I'm brand new to this forum and offer a suggestion or two to possibly get some help on constructing your ponds.
There are retriever clubs and lab training enthusiasts all over the country who are dying to be able to train their dogs on nice ponds. Folks all over the country also build ponds for the purpose of training their dogs.
These ponds usually are constructed where there are a lot of points, islands, Penninsula's, etc. Coincidentally, these types of ponds lend themselves to great fishing and are very pleasing to the eye compared to a pond with a straight bank.
If you are looking to find some ways to help fund your pond building, or just want to share your onds with some very good folks, contact your local retriever clubs. Many clubs will also pay for the privaledge of holding a trial on your grounds.
A good place to look for clubs are:
www.working-retriever.com or AKC.org.
Here's a few pics of some nice ponds designed for retriever training from a retriever training forum I belong to.
http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=40514 Generally, retriever folks don't want a lot of trees around the ponds, cause a dog can't see through them to mark birds or do blind retrieves.
Also, if your pond holds ducks on a regular basis, you might be able to lease your pond for duck hunting only for anywhere from $500 to $5000. It all depends on how many ducks you have and how long they stay there.
Have a good one.
Tim West
Arcadia, OK
