I might not be the one jet skiing but the grand kids any other friends and family up for it will be able to. Does no one build a pond for generations to come??
Joel, I sense you're getting frustrated. We've gotten a little goofy with your thread and unfortunately hijacked it somewhat. I was partially responsible so I apologize for that.
I think everyone here builds a pond for future generations. From what information I have been able to obtain my pond was built some time in the 1940s so it has been around for over 60 years.
At the second Pond Boss conference Ewest spoke quite eloquently about the heritage aspect of a pond.
I'm just curious as what size of land is proportional to a 50 acre lake. Also where can i find more info on evaporation rates? Also what depths do you need to keep fish alive during winter? How long should you prep the pond with minnows for predator fish? How do I know if fish will thrive in my area and in my pond? How do plants grow for cover?
The link provided above to Agricultural Handbook 590 is very useful. If you haven't already, download this Handbook and read it carefully. On page 10 there is some information about water shed and pond depth requirements based upon geographic area of the US. These are some general guidelines.
The watershed and required depth will vary greatly depending upon exact geographic location. In looking at Publication 590, just in Utah alone it looks as though the watershed requirement could be anywhere from 8 to as many as 120 acres of watershed per acre foot of pond. So if I'm reading the map correctly and interpreting what it says correctly a 50 acre pond only 1 foot deep could require as little as 400 acres of watershed to as many as 6,000 acres of watershed - and that is for only a one foot deep 50 acre pond!
The problem is that it all depends upon annual rainfall, and evaporation rates, surrounding land contour and I'm sure a dozen other things that I don't know about.
