rangersedge, i have a spill way system, and it works fine for me. my dozer guy angled a slight trough out and away from the back of the dam so the runoff wouldn't gather behind the dam. just make sure you have a lot of clay in the spillway, and maybe a little topsoil over it so you can plant bermuda grass to further prevent erosion. i had plowed a field, and brought up a buuuuuncch of rocks, hired a couple of kids to walk in front of my front end loader, throw them in the bucket, and i dumped them around the spill way. or i imagine you can buy chunk rock from your local roc/gravel company. i personally would avoid huge items/rip raff to avoid excess turbulenc in high flow times, which could result in more erosion. i also did without a drain/lowering pipe. i'd rather not have to worry about it leaking later. i also removed all of my trees; place several rock piles, boulders, tree stumps, cedar trees etc. also, your dozer guy can build benches and contours on the bottom as he builds. not to mention, my pond is 7 acres, and i can drive around a little jet ski for the heck of it. with a 12 acre lake like yours, you really could. just make sure you know where the structure is!! i also recommend you tie jugs and lines to structure as you go. as the pond fills, the jugs will raise, and when full you can see where everything is. i also took pics along the way. and before i fertilized and limed the pond (which took care of the real clear water) i went scuba diving and mapped/marked the structure and checked everything out. just keep thinking ahead like you are doing, it will pay off. and i think you got the idea that getting the right person to do the job and doing it right the first time, even if it is a little extra money, will be worth it in the long run. also, i am not an expert, these are just my opinions. listen to bob and the other pond guru's if they disagree with me!! oh, one thing i wish i did differently,,,spread out my lime BEFORE my pond filled!!!would have been a lot easier than trying to throw out 25 tons of lime over water!!! mark
