I've been more of a lurker than poster, but I am getting a little closer to building (actually having it built) a pond. Got some good advice from the new member intro thread, and had the guys out from the USDA to check out the potential pond site. We are looking at a one acre pond with about eight acres drainage. No financial help from USDA, because the pond will be in the woods. Getting some test holes dug soon, looking for no rock or gravel, and good clay. I'll attach a few pics of the potential pond site. Two from the possible dam site (one from each side) and one from the inlet side looking towards the possible dam site.
FYI, the pictures do not accurately show the slope of the hills. It will easily be 12-18 feet deep at the dam.
Left side: (dam)
Right side: (dam)
Inlet center, towards dam:
Ok, now for the question.. If I get someone out fairly soon, with a backhoe, how many, and what location do I need to look at for test holes? And how deep?
And, if the test holes look ok, is it worth it to bring in a pond expert, or have my neighbor, who's got a huge cat dozer, and is retired from running a dozer for 30+ years, and has built many, many ponds (he says.)
I want this pond to hold fish, be "ok" for swimming, but most of all I want it to hold water, and handle big rains safely..
One other question.. Would it be worth it to have someone come in for the timber?
Any help and advice is appreciated.
Thanks Jeff
Last edited by SetterGuy; 06/29/1506:16 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Just a few notes - I have a lot of catching up to do from being out of town for a few days.
Look in the local paper or the yellow pages for a timber buyer. Have him come out and give you an estimate.
Ask to see the ponds that the neighbor dug, and talk to the owners. Ask them if they are happy with their ponds, and if they would do do anything different. Find out how old their ponds are, and ask them what their goals were for having a pond dug.
There's timber buyers near by, I'll check them out. I just didn't know if they would be interested in bringing equipment in to clear trees from a one to two acre site. I'll find out. How about my question on test holes? How many, where, and how deep? I want to give myself the highest probability of a non leaking pond. Within reason.. Thanks Jeff
Last edited by SetterGuy; 04/27/1405:22 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Here's a thought. Contact the forestry division in your state NRCS and see if either they can advise you on harvest potential, or can recommend a timber consultant who, for either a fee or a percentage, will evaluate the timber and send bids to timber buyers who are approved by the state. Competitive bidding tends to get higher bids. Also, if you go that route the consultant will make sure they cut only what they should and pay in advance. Our consultants generally get 5% of the sale, only after the timber buyer pays. Without trying to insult anyone, timber buyers are often known for absolutely low balling bids and failure to pay.
"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
Here's a thought. Contact the forestry division in your state NRCS and see if either they can advise you on harvest potential, or can recommend a timber consultant who, for either a fee or a percentage, will evaluate the timber and send bids to timber buyers who are approved by the state. Competitive bidding tends to get higher bids. Also, if you go that route the consultant will make sure they cut only what they should and pay in advance. Our consultants generally get 5% of the sale, only after the timber buyer pays. Without trying to insult anyone, timber buyers are often known for absolutely low balling bids and failure to pay.
Thanks, it'd be worth the fees for sure to get some help with selling and managing the timber.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Is there a hall of wisdom area, or frequently asked questions thread. (In regards to test holes for dam building.)
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
The test holes will give you an idea of what to expect. Sort of, if they are dug in the area where the dam will be built, and if they are dug as deep as the bottom of the core trench will be.
Moving dirt is like opening presents. You'll never know (for sure) what you will find until it's completely unwrapped.
As for FAQ's about test holes, not really.
As for clay, if none is found where the dam will be, check in other areas of the pond basin. The clay can always be moved from that area, brought to the dam area, and compacted.
The NRCS has a good "best practices" for pond building book. See if you can get a copy of it, or download it from their website. The guy that you want to dig your pond should know what a core trench is (and were it goes in the dam), how much water should be in the soil for proper compaction, how to compact soil correctly (typically a sheepsfoot roller or multi tired scraper loaded with dirt, NOT tracks on a dozer or excavator), how to compact dirt around the primary overflow pipe, how to properly size the primiary and secondary overflow (or have the resources to get those sizes), etc.
I can't stress enough that when you have your pond dug, do it right the first time. It'd be better to go slower and have everything planned out, with a good/great pond builder than to rush and have a dirt mover do the work. Leaky ponds can cost just as much to fix as it cost to dig it in the first place.
Excellent. Thanks Makes me want to reach out to one of the pond building experts I've seen advertised in the magazine. May cost a bit more, but it has to be done right the first time. Too much at stake to skimp here..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
There's probably local guys too, but you have to do your due diligence and check/double check refrences. Just because there are more dirt movers than true pond builders.
Or, you could hire a pond consultant that can work with a dirt mover who hasn't built a pond to ensure that it's built correctly. The pond consultant can also then make sure that there is cover in the pond for the particular species of fish you want, figure out an aeration system (if needed or required), etc., etc.
Building a pond actually is more detailed than you think. Correct bottom contour and slope, fish habitat, cover for forage fish, etc., etc.
It's more than digging a bowl, or damming up a ravine. Then the consultant can help with types of fish, sizes and quantities to meet your goals and fit in your budget. It's a lot less stressful if you have the pond planned out from start to finihs rather than get half way done and be wondering "what's next?".
Or, you could hire a pond consultant that can work with a dirt mover who hasn't built a pond to ensure that it's built correctly. The pond consultant can also then make sure that there is cover in the pond for the particular species of fish you want, figure out an aeration system (if needed or required), etc., etc.".
This sounds even better, especially if I can find someone within a reasonable distance, it will keep my friendship with the neighbor dozer operator in tact also.
So, google pond consultants??
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Or, you could hire a pond consultant that can work with a dirt mover who hasn't built a pond to ensure that it's built correctly. The pond consultant can also then make sure that there is cover in the pond for the particular species of fish you want, figure out an aeration system (if needed or required), etc., etc.".
This sounds even better, especially if I can find someone within a reasonable distance, it will keep my friendship with the neighbor dozer operator in tact also.
So, google pond consultants??
I'd start here . Also, just because they aren't in your back yard, that doesn't mean that they won't travel to you.
when digging test holes be sure to dig them in the back slope area. nothing is more aggravating than digging a core thru a boggy bottom after having test holes being dug thru it.
You ask if it is worth getting a timber person? I more than paid for the original construction of my pond by having very selective timbering done on 20 acres surrounding the pond. Nothing under 20" diameter, 6 feet high was supposed to be cut, except in the pool area. (the guy did end up cutting several very nice White Oak at 14")
A timber cutter will normally come in, and follow your rules on how any skidding is done, and where roads/staging areas are built, but if it won't make the guy money, he won't do it! The person I hired went 60:40 in my favor because I was very lucky to have a rare, single, $20,000 walnut tree I had already cut, aged, and had graded (48"Diameter at the base, 39" small end and 38' to the first defect, very dense wood and straight as a pool cue).
Few cutters will touch tops and waste except to keep paths clear as that burns a lot of profit up fast!
Well, we've been making progress on the pond. Just a few pics of the clearing process. So far 85 big trees have been hauled out to the blacktop for evaluation and bid from the mill. Hoping enough $$ from those to pay for the rest of the clearing. The brush pile got too huge, so we had to start a burn pile in the pond base the tree tops were much larger than I thought they would be. (0 experience) it shows. Dozer working.. Pic from west end of dam site to east.. Brush taken back up into the woods, until it became apparent there would be too much, so we started burning the tops.. Now we are deciding how to hide 100s of stumps/root balls. Logs. In the distance is the main inlet for water..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'm excited for you, looks like good progress. I had several root balls from my project which submerged great. We also had several brush piles made from the tree tops. If I had to do over I'd put the brush in deeper water because they rose to the surface in alot of areas. Constuction is my favorite topic, keep the the pictures coming.
Quick update.. They were burying most of the stumps in holes on either side of the pond, and ran into rock, lots of rock.. Right beneath the topsoil, and never got below the rock. Needless to say, my dozer operator is pretty doubtful about the viability of the pond at this point. Monday is start on the key way day, unless the three days of rain forecast puts us off for another week. We still haven't found that much rock in the pond basin itself, but we haven't dug down very deep yet. So I guess there's still a small spark of hope. I can't imagine the cost of trucking in clay from another location..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya. Get Tim out there, I'm sure Bill will enjoy talking with him! Stockpile every bit of clay you can.
