are you building it in a gully or a flat area? hauling in dirt or got it there? clay or not clay; springs/creeks/adequate runoff or having to drill a well? dozer guys...mine were great, treat them good, they will take care of you!! don't hire a guy to save a few bucks an hour...get the guy who has built a bunch of ponds, then go look at those ponds and ask the owners how close to the estimate it was at the finish of the project. some dozer guys specialize in roads, or clearing land...then some have the reputation for building good ponds. build it right, with the right people the first time, and in the long run you will save money and time and tears! here's a suggestion also, check with your city, county, and state street departments...ask for the supervisor/top dog. then approach that person with a "deal"...they excavate your dirt (if it is a flat area), and they can get cheaper dirt/landfill in return. they otherwise would have to pay for their machinery, AND pay some guy for his property/dirt/fill. they are going to dig somewhere anyway, why not dig where the dirt is free or cheaper! that way you both benefit. I tried this, and they offered, which could have save me 5-10 grand in my project, but they couldn't do it for a few months and i needed it done sooner. they might not be able to shape it and do exactly what you need to complete it, but they might make a big dent in it to save your expense on dozers and hauling out dirt. also, check your farm services/usda office...formerly know as the ascs/soil conservation service...the engineer/surveyor for our local department came out with his equipment and "shot the lines", flagged the spill way, water level at full, etc. he came out several times throughout the 3 month project, and was great. and did it for free, compliments of my tax dollars...wow! the spill way is very important...you don't do it right, you could get water over the top of the dam, and then the tears could shed. so don't just "guess", contact the engineer at your local dept. mentioned above. don't forget to take pictures of your pond bottom and structure before fills up so you can map it out later. have fun!
