Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions What does metamora capac sandy loam mean?

The area in which I would like to build a pond is made up of metamora capac sandy loam and between 40-60 inches loam.
Is this good material to construct a water shed pond?

Hey, Smity, I have no idea what that means, other than knowing that "loam" is one of many soil types. As for what it means to one considering building a pond, I have no idea. If nobody here knows (which I would find hard to believe!), you may want to check with the company that did the sample for you or even your local NRCS agent.

LIke Todd is saying "What is that stuff?".

I have heard of capac but only know that it has low permeability. From that standpoint, it might work OK.

Here's what I found by googling at this site: http://ortho.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/C/CAPAC.html

The Capac series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in loam or clay loam calcareous till. These soils are on moraines and till plains of Wisconsinan Age and typically have slopes ranging from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 32 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F.

I'd contact your local NRCS office as Todd suggested. If you are looking to build a dam, you wouldn't want to use this material, since loam is a mix of sand, silt, and clay. You would want to check to see if there is a source of good clay soils close to the surface somewhere near where you want the dam.

If you are looking at an excavated pond, you should probably dig come test holes, fill them up with water, and see if they hold water. Also check land nearby to see if there are any dugouts or ponds that hold water.

Bill

Thanks for the input. It will be an excavated pond.

I'd have to think that as long as you have a couple of feet of good clay, properly compacted, the pond is going to hold water regardless of what's beneath the clay. I could be dead wrong on that, but a good clay barrier seems to be the real key ingredient in a successful pond. If you don't have it on site, it'll possibly have to be brought in.