I'm assuming they got the bearing fixed on the skidder. Did they get the other run running? I DO like the idea of a settling pond on the opposide side of the road, and that will give you a chance to replace the culvert that goes under the road in that spot too.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya. Get Tim out there, I'm sure Bill will enjoy talking with him! Stockpile every bit of clay you can.
I'm assuming they got the bearing fixed on the skidder. Did they get the other run running? I DO like the idea of a settling pond on the opposide side of the road, and that will give you a chance to replace the culvert that goes under the road in that spot too.
They got the small skidder running. Never got the big one running again. They did get all the logs hauled out. 85 at last count. Bill would love to have a chat with Tim. He's asked me several times to get Tim back out. Tim still says he's too busy to come back out. Hoping to find some clay Monday, but they may not go Monday, looking at the forecast. They want several dry days forecast, and we have 50% chance of rain on Thurs & Fri. We shall see. I'll be up there.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thats bad, raining like that when you want to get dirt work done. Send it here. All the rain is missing my place by 30 miles or so to the South. The pond is down 51" right now.
Ok, another update. We almost stopped construction yesterday, due to so much rock located in the pond area. Lots of clay, but a lot of flint type stone in it. We also found some gravel areas. Decided to push forward. In for a penny, in for a pound. Here's some new pics. The bigger dozer (D8) went on through the gravel. Have the keyway established. Finding more clay than expected. I'm interested in any of you experts comments! You can see the rock/gravel layer here that they have already gone through.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
That's a funny looking dozer in the first picture.
I was hoping they'd pull the sheepsfoot with something that moved faster than the dozer! How is the sheepsfoot working on the soil? Is there enough rocks to prevent it from compacting the clay, or is it shoving the rocks down as it rolls over them, compacting the clay, and walking out of the clay after a few passes?
The tractor seems to pull it a lot faster than the dozer was. The bigger dozer moves dirt over for the smaller dozer, then the tractor pulls the sheeps foot over the spread clay. I haven't been there the whole time, but it seems to be working ok. I'm just not seeing that much rock. Not sure if we need more clay?
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I don't see any big rock around, have you hit any soild rock areas? On our project we would hit crusty areas of small red gravel before finding clean clay below. That crusty soil would go to the back side of the dam and pack the good clay in the core. I'll just say that I'm encouraged from what I see, looks like better soil than alot of the pond digs we have around here. I know how nervous I was last year while building our lake, we hit some rock shelfs and pockets of crusty,gravely, clay but the lake is full and holding. Just pack over the areas you don't like with a few feet of clay and see what happens when it begins to fill. Also when it fills it will raise a few feet and than soak in and drop. This may happen for 6-12 months and than should begin to level out. Exciting times just enjoy the ride.
Well, we should complete the earth work today, as far as the main pond construction goes. A small patch of good clay was uncovered late yesterday. One dozer operator commented, "that's the first really good clay we've seen, all 4 cubic yards of it!" So, it hasn't been a stress free last few days I was tempted to shut it down again, but pushing it through to the end. We will just have to see what we end up with. Lots and lots of rock so far. Can't get pics to load. I'll try again later.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Well, the dam is complete (almost) you can see my Ranger sitting on the dam, if you look closely.
View from the dam, back along the western edge, shows the drop off and the soil type we were working with.
The Sheepsfoot roller shot craps, as we were finishing closing up the "notch" left open during construction, in case of rain. It worked "ok" until the last of this crucial section. Oh well.. It did have problems with rocks getting stuck in the rollers fairly often. It would then jam up and the rollers wouldn't turn. Finally one of the pivot shafts that was holding the left roller in place snapped. More than likely due to rocks jamming it up repeatedly.
This view shows the rocky clay we had to work with on the east side.
I'll try to get a few more uploaded showing the bottom of the pond.. I'm a bit concerned that a soft spot we hit, will turn out to be a seep. It at the pond' slowest spot. Is there a possibility that the natural silting in of the pond will "self seal" this seep, in case it reverses flow with pressure, and starts to seep out? Thanks Jeff
Last edited by SetterGuy; 09/02/1410:56 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
An additional picture. This shows a small accumulation of water, after Friday's rain. It's remained the same for three days. I'm concerned it may be a seep,as the ground around it seems very soft.
Any soil/pond experts care to comment on what you've seen so far? I'm just a bit nervous this pond will hold water.
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Did I post this in the wrong section? I thought one or two of you more experienced pond builders may have a suggestion or two..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
No, you didn't post in the wrong area. There are just so darn many unknowns that it's hard to say.
I was just kidding. I can't remember being so anxious about a process. There's a lot more to building a pond (in the woods, on rocky soil, with limited drainage) than I thought.
It was easier, getting married, having kids, building a home, changing jobs.. Ha
It's actually been fun, but a little stressful.
FYI, It is looking much better lately. I was up there again on Tuesday and had them ditch around the alfalfa fields above the pond to help get at least another acre of drainage.
Wish I could flick a switch and find out if it holds water or not.
Thanks
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Jeff, how big of a drainage area do you have and how big did the pond turn out to be?
The pond is a little over an acre, and the drainage area is around nine acres. The fields used to have wheat, and bean stubble in them, now they are in alfalfa. The alfalfa seems to keep a lot more of the water from coming through. Also included in the nine acres of drainage is four acres of heavily wooded hillside. The trees and undergrowth don't seem to let much moisture through either. We have had normal rainfall this year, but are coming off of two years of drought. I'm thinking the ground is still taking up moisture from the drought. Hopefully late this fall we will get some big rains, or next spring for sure. The pond guy in the USDA office still wanted me to place a drain pipe in the dam for a primary spillway, then have a secondary spillway. He did say he'd prefer ten acres of drainage for a one acre pond, but he thought I'd be "ok" with the drainage I had. He said I was borderline on wether I needed a drain pipe. Taking the dozer up into the alfalfa fields had to have added at least an additional acre drainage. Now though I better get some fescue seed down in those new ditches along the edges of the fields.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Definately get the drains in there. If you do get a big rain, what will you do if the dam blows out? Where would you get the soil to repair the dam? After seeing the property, I'd feel much better with the drain that Bill wanted to put in. Remember that you won't have alfalfa in the field the whole time the pond is there!!! The job is 90% done, don't stop now!
Here in Minocqua, Wi, they had 6" of rain in 22 hrs yesterday. Places flooded where they never flooded before, some places that flooded a month ago, just flooded again, right after they finished doing the repairs..............
I'm with esshup, you should very seriously consider installing a primary drainage system. You're not too far north of me and at the very least, you need an overflow "emergency" spillway at least 15 foot wide and 2 feet below the lowest part of your dam. The E spillway should also be cut to drain water completely away from any part of the dam to avoid dam erosion and a breech.
A one acre pond with only 10 acres of watershed is "borderline" on a drain, because you really need 15 acres of watershed to support one surface acre of water there.
If you still have your pond builders there, you should really consider installing a 4-6 inch siphon system. That will move a lot of water when in full withdrawal mode, is reasonably priced for the pocket book, and could save your nerves (and a dam breech) when you get those 10-15" rain events we are never supposed to have here.
I'm with esshup, you should very seriously consider installing a primary drainage system. You're not too far north of me and at the very least, you need an overflow "emergency" spillway at least 15 foot wide and 2 feet below the lowest part of your dam. The E spillway should also be cut to drain water completely away from any part of the dam to avoid dam erosion and a breech.
A one acre pond with only 10 acres of watershed is "borderline" on a drain, because you really need 15 acres of watershed to support one surface acre of water there.
If you still have your pond builders there, you should really consider installing a 4-6 inch siphon system. That will move a lot of water when in full withdrawal mode, is reasonably priced for the pocket book, and could save your nerves (and a dam breech) when you get those 10-15" rain events we are never supposed to have here.
