year around knowledge of the pond.

BTW, what is your weather like at this time?

Amphibians are usually a sign of good water quality. They are the first ones to go when the water goes or is bad.

Electric fences are good for keeping otters out of ponds. At least one memeber here has had very good luck using one.