Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site Possible pond site in small stream/spring

Long time troller and now hopefully getting closer to pond owner. I'm looking for some thoughts on some land I'm currently looking at and would appreciate your input.

I am looking at some land that I think would have a nice pond site possibility. This is in VA and based on converstations with our local DEQ and Core of Engineers, I need to keep the stream interuption to 300ft or less and then there shouldn't be an issue getting the proper permits. My biggest concern is the slope is very gradual. Over 300 feet I'm only dropping 7ish feet vertical. If the dam is 250ish feet wide and the area behind is cut out down to the depth of the stream bed, the pond would be about and acre.

I haven't done any soil samples at this point but soil should be clay and looks like our red clay. If a dam is put across the stream, can it be dug down a couple feet to get closer to a 10 ft depth? Is that normally done with something like this? It's be nice to make a multi acre pond but it gets very cost prohibitive with the permitting.

I'm tyring to attach a topo and a photo of the stream. I marked in what I'm thinking for a pond site. The topo lines are 20ft increments.

Here is just one of many concerns for building a pond. Be always mindful that windblown organics such as tree leaves will be big problems for the long term best management of the pond. Everything that goes into the pond has to be hopefully processed to be recycled back into the original elemental nutrients to grow new plants in the pond. Design and build the pond so it receives minimal inputs from organic materials.

I plan to put in a fore bay pond for filtering if I can fit it. The trees would be cleared back from the pond. Based on my reading here I think that would minimize silting and help control nutrients?

Where are you in VA? I built a two acre pond near Lynchburg last year, and have recent experience working with our Corp of Engineers. Do you own the lot to the right of the proposed site? It appears that the intermittent stream begins on your site. I had the same situation. I was able to use up 300' of the steam bed PLUS back flood above the original starting point. That would mean you might be putting a spring in the pond, which is not good. If you try this, make sure the water source is actually coming from further up the hollow (as mine was).

I also have a tremendous contact for help with the permitting and any type of analysis that might need to be done. He retired from the COE a few years ago and started a company to help through these processes. And he really is helpful. Send me a PM if you want his contact info.

I have a contract on the land now. It's in Forest actually. The spring starts further up on the map. The spring is starting probably 500 ft out of the property. I'd love to flood more than 300 ft and cut back on digging. I am hoping digging down isn't an issue if need be. The spring head is 15 ish ft higher than where it fully enters this land. I assume there isn't any getting around having to buy credits to make up for disturbed stream. I think 400 ft for example was $160,000...... At least according to who I talked to.

I think you will want to dig enough to scrape as much topsoil off the site and store someplace else if possible. This could be a few feet of materials off of the pond basin or more. This would be to simply remove organics that may lead to algae and plant problems from the beginning and result in clearer water and lengthen the natural aging process of the pond. It may also expose sand and gravel veins that would need to be addressed with clay that otherwise may result in leaks.

With such shallow contours, a dam across just the stream may not be enough to address all of the paths the water may go once it starts backing up. It is also nice to have a few good, deep spots that stay cool during hot weather.

Bear in mind, this is my un experienced opinion, I am no expert. However, I am getting the itch to find property which supports a much larger pond, and have observed construction of a pond in a very similar situation as yours. They had to ring 1/3 of the downstream side of the pond with a core dam to address all of the old stream beds made of gravel and sand to hit clay below. Otherwise it would simply not hold water.

My lake is in Forest, off White Road. You probably talked to Jeanene at the COE? I'd be happy to share my experience, who we used, the good and the bad, etc. If we keep this up maybe we'll have enough VA ponders to offset those folks in TX and IN

I'm figuring we'd have to dig down along the shores anyway to get depth and get dirt for the dam. I guess digging down to ore the dam would uncover any old streams or veins of non clay. There should be plenty of clay to push around here. I figure this will be half dug out half dammed. How much soil sampling would be warranted for something like this?

I think a good pond builder wouldn't have a problem digging the middle of the pond down to get your depth. I would really work on getting some underwater structure built in...elevation changes of two feet (ridges), channels, etc. Sketch those out ahead of time.

Because the creek forms above your property it would be really good to have a small catchment pond above yours. May not be possible due to the 300' rule, but maybe you can come back in later and build some small ponds yourself. Catmandoo in WVa has done a number of these (I think he is the one) and discussed them on the forum.