Putting in a 12" pipe. The pipe came in yesterday, but the two 42"x42" seep collars did not arrive yet. They hope to have them Monday, and will put in the pipe on Tuesday. They've also cut in an emergency spillway at both ends of the dam. They are 2' below the top of the dam. I'm getting fescue seed on those as soon as they get the pipe cut in. I'm thinking with a 12" drain pipe (9" below the emergency spillways) and the two emergency spillways, I should be ok? I can't add any more drainage area, without doing some serious earth work, so 10 acres will have to do it. It's a deep one acre pond, with a 17' depth at the dam, and a pretty steep slope all the way around. We needed the dirt for the dam. I'm sorry I gave you guys the impression that we were not going to put in the pipe, we've just been waiting for it to arrive. (Plastic) They had some rain up there yesterday, but I don't know if it was enough to get any runoff. Thanks for the replies.. Jeff
Last edited by SetterGuy; 09/06/1407:30 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
FYI, they got the Sheepsfoot roller fixed and went over the entire bottom of the pond, and the front (water side) of the dam with it, several times. I know it might be too little, too late, but it was broken down during the last day of dam construction. They also took the big dozer and added a bit of dirt to the back of the dam, and then he went up and down the entire length of the dam to put tracks in for holding seed. I'm going to plant wheat in the pond area (it will need a bit of lime) and put in fescue everywhere else. All over the dam, and the surrounding areas. I was going to try and put in some warm season grasses, but went with fescue for ease, and cost.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 09/06/1408:42 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'm in SE Kansas and when fescue is planted in the fall I like to mix in some wheat with it. The fescue is very slow to establish and very small plants and root system till it gets a year old or so. It provides very little erosion control till it gets established. The wheat (or winter oats should work too) establishes a quick cover with good root system to hold the soil in place during the fall. Then come next summer the wheat matures and when you mow it the stubble provides mulch to further help with erosion control.
Generally if I'm forced to plant fescue in the spring I don't want the wheat because it saps too much moisture from the fescue and can increase the chances of a kill off because the ground gets too dry for the fescue. But that is rarely a problem "here" in the fall and I doubt if it is where you are at also.
The wheat actually slows the establishment of the fescue as it takes resources away from it. So there is kind of a trade off. But in rolling ground where erosion can become a real problem, I favor the quick establishment of the wheat.
Disregard all of the above if you are going to use erosion mats or blow on hay or straw over or with the fescue. That might be enough to take care of the first year erosion problem. I'm talking about if you are seeding on bare ground. The trick is to get something to stop the erosion before a large rain event causes erosion rills to develop. Makes it awfully rough mowing later.
Got it. Sounds like I could use wheat mixed in with the fescue on the dam, and all the ground above the water line, and just pure wheat seed below the water line. Thanks! I think the local seed dealer has wheat tailings I can get for a bit less $$.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
That sounds like a good mix Rex. The main reason I use wheat is that we usually have a bin full of it saved for seed on the farm and is easy to just go get some of the uncleaned wheat and spread it.
But if someone has to buy the seed, there may be better options, like the mix you suggested.
They are both 2' below the top of the dam, and 12' wide. We've added so much water to the drainage area, by ditching around the alfalfa fields up above the pond, now I'm concerned that if we get a really huge rain, I'll have a lot of water coming in.. They are supposed to be putting in the pipe today. I had to work, so all I can do is keep my fingers crossed that they are doing it the right way. They were waiting for the (2) 42" x 42" seep collars to arrive today. I'm going to try and sneak up there Wednesday. I'll take some pictures of the pipe, emergency spillways, etc.. There is a severe thunderstorm warning for Wednesday, but just 60% chance if rain. Still munching tums, waiting to see if this thing will hold water, and fill.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'd see if you can pick up 200-400 pounds of bentonite and spread it over the rock that is exposed, making a "cap" of bentonite over the rock, and incorporating it into the soil immediately surrounding the rock. For what bentonite costs, it's cheap insurance if the pond is thinking about leaking at the rock.....
Throw it in the back of the Ranger and see if you can get it spread out over the rock before the rain. You might have more water coming into the pond than you think.....
I called Bill tonight, to let him know I could make it up there until late Wednesday. It'll be too late by then. He said there's a foot of water in it from Friday's rain. It was a 1/2". The rain coming tomorrow and Wednesday is supposed to be over a inch. I'll just have to check it out when I get up there. Were you meaning to throw the bentonite down over the whole east side, or just the large 3'x3' rock? I can't really tell if that rock will be under or not, I just can't remember how far from the deepest spot it was situated. Thanks
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I've got several feet of water. Muddy water. The rock I was thinking about claying in is under. I guess it's wait and see if it holds water. Got some pics.. Shallow end Dam end From shallow end, looking towards dam It's about 4.5' deep at the deepest point. From a big rain (4"), and a smaller .5" rain earlier. I pounded a 8' 2x2 into the bottom in about 3' of water. Marked it, and will track it. What would be a normal drop in water level for a brand new pond?
Thanks Jeff
Last edited by SetterGuy; 09/11/1406:15 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
The inter web says 1.71". My neighbor said he had 3.5" in his rain gauge. I tend to lean with the neighbor's gauge.
I posted the pics in my previous post.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'm going up tomorrow to check it. If it hasn't dropped very much, should I go ahead and put in the fathead minnows? It at least 4' deep at the deepest point. I just want to give them the best chance of taking off. Also, should I throw in a bale or two of hay? The water is very muddy. The seeding will go on as soon as possible. Wheat seed mixed in with the fescue. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Yes on the FHM if the water hasn't dropped a lot (40%-50%). I woldn't do the hay thing, that'll just be more organics in there. The jury is still out if hay works on all ponds. I've seen where it does work, and where it didn't do a thing. With all the leaves that will be falling shortly, the pond will have plenty of organic material in it within the next month.
Getting the grass seed down and established will do more for the muddy water than bales of hay.
If you can get to the water, and get a mason jar full without scraping up mud from the bottom, do it. Set it on the counter for a few days without disturbing it. If the clay settles out, then you're fine. If it stays in suspension, then the pond will need to be treated with alum/hydrated lime to balance out the electrical charge in the water and precipitate out the clay. But, wait until you have grass growing around the pond to prevent more clay from washing into the pond first.
Setter, get some water in a clear glass jar and let it sit undisturbed for 3-5 days to see if it clears. If it does, great, if not, you may want to act now rather than later. Feel free to call me any time if you like.
Went down last night and checked the water level. It hasn't dropped, well, maybe a half inch! I'm taking that as a good sign! Still 4' deep and holding!
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Setter, get some water in a clear glass jar and let it sit undisturbed for 3-5 days to see if it clears. If it does, great, if not, you may want to act now rather than later. Feel free to call me any time if you like.
