Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Small pond in yard, digging it bigger need advicel

I am new to this forum! I recently purchase a home on 6 acres. Previous owners constructed a small pond ( 50x25 feet and about 15 feet deep in the middle or so. Obviously this year it has gone completely dry with our severe drought in ga. It was built with a dam and drain along a "drainage" ditch that is fed by a bigger pond a few houses up. The guy also dug a well and built a water fall so he could supplement the rainfall that feeds this pond. (i have not fixed the well) I am wanting to rent an excavator for a day or two and dig a little further down and also make the pond wider and possible fix a few small areas on the dam that need just a little smoothing out to drive over. is there any issue with doing this without a permit? I would like to make the entire pond about a 1/8-1/4 acre big. it did have some bream in it when i moved in and would like to have a few bream in it when we get over this drought. Thanks for all the advice. My small pond is down the drain ditch on the bottom of the picture. Fed by larger edge of pond at top of picture.

You will have to check your local area to see if permit is required since all states are different.

There are some issues with compaction of the dam that will be difficult with an excavator. If you are just digging a hole it may work great.

Yellowfin, welcome to the forum. Everything you need ta know is probably in the archives. I'm not very intelligent but I do know from experience that the worst and most common mistake is impatience. I know it is very easy to want to hurry up and get started but the more research and ?s asked, the better the end results will be.
Good luck to ya whatever way ya decide to go.

Remember - you dig a hole but build a pond. Usually when you dig a hole it does not hold water very well and almost always leaks persist. A half full pond is usually not an asset. For the best built pond the side walls and bottom should be properly compacted with something other than a bulldozer.
Carefully Read through this thread from our Common Pond Q&A Achives Section.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92487#Post92487