Recently purchased property with a 0.75 acre pond. We have only owned the property for a little over a month now. My plan is to build a house in the future with the pond as a significant part of our back yard. I haven't had a moment to get in the pond and do much inspection of water depth, fish stocking, etc. Currently I know the following:

1. Levee does have a leak as there is a water hole at the base that has stayed wet since I have owned the property.

2. Levee has deciduous trees of all sizes growing on it (sweet gum, red and white oak, elm)

3. Levee has a major washout due to the fact there is no drain built into the pond. On the pond side the washout is not very significant but as water has flowed down the opposite side of the levee downhill from pond it has created a large trench which washed another deep hole in a woods road on the bank of a perennial stream which flows through the property.

4. Pond bank is covered approx. 50-60% of buck brush in the waters edge. The land around the pond is surrounded by a ~50 foot strip of dense trees and underbrush.

5. When I first looked at the property the pond was covered with thick duckweed. This winter 90% of DW has washed out of the pond via levee washout.

6. Pond is downhill from a large cattle and horse pasture with a livestock pond less than 70 yards from my pond.

My primary concern is with the condition of the levee. I want to resolve the washout immediately as the levee also provides easy access to the back part of the property. However I am considering draining the pond, cutting trees from levee then rebuild with a proper overflow system.

Should I be concerned with the flow washout from the neighbors livestock pond and pasture? Is there any way to filter this such as a gravel berm?

Im sorry to write such a long book. After writing all my observations down I now see I have a lot of work to do specifically with my pond. As previously stated I hope to be able to clean this pond up to make a nice backyard feature for my family. I hope to be able to develop a place for my kids and family to fish and enjoy.

Any advice or suggestions anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!