I'll get a jar filled up this morning. By Wednesday or Thursday I'll know if it's going to settle out or not. Also by then the wheat/fescue seed mix with straw over it, should be down. I'll be getting in touch with you regarding the FHM. Thanks
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Well, I lucked out, timing wise. I was up there Saturday morning and the two guys that had been working on the pond decided it was time to cut in the spillway/pipe. It's a 12" plastic sewer pipe. It's set up to be 8" lower than the emergency spillways. Cutting it in.. Pipe in place with bottom of seep collar showing. They used roofing tar around the pipe, bolted the two plastic sheets together then used tubing clamps completely around the collar. It won't be leaking through the collar. Finished look.. They packed it in very solidly around the entrance to the pipe on the face of the dam and around both collars. Using a sledge to pound in the clay very tightly. The filling in of the trench, I was a bit concerned about. Just packing it with the bucket on the track hoe. But they got all the dirt back in. I also noticed where they were cutting in the slots for the seep collars, that digging with a hand shovel was very difficult. The clay in the core seemed as though it was very densely packed. I filled a water bottle with pond water, from water near the surface. It's sitting in the barn. I'll take a look at it later this week to see if any of the clay is settling out.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Rain man, I sent you a pm.. I need some FHMs.. Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Back at the farm. Pond is down another inch, but I think it's from soaking into the ground and evaporation. We have had zero rain here with full sun and lower humidity. The water has a green layer on it. I am thinking it's what you guys call a algae bloom, but I'm not sure. I also can't remember if it's good or bad. Ha The frogs have found it. Seems like there is a small frog about every eight feet along the bank. Last night there were a dozen bats flying back and forth over the clearing. Water still has a lot of suspended clay, but some seems to be settling out. 25 bales of hay so far, and it's (the surrounding ground and dam) are about 50% covered. This week continues to be dry. Rain in the forecast for next week though. I'll try to post a pic of the green layer, if I can get a better signal. Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Found a rock ledge exposed from some erosion. It was about four inches under the clay. It starts near the expected water level, and runs about 10 feet down the bank. It looks like a solid layer of rock. It's well above the bottom of the pond, and about three or four feet above the present water line. Get some clay and pack it?? Also here is a picture of the algae. I bought 15 pounds of FHM yesterday and put them in. I guess it's a little late this year to hope for a spawn. So, there's really no cover for them at all. (Except the muddy water should keep them safe.) The guy selling the FHM said to hold off on the Golden Shiners. They get big and compete with the FHM for plankton. ?? Got a lot more straw down. Hoping for a bit of moisture next week.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Also, the guys that are Cash renting the two fields above the pond (alfalfa) applied round up on Monday, and fertilized on Tuesday. The alfalfa looks very good for a mid summer planting. My question is, I assume I'll get some round up and a lot of fertilizer coming in with the next rain. Anything I should be aware of? Just dumped in the 15 lbs of FHM yesterday, and noticed the big fertilizer truck racing through the fields.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Yes, get clay and pack over the rocks. Since it's still up in the air about the pond holding water, wait 'till Spring for the GHS. Stock them when the water temp is in the low to mid 60°F range, that way you'll be stocking them before they can spawn.
The only reason I'm saying wait is because you're not sure the pond won't leak. If you weren't concerned about that, I'd say toss them in now, and start getting your cover in the pond.
This will also allow you to monitor the pond during the winter to watch the water level. Once you are sure that it'll hold water, then get really busy in getting all your cover to put in the pond and stock the GSH.
Yep, that's a bloom starting to show up.
You might want to move your marking stick closer to the edge of the water too.....
Yep. I'm taking my waders up this weekend, to move the stick. Ha Can I just dig up some clay with my tractor loader, put it in the back of the Ranger and haul it in? I know I couldn't do anything about the fertilizer, just curious what the side effects would be. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Well, I'm excited.. A big 6" rain came through and added another 5' to the pond depth. We have to be over 10' now. So now it's wait and see. (See if it holds) I'm thinking it's going to hold, but that's just hoping.. If it does hold, I'll have to add all my fish structure "post fill". I'm sure that's the worst way to do it. I've had to move this 8' 2x2 three times (in waders) because the water has come up so dramatically. Standing down below the drain pipe, it looks like 5 more feet and I'm full. Wait until spring to add any fish, right? (I've got 15#s of FHM in now.) Still amazed.. This was a tree covered ravine a few months ago.. Whew..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
It's looking great! Float any pallets for those FHM to spawn under?
I was going to, but the guy I got them from said they wouldn't spawn until spring? Should I throw a few in, just in case?
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
This is just a slick of hay, sticks, ash from burning the tree tops, and I don't know what else. Will it eventually go away? Or do I need to chase it all down with a skimming net and get it out of the pond? Not particularly attractive. Thanks Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Jeff, it wouldn't hurt to put in some spawning structure that floats, just in case. The debris floating will eventually sink and decay on it's own. Also, once full pool is reached and you get some overflow, most anything still floating will get flushed out.
I think you can use waxed cardboard from old produce boxes as well. You could string them together and stake them to the shore. They too will eventually rot.
I'll take some stuff up Monday. I'm curious as can be, if the water level drops much. So far, so good. The last rain came in on Thursday night, it hadn't dropped at all when I left late yesterday (Saturday) plus I can't see any water back behind the dam anywhere. If it was going to leak, wouldn't it happen pretty quickly? There's several smaller trees that are still piled up back in the woods outside the cleared area. I'll throw those in also to float around. Don't want to junk it up, but with some warm days coming up, if they decided to spawn, it seems like a lot of water for 15 pounds of flatheads. As muddy as the water is, I don't see how predator fish will ever find the minnows. Probably be better to wait for spring to do the aluminum treatment?? I think the spillways will be coming into play before spring, when we get a downpour, it really dumps into the pond. I'll look for the waxed cardboard also. Thanks for the suggestions.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 10/05/1402:16 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
The higher the water level the more psi is placed on the pond bottom. So, the jury is still out. But, from what I'm seeing, I think you'll be O.K.
Now are you still thinking that the overflow pipe is too small??
The water that you are seeing now is why you heard from a few different people that a bigger overflow pipe is better than a smaller one.
I'd wait 'till Spring for an alum treatment. You want to have the banks covered with plants to prevent more clay from washing into the pond before the treatment.
The higher the water level the more psi is placed on the pond bottom. So, the jury is still out. But, from what I'm seeing, I think you'll be O.K.
Now are you still thinking that the overflow pipe is too small??
The water that you are seeing now is why you heard from a few different people that a bigger overflow pipe is better than a smaller one.
I'd wait 'till Spring for an alum treatment. You want to have the banks covered with plants to prevent more clay from washing into the pond before the treatment.
Sounds like a plan. (On the alum treatment) hope to be stocking BG or HBG in the spring. You know me, I'm a worrier. So now I'm worried that the pipe isn't big enough. Ha! But that's why there are the emergency spillways. They will see some water. 100% chance of rain for Thurs. I'll get a pallet or three floating in there by tomorrow.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Another question. I told you I worry a lot. The soil above the new drain pipe has settled a bit. I would guess it settled about two or three inches on the back of the dam. There is no evidence of it settling on the water side of the dam, or along the top. The question is, should I try and get the guys back out and repack that area? It's very soft now due to the 6" rain we just had. (Which caused the settling.) And more rain coming. I don't want them causing more damage than necessary. But, should I get it done before the water reaches where the pipe comes out the front of the dam? Sorry,,, so many questions. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Time to get out your ruler or other measuring device.
From the NRCS booklet: Settlement allowance—Settlement or consolidation depends on the character of the materials in both the dam and the foundation and on the construction method. To allow for settlement, build earth dams somewhat higher than the design dimensions. If your dam is adequately compacted in thin layers under good moisture conditions, there is no reason to expect any appreciable settlement in the dam itself, but the foundation may settle. For a compacted fill dam on unyielding foundation, settlement is negligible. Most foundations are yielding, and settlement may range from l to 6 percent of the height of the dam, mainly during construction. The settlement allowance for a rolled-fill dam should be about 5 percent of the designed dam height. In other words, the dam is built 5 percent higher than the designed height. After settlement, the height of the dam will be adequate. Most pond dams less than 20 feet high, however, are not rolled fill. For these dams the total settlement allowance should be about 10 percent.
I would get a rough estimate on how thick (vertical measurement) the area was that they dug out for the pipe. If the amount that it settled is within the NRCS parameters, then I wouldn't loose any sleep over it. If it exceeds that amount, then repack if it can be done without making a mess of the rest of the area.
I talked with Bill about it. He noticed it also. I think I have a plan to get it filled with my little tractor and loader. He wasn't concerned structurally, but he was concerned about water channelling down that depression. I'll get it patched. We are getting more rain, but it's a pretty gentle rain so far. No runoff.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Yep, and if the rain would work on it enough, it would start an erosion channel.
If that area settled more than the rest of the dam, to me that means that it wasn't compacted as well as the rest of the dam. With the anti-seep collars on the pipe, I'm not concerned about water following the pipe thru the dam, but if they weren't there, I would be.
Have the deer been active in checking out their new watering hole?
The deer have found it. I think the construction forced them out for a while, but I'm seeing a lot more tracks around the pond lately. Rain today and tomorrow. Hopefully we will be a little closer to a full pond.. Lots of the wheat on the pond banks has come up, not sure if any fescue has started. I'll have to figure out a way to get lime and fertilizer spread over the straw. I've got a plan to get that depression along the pipe channel filled. Needs to dry out a bit first. I'm not taking the tractor out on the dam until it's good and dry. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I've got to say, I'm pretty happy with what I'm seeing so far. (I hope I didn't just jinx myself!) Another few feet of water. (13 or 14' deep now) I've got to move my 2x2 again. It was where I could stand on a rock and pound it in. Floating maple trees and pallet for FHM spawn/cover. I think I'll add more FHM.. Just 15 lbs in so far. I'm hoping the fescue gets established enough to keep things stable through the winter and on into spring. Anything else I should be doing before winter?
