Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Some HARD choices

As it is turning out the lake I have been working so hard to build might not turn out to be succesful. The dam is built and does not leak, very solid the contractor did an Excelent job, but I think I over built my watershed, and therefore do not have any reasonable hope of this pond ever filling up.
I have about a 9.3 acre lake and supposedly 105 acres of water shed. This does not seem to be enough water shed. From what the NRSC told me back before I started, they said they like 20 to 1 water shed, and I have a little over 10 to 1.

So...it looks like I might be once again selling this tract of land to go some where else to do this ALL over again!!! This is the 3rd time I'v done this. The only thing good it seems to come from all this buying and selling is the fact that I make a TON of money each time I do this....but my lakes i build turn out lousey.
This time I am looking to either stay here in North GA or go back to South Georgia.
Here is my question, The lakes and pond in North GA seem to be somewhat Muddy. But if you go to Middle or South Georgia, below the fall line you run into this Dark Water...almost the color of tea..Since I have a choice, which is beter for growing fish? The Dark 'Tea' color water or this somewhat muddy water here in North GA.

sorry to hear that but we have several lakes with 10 to 1 ,is it pasture or wooded? I would not give up on 'er yet. Also you want neither water color. The ones here are muddy from clay but that will go away once you vegetate the area in the watershed. The Tea water is tannic acid. Very acidic requiring lots of lime to neutralize the water. I'm heading out in the morning for three days to work on about 15 tannic acid lakes near FLorida. If I had to choose easy answer north GA soil. BUT I want the climate of south GA to get about two more months of growth on my fish.

Greg can always count on you buddy thanks...It feels good to have someone who knows the area. Need to talk with you have a couple of questions...

I don't get it. Why would you build more than one pond with too small a watershed if you know better?

Ceicle, what I was going to do is sale this place and buy another place south of here...But, it took me a year to design and build this dam that I have now..I would sale this tract of land and do a 1031 exchange into another tract further out from town I would be a total of 2 hours away instead of one. THis would be one of the Draw backs..I would have to build a lake on this new piece.

Cecil,
Did this answer your question?

I'm a little confused. I might have the opposite problem, but don't overbuilt ponds just wind up with a lot less water in them that what they have potential? I.e. you have a dam for a 9 acre pond, but water for a 3? The upside is that you are then prepared for one of those once in 500 year floods.

Truthfully no.

OK Cecil...
Here is what I did. I screwed up...I have about 105 acres of water shed, but I built a dam that is for a 9.3 acre lake....OK so far....this dam was finished back in July 2004. Since then we had some BIG rains back in the Fall with the hurricans and all...The last hurrican was in September. After the last hurrican the pond was almost half full. Since then we have had normal rain fall and the lake has seen very little increase. I would say the pond has only gone up a foot to 18 inches...that all...I need another 6 FEET!! The pond right now is about 5 acres right now if I had to guess...a long way from 9.3 acres. My thinking is I might not see my 9.3 acres....so I hate do this but I might have to sale this place and start over again, some where else, with a leson learned and build another lake. I have to go through ALL that permitting again ALL the engineering, and it will not be this close to my house. To have the lake 1 hour away from the house is convient, but the next one I build would be 2 hours away!
The Good thing to all this is that I can make a TON of money buy selling it. I bough the tract in 2003, 142 acres, for $850 and built the lake off a timber sale. Now the Land in this area is going for over 2800 per acre!! Nice increase for just two years!! So all is not lost...

So does this explain my problem beter?? Is this clearer??

Big Pond, even though your pond isn't filling as quickly as you'd like, the pond is gaining water. Why not stock the pond as it is and see what happens in a year or two. I can understand your reluctance to repeat ALL that permitting but you might want to consider a different provider of ALL that engineering.

Dudley,
Makes sense...one other thing I did not mention is that the other tract of land that I am considering buying, already has "small" lake on it all ready. The owner say 8 acres but it looks to be more like 5 acres..any way we shot the water line at 8 feet of elevation from where it is now, and he said he GPSed this new elevation at 20 acres!!! This also has PLENTY of water shed!! So I would be giving up 9 acre lake that does not fill up that fast, for a lake that is twice the size and will fill up much quicker!! The draw back is that it is another hour drive to get there.
If I sale this tract I have now, I figure I might not NEVER afford a tarct over 100 acres in North GA again....the land is going up in value almost 30% a year!!!!!!

