Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Making my pond a little bigger?

Can anyone tell me what a general cost would be to make my pond about a half acre bigger about 10 feet deep? I know that's a very open ended question but if you look at my pic below you can see my current pond which is quite low in this picture must have been a dry time when they took the pic,and where I would like to add on. For that matter does this even look like it can be done for those who know what there looking at? The dam is right there on that right hand side. There are trees most of them not real big. Maybe 15 to 40 feet tall. Would I save any money by cutting down the trees and getting rid of them myself? Thanks for any help on this. I can see myself doing this before to long if it's not to expensive that is.

The more you can do yourself the more money you will save.

From your markings, it looks like you want to relocate the dam. In this case, I'd have to disagree with James on cutting the trees saving you money. It is cheaper and faster to push down a tree than to dig up a stump.

Do you know if you have the watershed available to fill and keep full a larger pond?

If any of the trees are marketable, (especially cedars) you have enough sawmills in the area to sell logs to, to offset part of your expenses.

Hey RM,

Yeah basically I want to push the dam back and make that hole side about .52 acre bigger. I didn't think about pushing a tree over versus pulling a stump. That makes since though.

Can my watershed handle it? I would say yes I think it would as when it rains up there I can have water coming out of my watershed for 2 to 3 weeks with the underwater springs that I have. I suppose though before I do any of it I should get someones professional opinion. Thanks for your reply's guys. Any more opinions are welcome. I want to know what guys think about this.

Well he could use his own dozer or rent one if he has the time.

True. Then again if you are like me, with a couple hundred hours of infrequent operating of various heavy equipment, you can be so inefficient from lack of practice, it can still cost more. Sometimes a lot more.

Yeah I have never used a dozer in my life!! I would problably do more harm then good!! It would be fun though!!

I'm a do-it-yourself type of guy, and if I had to do my pond all over again, I'd look into hiring an experineced GOOD pond builder, not a contractor that digs holes in the ground.

A buddy, a few of his friends and myself dug this pond. After finding this place and reading *after* the pond was dug; I believe a true pond builder like Otto or someone like that could have done a better job at a cheaper price, AND the job would have been completed sooner, allowing me to get erosion control in place before the rains came.

Yeah I agree esshup,

I like to do things myslef too but I know when I am way out of my element and this would be one of them for sure! I think I could push trees over and get them out of the way but after that I would have to hire someone for sure!

Thing about it is, is my dam is leaking when my pond is at full pool. Not real bad but it is leaking in 2 spots. I would say one is a leak and one is more like a seap. And I got trees all over my current dam. So sooner or later I am going to have to redo this dam or make pond bigger and make new dam? That's why I am asking. I figure if I am going to have to clear trees and fix dam, if it's not to pricey why not go a little bigger while I am doing it.

just add real estate, topography, and watershed. sprinkle generously with money
like Emeril says...BAM

Here is a Topo of my land area. My pond is the one in the circle by the number 7. I have no idea what I am looking at so any help would be great? My watershed doesnt seem that big but I get run off from 3 different spots on the left side of my pond. Sometime for 3 weeks after the rain is gone.

P.S. That small creek that they show on this map is actually coming from the back side of my dam. I am not sure if it's from my dam or from a wet water spring?? When my pond is full it gushes out the back side at the bottom from what looks like a 2 inch hole. I can't tell though if it's from my dam or a spring in the ground.

I had fish in my pond for two years and have never fed, as we do not have a filter or pump. The fish has at least doubled in size, it is time to leave.how can i manage it?