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Well, it's been two weeks since this big rain. The water level has dropped about 2". Is this normal for first time fill? No water behind the dam. The grass continues to grow. Guess I'm still positive.. Should I be? What's a normal drop in a week? Thanks
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Also, as you can see. The trees are pretty close to the bank. Now the leaves are piling into the pond. Possible problems? Should I try to get a aerator running ASAP?
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thanks for the info guys. I've got to quit worrying so much. Ha My youngest son has a environmental science degree, with a emphasis in water resource management. He read through the paper on alum treatment. I think he's used alum before in a internship he did a few years ago. He's going to grab some stuff from the lab he works at now and get a baseline ph on the pond. I guess it'll be good to know the starting point.
I'm sure we will get enough rain in the next few months to bring it to capacity. After talking with Rex, I think I'm going to try and run some kind of aeration system. Not sure how much capability I'll need. I'll have to run tubing a few hundred yards from my barn to the pond. May look at running elec out next summer.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Running tubing out from the barn is no big deal. Trench it in. Squirrels will chew thru it if you don't. It doesn't have to be deep, just out of the way of getting flattened when run over or chewed thru by rodents. Run 1 1/4" black poly pipe like they run from the well pump to the bladder tank. You'll need that large of a pipe for the volume of air that you'll need for that distance. I don't know your prices there, but I just got a quote for 1 1/4" black poly tube at $0.60/ft for up to a 1,000 ft. spool.
Have him test for alkalinity and hardness too.
Last edited by esshup; 10/28/1403:11 PM. Reason: brain running ahead of fingers
Thanks! Back today to check some deer stuff. The water seems to be clearing a bit on its own. Maybe the clay particles are grabbing on to the leaves. Ha I'm thinking of strapping a few cedar trees to these pipes. The guy that had this farm before me was somewhat of a "collector" (of anything). Ha These should be heavy enough to keep some cedars submerged. 4" pipe, not sure if they are sealed on the ends.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
yep, they're sealed. See the plates welded to the ends?
Get a sawzall, cut the plates off, pound them into the pond. Do what ewest and a few others do, rope around the tree, loop one end of the rope around the pipe.
Some types of clay settle out on their own, some don't. If you are lucky, your clay will settle out and the water will clear. My old pond after cleaning it out did not. But in its case ag lime did the trick and now it is reasonably clear.
Thank you. I'm pretty excited about it. Still need a rain storm or two to get it filled.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
yep, they're sealed. See the plates welded to the ends?
Get a sawzall, cut the plates off, pound them into the pond. Do what ewest and a few others do, rope around the tree, loop one end of the rope around the pipe.
Still holding water??
Yep.. I thought I'd have to cut them off. Oh well. I'll have to look up their posts. I was thinking of setting the pipes and cedars on the ice when it freezes this winter. And yes, it's still holding water. Down maybe another half inch this week, maybe a little more. Three weeks since the last rain down about three inches over all.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Using a single length of 1" to 1 1/4" poly tubing, buried 24" would make it easier to push through electric cable whenever you decide to.
I think I forgot to tell you that when I visited your pond, the best secchi reading I got was only 3.5", with the average being 2".
I hate to admit this. I have no idea what a secchi reading is. Should I add something now? Or is the secchi reading the clarity reading? It actually seems a bit more clear. From zero (previous) to a few inches. I was skimming out some floating gunk and scooped out a bunch of tadpoles. Ha. I assume that's a "ok" thing for the pond? Pretty late hatch, but the pond isn't very old.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I had noticed the tadpoles, which are common toad tadpoles. They will be all over the pond, along with loads and loads of eggs that will look like little black gel covered seeds in the shallows.
yep, they're sealed. See the plates welded to the ends?
Get a sawzall, cut the plates off, pound them into the pond. Do what ewest and a few others do, rope around the tree, loop one end of the rope around the pipe.
Still holding water??
Scott, I'm not sure what you mean when you can pound them into the pond.. I was thinking about just drilling a 1" hole in each end. That should let them sink. They'd just lay flat on the bottom with the thickest part of the cedar trunk tied to the pipe, and extend upward. Would that work?
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Trees have a lot of buoyancy and would likely float around unless weighted very heavily. By driving in the posts, you will always know where the structure is and can add onto it at any time. Just keep the area you intend to swim in clear of the posts so no one dives onto one....
I'm hoping the steel pipe will have enough weight to sink the cedars. I'd prefer not to drive them in, due to swimmers hitting them. I'll secure the top and bottom of the tree to the same pipe. Lay it on the ice and hope for the best. Thanks for the info guys. Lots to do.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I would use those pipes for dock or deck posts. Otherwise use cinder blocks to sink trees. Tie them on and chuck them in. The blocks can make a space for FHM hotel rooms.
3 1/2 weeks since the last rain. It's now dropped about 6" Should I be concerned? I've read here somewhere that almost all earthen dams leak to some degree, when is it a problem? I'm looking at a lot of "next steps" but don't want to take any if I've got a problem with leaks.. Any input appreciated. Thanks Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. New ponds that are filling up for the first time will tend to lose more water than established ponds because water is being soaked into previously dry soils. Same goes for ponds where the water level has dropped due to drought and it is filling up again.
Still holding.. Not really any significant moisture for a long time. (Last big rain was mid October) it's dropped about six to eight inches since then)
Last edited by SetterGuy; 12/19/1412:09 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Looking good. I see the floating fish cover is now gone.....
One pallet sank! There's still another floating. Of the two trees I threw in, one is still floating.
I've got rock ordered (4' and 8') going to build the rock nests around the shallow end. Going to sink some cedar trees, and build some artificial structure..
Acting like it's going to hold water!!! Sure hope it does!
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Up another foot or so. Fescue and wheat are greening up and coming back. The smallmouth beds are disappearing beneath the surface. So far, so good. Water has gone green, I'm thinking that's healthy. Fish here (hopefully) in a week or two. Maybe I picked the right builder.(hoping). Still need at least three feet of 3' of water.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Had some big rain come through on Friday. Pond is up another 2'. Just 16" to go..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
So far all I have is raccoons trying to get into it. Southern Missouri has a few ferrel pigs, but my place is north. I do have the legs wired to the cinder blocks. (Pic) I have kept a trap down next to it for two months. No luck catching a coon. Until.. The day before the big rain, and the pond came up 2'. I didn't get to the trap in time to save this guy..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I was concerned that the bullfrogs had eggs that were now two feet deep. Not sure how that would effect survival. They either floated up, or laid some more.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I do not. Should I, or can I, change the name of this thread? It's sort of turned into the chronicle of the pond construction.. I update it from time to time.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Done. Thanks for the tip.. (New creative title..) hehe
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
With the title, you also have to change the last post made, so the replies have the new title. With the forum software, just changing the title doesn't change all the titles in the replies automatically. I'll change the title in this reply then all the subsequent replies should have the new title.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
With the title, you also have to change the last post made, so the replies have the new title. With the forum software, just changing the title doesn't change all the titles in the replies automatically. I'll change the title in this reply then all the subsequent replies should have the new title.
