Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Cover up springs!!! Help!!!!!

Ok, I just had the loggers log the timber where the lake site is, and boy they leave a big mess! They cut all the hardwood and pine where the lake is going to be and all the timber up stream from there..
I tell you the truth a lake sit sure looks a lot different after it is cut than it did before the timber was cut. Elevations can really fool you!!!

I have a major concern about water supply for ponds. Is water shed the only thing to look at for water supply, when sizing and building a lake? I have a creek that I am building a lake on. The strange thing is, as you walk up the creek channel, from where the dam is going to be, the creek flows at a steady pace. Then, turns into a series of puddels and then goes away all together. But, as you walk 100 yards further the water picks back up again, but this time its flowing at a small trickel, until it hit ends at a steep reven where the water comes out.
Now when the lake is at full pool, it will cover all the flowing water in the creek, past the series of puddels, all the way to where there is no water (at least over ground). Water will stand at around 9 feet deep at these puddels, and continue to back up another 50 yards. My question is this, By completely covering stream like this, will this pose a problem in the lake filling up? I have herd some say that you never want to back your lake over a spring, that it would quit flowing, but I had a lake builder out there tell me that the creek would find a way to "resurface" further up stream. I am concerned, I have about 105 acres of water shed of mostly open land.
Do I have somthing to worry about? I am thinking of taking a back-hoe and digging in the dry part of this stream bed to see if the water would continue to flow...Could someone help? any ideas?

big_pond,
It's not uncommon for a small creek to dissapear underground for short distances. I would think that would be of little concern. You're correct in that a back-hoe will reveal what's going on. My guess is that you will very likely encounter more springs when excavating though which you will have to make a judgement on whether to seal or not.
Depth of water at the origin of the springs including the one you are aware of now will play a role in deciding wheather or not to seal.
There is a VERY good discussion on springs on this forum .. it's posted by Rangersedge .. topic: Springs? Asset or Liability posted Oct. 21st 2003. Steve Young gives very sound advice.

Big pond have you dug any test holes in the lake bed yet if so how deep and how far down past estimated bottom of pond also does creek bed pass through entire length of pond and exit out of pond. Is there a elavation drop at water exit

Scott I hav not dug any test holes yet, I am in the middle of cutting timber. I don't really understand what you are saying "How far down does the creek pass through the bottom of the pond??" I don' understand what this means??

When damming a creek, your core trench will determine the success of your dam. What Scott is saying is that you must dig down, through layers of porous soils in the creek bottom, to get to solid soils to create a foundation for your dam.
A core trench is the best and most effective water barrier, to prevent dams from leaking. Lots of discussions on this site about core trenches.

When damming a creek, your core trench will determine the success of your dam. What Scott is saying is that you must dig down, through layers of porous soils in the creek bottom, to get to solid soils to create a foundation for your dam.
A core trench is the best and most effective water barrier, to prevent dams from leaking. Lots of discussions on this site about core trenches.