Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Dock Question

I'm not sure this is the right thread, but here it goes.

I want to put a dock in my new pond in Michigan. I would love a floating dock, but can't handle the price. Can you leave a dock with supports in the water year round, or does the ice destroy it? I have always taken my parent's dock out at their 1000 acre lake, but am wondering if my 1/2 acre pond acts differently. I am considering a 20 foot dock with a T at the end.

This is my second day on your site and forums, and have barely slept. so much great information!!

Welcome CoachB. The smart people will be around shortly to bury you in answers. I'm just here for the entertainment.

Welcome aboard, Coach B. This is my 1,742nd day on the forum, and I hardly slept too.

A small pond like 1/2 acre does not have the ice surface area to generate the big wind push that ice on a big lake can. This enables modest to robust dock supports to make it through Winters OK.

My docks (on 1/2 and 1 acre ponds) basically just have fence posts for their in the water supports, embedded in the bottoms by usual fencepost techniques (some driven, some dug and spudbar refilled). They have made it through a total of about 9 dock Winters here in Ohio with absolutely no movement.

Thanks for the reply. It looks like I will work on creating a dock. I can tell the wife that I now have more money for fish structures!!

Are there anyone who has a good plan for a dock?

Did you say 1,000 acre lake. Is that a private lake?

If the lake hasn't been filled yet, put some 6x6's in the ground before you fill it. Then build the dock after it is full. That way you gey the height exactly where you want it.

If someone owns a 1,000 acre private lake... Jealous does not even come close to describe my feelings right now!

Level comes pretty easy from measuring a short distance off of the water, too!

Sorry, my parent's lake is not private. I was just using it as a comparison for ice. if they had that big of a private lake, I would still live at home!!

The pond is already full, so I will have to figure out how to drive the posts when the ice goes out. would aluminum posts work? They have drill bit tips that I can screw into the bottom.

Oh sure, now you want it level too.

The above picture is my dock in process... I cemented the 4x4 post in 5 gallon buckets and carried them in to the water...

Here is the finished product..

[img]C:\Documents and Settings\hbao931\My Documents\My Pictures\Kodak Pictures[/img]

Here it is

No pics...

Pond owner, your pics have to be hosed on a website (such as Photobucket or Geocities) for us to be able to view them. Plenty of free places to do this exist. See the Archive thread on posting photos for instructions and more information.