Thank you esshup! One other question. I've started a few other threads about getting grass to grow on clay, and dropping gravel for SMB beds. Should I leave those as separate threads, or roll them into this one? I received a lot of good feedback on getting the grass to come up. I guess it would be easier to find in a search if I left it alone. I just don't want to clutter up the website. FYI, we received another couple inches of rain yesterday. I hope to get back there later today. More rain coming. I may be testing my spillways! I hope I won't be losing too many fish if water starts going over the emergency spillways. (If the 12" pipe can't handle the flow.) Thanks again.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 06/29/1512:03 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thx. It's up another 3 or 4". Just under a foot to go. More rain coming.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I'm calling it full.. I took a few pics from the east side just scanning around the pond. It's only an inch or two from the overflow pipe, so it looks full to me. I just wanted to take this time to say thanks to a few people. First, Scott (esshup) he came in during construction with some good advice on habitat, construction, and fish selection. Then there's Rex (Rainman) he's cleared the water, and brought in the FHM, GS, RES, and YP. Plus he's given me a ton of advice. Also TJ, phone calls have been very helpful and keeping me on the right track. I've even had Bob Lusk on the phone once. It's been somewhat if an ordeal to get it to this stage, and I know there's still much much more to do. I just can't thank you guys enough.. The water is on the browner side due to a lot of recent runoff. We had another inch of very heavy rain a few hours before I took these pics. Just have to work out, plantings, aeration, additional fish species, water quality, and potential leaks..
South (shallow) end.
West side.
North end (dam)
The pipe.. It'll be going out the pipe on the next rain. I got a crazy few weeks in front of me, so I doubt I'll be there. It's within a few inches of going into the pipe now, so I'm calling it full. Hopefully it won't be dropping too fast..
We broke ground on Aug 1st. Just shy of 12 months ago. Scott was there on my 60th birthday watching the bats come in when the sun was setting.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 07/13/1506:58 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thanks. It will probably have a small, hopefully very small, leak. About 10 days into the construction one of the dozer guys told me, "if it were my pond, I'd stop. We've hit too much rock. This pond will never hold water." We (me and the three guys I was paying..) ha, talked it over, and decided to finish it. So far so good. It drops some between rains, but it's just getting filled, and the drop is pretty minimal. (1" per week) at this new level, I'm hoping the drop speed isn't increased.. I was in it (swimming and floating) Saturday for hours. I may change my priorities a bit with an emphasis on swimming. I must have a 100 FHM working me over while I float around though. My wife says maybe I should shower more frequently.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Ponds sure look a lot better full than half full, don't they?
I'm glad to see that the plan is coming together and that it's finally full. Hopefully it will stay that way for a long time!!
+1!!!! I guess I'm the type that needs something to worry about. Ha! Thanks again.
Edit. FYI, I caught my 5th coon fri night.. I'm getting the hang of it.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 07/13/1508:44 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Congratulations on the rains that finally arrived and on a project well done. I was happy to help, that's what we do here. I'm also available anytime in the future, and expect routine updates on your success and challenges. Reporting them to the forum adds to the universe of knowledge, and is just another element which makes the forum an invaluable resource.
You are yet another perfect example of how this forum is designed to help dreams become realized while saving thou$and$ in the process. I ask you stick around now and assist other budding pond and fishery managers with the benefit of your experiences - we need your presence.
Welcome again to the pond owner family!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Thanks TJ, I feel like I'm still in the dark about 90% of the time with pond related items. I've read "The Prefect Pond" it helped for earlier questions, but now I need to know a lot more about water quality, plants, and habitat, let alone RES, YP, and SMB.. Is there a book or two you could recommend? Thanks again for all the help.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
If you need help with a stocking plan, call me and we'll work one out over the phone. No worries. I recommend SMB from Fountain Bluff Hatchery - Rex sourced mine there they were pellet trained and were excellent fish.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Depending on how in depth you want to go, take a look at these:
Small Impoundment Management in North America and Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries an Integrated Approach 2nd Edition.
TJ might have others.
I'll check into it. Thanks Or, I can just keep asking questions here. Ha! I'll get the book. I don't want to pollute the forum with my stuff. (I already do it too much..)
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
If you need help with a stocking plan, call me and we'll work one out over the phone. No worries. I recommend SMB from Fountain Bluff Hatchery - Rex sourced mine there they were pellet trained and were excellent fish.
I don't think they can distribute fish into Mo right now. Rex has a line on some in MN. Down the road I may add HSB, or WE, HBG, or a few albino CC. Not sure. What risk is there with adding HBG and having them cross with my RES and ending up with something I don't want? I'm hoping that with the RES and YP, I have something for grand kids to catch pretty easily.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Probably jinxed myself "declaring it full" I went by yesterday. 2" drop in 5 days. That's a lot faster drop rate than I'd been seeing. (<1" week) Didn't have time to look for where it may be seeping out. It's the first time at that level, so I expected it'd be soaking in etc.. I guess the extra pressure of the last 3' of water, or the leak is in the last 3' of pond bank that just was submerged. The suspicious areas on the bank were on a pretty steep upslope. I'll just keep following it.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I don't know if it would be a good thing or not, but I would love to have some HBG/RES cross in my pond. I would think it would be an outstanding cross.
I've often wondered if the "Georgia Giants" sunfish that are hybrids are not a three way cross involving BG, GSF and RES in some fashion. Don't know, just a musing thought.
Probably jinxed myself "declaring it full" I went by yesterday. 2" drop in 5 days. That's a lot faster drop rate than I'd been seeing. (<1" week) Didn't have time to look for where it may be seeping out. It's the first time at that level, so I expected it'd be soaking in etc.. I guess the extra pressure of the last 3' of water, or the leak is in the last 3' of pond bank that just was submerged. The suspicious areas on the bank were on a pretty steep upslope. I'll just keep following it.
Jeff, give TJ a shout. He's working with a pond sealer that is showing great promise.....
I think some of that water loss is probably evaporation... Depending on how hot and sunny the days have been it could be all evaporation. I've heard that a pond could lose an 1" in just one hot sunny summer day, can anyone confirm this?
I think some of that water loss is probably evaporation... Depending on how hot and sunny the days have been it could be all evaporation. I've heard that a pond could lose an 1" in just one hot sunny summer day, can anyone confirm this?
I hope that has something to do with it. You can see the steam coming off in the mornings. I'm a worrier. School's still out on it. I'll just keep watching. It keeps raining.. It hardly moved at all from November to March when we had almost zero moisture. April, May very little rain, June we get a lot.. So it fills right up. Once August arrives and the rain slows down, hopefully I'll be able to see a wet spot behind the dam.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
If you look deep enough in the National Weather Service data base, you will find "pan evaporation rates" for your area. That will tell you what evaporation rates on average is for your area on a month to month basis. That will give you some idea about amount of evaporation.
Went back up and checked the pond this morning. It's down about 3.5" in eight days. I get thrown off where the bank is more gradual. Seems like a bigger drop. That's a little less than a half inch per day. I didn't find any wet spits, but it started raining while I was looking. Looks like I'm still in the wait and see mode.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Don't guess. Get an aluminum yardstick from one of the big box stores and attach it to a metal pipe that is pounded into the pond bottom. Lowes has them that are powdercoated yellow, with black numbers. That will tell you exactly what you are losing. It's impossible to guess by how much of the shoreline you see.
It wasn't really a guess. I measured off the pipe. At it's peak it was 2" below the bottom of the pipe, now it's about 5.5" below the pipe. Give or take 1/4" I thought I was close enough. So,, is 3.5" in 8 days reason to be concerned? Sorry if I'm blunt. I should have made that clear in my previous post. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
If it fills up again, and drops at the same rate, I would be concerned.
Thx. That's what I was afraid you'd say. I imagine it'll drop at the same rate next time. I wonder now if it will slow down as the level drops.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I would say the water loss was completely normal. Some wicking and saturating is still occurring, and we had some high evaporation rates the last couple weeks. I lost 4" in a rain water bucket I use to water plants.
Well, the bad news first. The pond is now down 17.5", exactly. That's a 2" drop in the last ten days, but with low humidity, and zero rain, I'm thinking a lot of that is evaporation. There is still a small seep at the very base of the dam. No visible current in it, but there is a small puddle. Bone dry along the pipe, but the water level is below the bottom of the pipe, so it's hard to tell if that leak is fixed. Now for the good news. Fish stocked this spring. 1,200 YP, and 150 RES. I fished for the first time yesterday. Just dropped a minnow down about 5' under a bobber. Three casts and three fist. First fish was this young RES. Seemed healthy. I forgot my ruler, so no measurements. For reference, I'm 6'5" and wear a XXL glove..
YP From below.. (Male or female?)