I can't believe you are giving up already--but then I would be happy with 5 acre pond in a 9 acre hole.

You do have a tough decision to make, Big Pond. Unfortunately, nobody can help you. I know you'll weigh all variables and make the best decision, and we'll all be interested in hearing about your final choice.

Thanks guys I will keep you in the loop! You never know I might have a chance to change my name from Big Pond....to Big Lake

Big Pond, if you can turn a nice profit I don't blame you...but think about the down side. My pond is still filling just like yours, built in the summer of 2003. Last year we had 44" of rainfall, and I still have 5' left, that will double the size of my pond...can't wait ! Geez, you need around 26 million gallons to fill, isn't that around 80" of runoff for your watershed ? Somewhere down the line you'll need a big dose of patience to raise catfish the size you want Also, what if you sink all your money into a new piece of land, more into construction, and don't hold water ? Scary thought...a 10 lb. fish in the hand is worth a 20 lb. fish on the hook

Robinson, I'v seen a 40 acre lakes for sale and OOOOOOOooohh WWWWEeeeeeee.....Boy, If I had the money!!! Now That would be a dream!!!!! I even seen a couple 50 acre lakes for sale!!! they about 3 1/2 hour drives away! I almost bought one! But I tell you that 40 acre lake was the best peice of water I have EVER seen!!! the Lake was in South GA about 20 mile from the FL border tear drop shaped had a boat ramp beach with palm trees! Oh man!! I am telling you this was the THANG!! 1.5 million dollars got it, could not afford it.

Eastland, you are sooo right I have been tossing back and forth on this..You know the funny thing is. The tract of land I am looking at now already has a pond in place. But here is the catch, the guy SWARES he measured the thing at 8.2 acres with a GPS, and man I just don't see it!! It looks as if it could be a good 5 acres at best...maybe my eyes are fooling me, but I don't know. Then I had him survey a new water line 8 feet higher from where the water line is now! He comes back and tells me it measures 21 acres...Boy! I just don't see it!! So I need to be EXTREAMLY careful, I could end up with something I REALLY don't want, and then I WILL be hurt....You might be right! Might need to sit back a littel while and wait on the rain...

Shoot you would have to give me a pond for free if it was under 8 acres. Any pond I own MUST be over 8 acres, that is the NUMBER 1 rule I have...
I really want over 10 acres!! The next I do WILL be over 10 acres or want do it at all. This last pond I built when first surveyed was 8.2 acres, when the contractor came out I had him dig out EVERY Peninsula and hill he could! Then I had him rim the WHOLE pond. All the dirt came from the outer edges of the pond. We did every thing possible to widden that sucker out. The end result, 9.3 acres, I gained 1.1 acres of water. Now I am waiting for this thing to fill up, or I'm selling.

W. Robinson,

I agree with you...size isn't everything. Quality is much more important that quantity...in ponds and just about everything else in life.

Big Pond:

I have at present approx. a 19 acre gravel pit lake still active in gravel and sand removal. For me I don't need a water shed per say but dig a hole below ground water level and bingo you have surface water. My only restriction is the clay below it. Once they hit clay the depth is established. To measure a pond/lake size use a "range finder" to measure distance, the type bow hunters use to mark their arrow distance before shooting that big buck......use the range finder to measure the distance around all 4 shorelines in feet divide by 546,906/ squared = # of surface acre's. Note the 546,906 is the circumference in feet of 1 acre circular shaped pond, squared or the surface area of a rectangular pond is calculated by multiplying the pond length by the width in feet, this determines the area in square feet, then divide the area by 43,560 sq feet in 1 surface acre = the size of the pond/lake in surface acre's. For example, if a rectangular pond measured 300' x 290' the equation would be 300' x 290' divided by 43,560 = 87,000 sq ft divided by 43,560 = 2 acre's of surface water. I hope this helps you in establishing a estimated pond/lake size in the future. Best of luck with your decisions.....

Rowly

Have you ever thought of drilling well(s) to help fill it up? I would say patience would be the biggest thing you need. It would cost a lot less money with a lot less risk.