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
FYI, the minnow trap in the picture. I put it in shallow water with some AM 500 in it, in a stocking. It was almost completely filled in minutes, with bull frog tadpoles! They really like AM 500! I caught the FHM with a dip net. They are still thick.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Looking down into the water, just about anywhere, they are like ping pong balls suspended at different depths. Just hovering. Then they come up and gulp some air. I've heard too many bull frogs will attract snakes. Hoping that's NOT the case. My wife hates snakes. We like the bull frogs. Listening to them is sort of peaceful.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Update, 11/28. We've had about 8" of rain this month. Compared to a total of 1" for August to Oct.. Brought the water level back up about 16". Water is now near the drain pipe base.
No leak along pipe at exit. Still a very small seep in the original ditch bottom. No current, but definite seep.
The SMB beds are back submerged. This is the only one that was above the water line when the water level was at its lowest point.
I'm curious, should I pull this small section of floating dock out, before the pond freezes over?
No YP seen today. I threw in some food, no activity, except FHM and BF tadpoles.
Thanks again, for help and advice.
Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Floating dock should be fine, mine always is, but it's pretty heavy duty built by the Herman Brothers. I doubt the ice depth you get there should pose any issues when it thaws, etc.
My YP also stopped feeding in the low 50s, no worries there.
Are you still leaking at the base of the dam?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Floating dock should be fine, my always is, but it's pretty heavy duty built by the Herman Brothers. I doubt the ice depth you get there should pose any issues when it thaws, etc.
My YP also stopped feeding in the low 50s, no worries there.
Are you still leaking at the base of the dam?
Thanks TJ, I'll leave the dock in. I may try to ice fish for YP from it. The leak at the base is still there. It's very very slow. No moving water. There is a wet spot right at the base, that actually is a small puddle. It's got some weird orange "something" growing in it. (Pretty stagnant) I'm really watching the leak that was along side the pipe. The guys that put the pipe in, carried a bag of bentonite back to it and dumped it on top of the pipe. When the water level was at its lowest, I dug under the pipe, and re-packed the bentonite in it. Water is close to bottom of pipe, no leaking now. I'd still like to add some of your polymers, if you ever have any "leftovers". FYI, I went by my brother in law's pond last week. It's down about 6'. Serious leak. He thinks he's got too many weeds etc in the base of the pond for your polymers to work.. It looks like it would be perfect to me..
Last edited by SetterGuy; 11/28/1503:22 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
I hope water is running out your pipe a little now, with all the rain since yesterday. My pond is up about 9" since Thursday even with small watershed, and we did not get as much rain as your area did.
I wish.. With almost no rain in Aug, Sept, and Oct, the eight or so inches of November rain, have helped, but the pond could still come up a foot and not go out the pipe. I've got about 9 acres that drain into the one acre pond. It's half timber, and half alfalfa. Between the two, they sucked up almost all the rain. Very little runoff. I'm happy to get a 18" bump from 8" of rain.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 11/29/1503:29 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Sorry about that......my watershed is small for my pond size (about .3 ac) and I still got a 9 inch rise from 2.75 inches of slow rain over three days. Still about 8 inches to go before I call it full, and about 16 inches to get barely to the emergency spillway. My runoff comes from a hay field that was last cut in late September. That last foot or so is hard to get because most ponds spread considerably as they near full capacity.
In the last 3 to 4 weeks we have had 4+ inches of rain and 15 inches of snow. Puddle is up 3 to 4 feet. I spent a lot of money this past summer on waterways and erosion control to maximize my large watershed input, in a good way, to the pond. I may have gone too far. I am only 2 feet from overflow and rain is in the forecast. My pond is on almost flat ground so there is no spillway. Thought now is to expand the pond again to get material to build an embankment with a rip rap spillway that dumps when the water level reaches the surrounding grade.
Last edited by Bill D.; 11/29/1508:44 PM. Reason: Clarification
I might need to make improvements in order to draw more water. I want to see how it works out with normal rainfall. If there is such a thing any more, as normal rainfall.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
At the pond yesterday. Water temp is down to 44. The FHM will still hit the hand tossed feed. A few swirls on the feed or FHM when I tossed it. I think those are a couple of YP that still are active. Lots and lots of tadpoles, big ones, just load up a minnow trap wherever I toss it. I did notice a few bigger swirls or rises out in the muddle if the pond. Away from all the structure I've put in. Could be some of the newer additions, HSB, or SMB? Water level us still up from recent rains. Has maybe dropped 1" over the last week.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 12/06/1512:28 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Back to full water level at the pond. Looks like I've still got 24" clarity, and 40 degree water. Still millions of tadpoles along the banks. I moved the dock back to where it was supposed to be, as it had been blown to the south end of the pond. When I pushed it off the bank, there were clouds of FHM beneath it..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Haven't updated it a while. Just have been enjoying the pond. Added another dock section. Bought the 4x20 kit from Menards, and made a 8x10 out of it. Still catching lots of delicious YP, lots of HBG (releasing) on the fly rod. The fescue is thick, and needs mowed frequently. However, I am still troubled by the slow leak. I've lost 30" since Jan 1. That's about 6" a month, so it's not driving me over the ledge, but I'd prefer less. Oh well, I have much to be happy about.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
The RES are spawning. You can see four or five just below the surface. The red tabs are bright. I wasn't able to get a decent pic with the RES in it. Two spots along the bank where they are active. Both on the eastern bank. Gets warm there in the afternoon.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Pups getting bigger. He's been in a few times. Seems to be ok with swimming. I went out floating around, but he just barked and whined at me. He wouldn't come out. He still tackles every perch I pulled out. Had eight for dinner Sunday night. Butter and garlic on the grill. Hard to beat.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Caught fifty plus YP this weekend. The kids have all taken off for their homes. We swam and fished, nonstop for two days. Finally caught a few RES, sorry no pictures. They are still sitting on beds along the banks, but hit some worms for my grandkids. The HBG appear to be waiting around the edges of the RES nests. Or, maybe there's more hybridization going on?? I'm still amazed at how all those YP had been so quiet for so long, and now appear every time the feeder goes off. Very catchable, almost any time of the day. We catch them in other parts of the pond also, not just by the feeder. A few were in the 11" range, which is great in my opinion. Rainman just brought them in last April, at 4-5". (150) Here's a pic of some of yesterday's catch. Put them on the grill for lunch. Yum! (Sorry no tape measure, my 13s are below for reference.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 05/30/1601:46 PM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
YP are starting to bite again. So are the SMB. Still haven't caught a HSB yet.. One of these days.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Haven't updated this thread in a while. Was at the pond this afternoon. It was almost full when we were here on the 7th. Last night we had a 4" rainfall in a few hours. I was a bit concerned that water would be going over the dam. The good news is, the 12" pipe was able to handle all the runoff. I have emergency spillways at both ends of the dam. Water had not gone over either spillway. Water has gone to a brownish green, due to runoff.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Haven't updated this thread in a while. Was at the pond this afternoon. It was almost full when we were here on the 7th. Last night we had a 4" rainfall in a few hours. I was a bit concerned that water would be going over the dam. The good news is, the 12" pipe was able to handle all the runoff. I have emergency spillways at both ends of the dam. Water had not gone over either spillway. Water has gone to a brownish green, due to runoff.
Now you are getting the rain, and we are into a bit of a new dry period!
I've decided to let the fescue go to seed. Thought it might be easier than reseeding. I have mowed a path around the pond, just not everywhere. Rained a little last night. (.6") The water is up in the grass in a lot of places. Since it was so far down by the end of last summer. The ground is also pretty soft for taking my tractor along the bank. You need to come up to show me how to catch a HSB!!
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Now you are getting the rain, and we are into a bit of a new dry period!
It is nice to see it staying full. Climate.com is saying I've had 25.5" season to date. Definitely way more than last year. I think it's about 10" above average. That 4" the other night had water coming across the roads in places.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Caught some YP on the fly rod this am. Hit a simulated minnow. Also caught a few HBG on poppers. I can't believe this little one went after the fly. Wish these HBG wouldn't spawn.. Also a pic of the "hopeful" fescue going to seed. Along w pup. (Dirk the destroyer)
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Haven't updated this thread in a while. Had a great time at the pond last weekend with the grandkids. Water level is down again this year, but not as bad as last fall. Our drought continues, but I think the leak is reduced. I'm so glad I didn't pull the plug on this project three years ago, when we hit so much rock during construction. It's worth every penny. These will be memories that I hope last forever.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thanks Bob. Not much educational value in the post, but it clearly demonstrates why we build them.
I'm still hoping for more rain.
Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Looks like the kids are having fun and the dog wants to go for a swim.
It's been a good year for the pond. A lot less $$ than putting in a pool, but with a lot more fun things to do.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Good job, looks like they are having a good time and they will remember it all. the first pic of the little girl, she looks serious and I bet she will always be a fisherwoman for the rest of her life because of what you have done. You did good!
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Good job, looks like they are having a good time and they will remember it all. the first pic of the little girl, she looks serious and I bet she will always be a fisherwoman for the rest of her life because of what you have done. You did good!
Her mother. (I posted this elsewhere, so I didn't include it here. This lady is an intense fisher person. Then had me take a pic, so she could send it to her husband, in order to rub it in.. ha!
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Daughter back up with the 3 yr old twins. Fished w worm and bobber for a day. Caught a few HBG, several GSH, but mostly YP. Only kept YP, just two of the larger ones, I’m assuming females. Also kept 20 of the smaller YP, I’m assuming males. Looks like my YP population is ok, despite not seeing many egg ribbons this spring. You can see my pond is still down 3’. With only a few inches of rain since last Oct, I’m amazed I am only down 3’.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 05/14/1809:06 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Had a great time at the pond last weekend with the grandkids. I'm so glad I didn't pull the plug on this project three years ago, when we hit so much rock during construction. It's worth every penny. These will be memories that I hope last forever.
Not to say I told you so....oh Bull...Told you so!!! cost is very relative, my friend!
Rainman and SetterGuy, I'm having some serious perch envy over here. Your 'package' is way better than most and there is a lot of envy going on. I don't know who supplies your perch but the genetics, environment and stocking all add up to getting a great thing going! That is one seriously fat and happy momma perch!
Great work! Now if you would only share some of those secret recipe ghost shrimp maybe us other pondmeisters would have a fair chance at growing some jumbo YP as well...
Canyon, I think he's growing yellow perch just inside their usual southern limit, so his growing season is much longer than Michigan. Maybe that's the key?
I haven't heard of even trying to grow them here. The Lonoke hatcheries don't stock them.
SetterGuy did you get the feeder working and is that part of the equation? lots of good quality feed? I know you have lots of forage which helps. That perch, if female, certainly dropped eggs already so it would have been fun to catch when loaded with eggs.
The perch are surprisingly hardy even in our warm humid summers in a relatively shallow pond here in MI, I bet if the local fish farms just dug a pond a little deeper to preserve some cold water areas or had access to some natural spring water to help offset summer heat and got some pellet trained perch they could get a lot of pond owners excited about this very versatile fish. It also is very good eating and is highly sought after in restaurants even in the great lakes area where there is a fairly good supply and they can be caught by private anglers fairly easily.
Setterguy wanted SMB and Yellow Perch. He had already stocked FHM, so I suggested a very heavy stocking of YP...1200 originally...along with (I think) 20 pounds of Golden Shiners and some Hybrid Striped Bass.
Sadly, the day before delivering the SMB and YP, a water change using well water hit a lot of the YP....The well water was very high in Hydrogen Sulfide and YP instantly reacted to the poison....the vast majority survived, but there is no way to estimate just how many. Then, a lot of Golden Shiners committed suicide in some straw netting under water that setterguy had laid around the pond to prevent erosion...so again, no way to know just how many lived, but obviously, more than enough YP are there for fun angling and great table fare, and plenty of GSH are fattening the YP and SMB! There were some HBG added also along the way....I've stocked the SMB/YP/GSH/HSB/FHM combo in other ponds...as far south as central GA and best pond I have seen has YP/WE and monster SMB in it just west of Nashville, TN
Rainman, great work. Keep spreading the word around to the southern pond owners that your stocking strategy works and hopefully more will try YP in their ponds
Had a great time at the pond last weekend with the grandkids. I'm so glad I didn't pull the plug on this project three years ago, when we hit so much rock during construction. It's worth every penny. These will be memories that I hope last forever.
Not to say I told you so....oh Bull...Told you so!!! cost is very relative, my friend!
Haha! Thx Rex. I didn’t like taking the female YP, but when the daughter or grandkids catch them.. Well.. I must have a million GSH. I hooked one and threw him out in the middle for a hour or two. A few feet below a bobber. Thought I might see the ever elusive HSB.. (nope)
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
SetterGuy did you get the feeder working and is that part of the equation? lots of good quality feed? I know you have lots of forage which helps. That perch, if female, certainly dropped eggs already so it would have been fun to catch when loaded with eggs. .
CC, I wouldn’t let anyone take any YP this year until they were done spawning. I’m just not 100% sure I have “that many”. The feeder worked great last year, but is having issues again this year. I need to get a full battery in it to see if that won’t get the top wheel spinning. I feed Optima BG and Bass feeds mixed together. But I don’t feed really heavy, even when it’s working. By the dock there are schools of smaller fish. Still lots of very small HBG. When caught they become turtle food. When I hand throw the feed, there are some very large swirls of fish feeding. I’m thinking SMB, but they could be the invisible HSB.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Jeff,glad to see you and the family having fun at the pond!
Thanks Bob. It’s prettier, and larger when full, but I can’t do anything about the lack of rain.. looked like big storms coming in yesterday. We got .2”.. So it held its own for a day.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
SetterGuy did you get the feeder working and is that part of the equation? lots of good quality feed? I know you have lots of forage which helps. That perch, if female, certainly dropped eggs already so it would have been fun to catch when loaded with eggs. .
CC, I wouldn’t let anyone take any YP this year until they were done spawning. I’m just not 100% sure I have “that many”. The feeder worked great last year, but is having issues again this year. I need to get a full battery in it to see if that won’t get the top wheel spinning. I feed Optima BG and Bass feeds mixed together. But I don’t feed really heavy, even when it’s working. By the dock there are schools of smaller fish. Still lots of very small HBG. When caught they become turtle food. When I hand throw the feed, there are some very large swirls of fish feeding. I’m thinking SMB, but they could be the invisible HSB.
Best ways to catch feed trained HSB--Fly rod with a small brown pellet imitation (brown egg fly), or soak some pellets in a plastic bag with water then mold around small hook below a float.
Best ways to catch feed trained HSB--Fly rod with a small brown pellet imitation (brown egg fly), or soak some pellets in a plastic bag with water then mold around small hook below a float.
Thank you. I’ve tried a lot of different techniques for catching HSB, but not this. Just need to find a brown pellet imitation. My 5wt is up there, might need to replace the leader though. If I get one of my HSB to hit, I’d like to be able to bring him in. Thx
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Rain! It came up a sudden thunderstorm a little over an hour ago and we already have almost two inches. Still more to come, but maybe not as quickly. Creek will be flooding shortly!
Edit: We received 2.06" total! Creek went a little out of banks, new pond lipping spillway, older pond (leaker) only 5" low.
Wish a few drops would come up this way. Glad you got some rain!
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Best ways to catch feed trained HSB--Fly rod with a small brown pellet imitation (brown egg fly), or soak some pellets in a plastic bag with water then mold around small hook below a float.
Thank you. I’ve tried a lot of different techniques for catching HSB, but not this. Just need to find a brown pellet imitation. My 5wt is up there, might need to replace the leader though. If I get one of my HSB to hit, I’d like to be able to bring him in. Thx
I'll look around and see what I have in my fly box. PM your address and I'll send you some if I have any. If not, I'll have to find some time at the vise. BTW, I have a pond in southeast Iowa with a similar stocking plan as yours.
Caught this SMB yesterday. Biggest one so far. Released right away. I thought for sure I had caught one of my mysterious HSB. What a fighter. Cleared the water by 2’. I had gone early and walked to the pond. Left my scale and tape back in the barn. So it’s only my opinion, but she felt huge.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Stockpile every bit of clay you can.
I'm just a bit nervous this pond will hold water.
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