Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction New Member in SE WV/VA

Mike,

I got your private message which is similar to your introduction posting. Hopefully you won't mind that I answer the PM publicly, because you have posed some extremely good questions. I am also sending a separate PM.

Please feel free to ask lots of questions. The answers help everyone.

It is also good to know that you have a little bit time to get your mind off your duties to be able to dream about things like ponds, and that you have access to the Internet. You guys are greatly appreciated for all you do.



Bob's book is a great place to start. Mike Otto has some excellent soils info in it also.

Soils in Western Virginia and West Virginia vary greatly, even over very short distances. At our previous residence, about four miles from here, our 12 acres went from steep rocky outcroppings on the south side, to a ridge that was covered with 200-feet of coarse white sand. As the ridge dropped away on the north side, it changed to several hundred feet of heavy yellow clay (where our pond was located) over granite, and finally to deep loam over granite.

The old Soils and Conservation Service, which is now part of the US Department of Agriculture, started extensive soil mapping about 80 years ago. They continue to update the maps, and these maps are now available online at NRCS Web Soil Survey. Most of these are topographic maps at a 1:20000 scale, so you can easily determine soil types down to the sub-acre. Because they are topo maps, you can also determine the watershed area for collecting water. If the site doesn't seem to be working, look at the operating schedule. They disable it for frequent scheduled updates.

Mine runoff will not generally be a problem, even in the Beckley area. We actually have very pristine water, particularly for small ponds. My pond is fed strictly by runoff, and even it's pH stays very close to 7.0 at all times, although we have acid rain.

Because of the terrain in most of West Virginia, there are millions of separate watersheds that eventually join to produce the many creeks and rivers. There are also an incredible number of springs in the mountains. For a WV pond, you would be getting your water either from watershed runoff or from a spring. It is never good to dam a creek because during heavy rains they will overpower your dam.

Particularly in the Beckley area, the mountainsides are covered with hardwoood forests which make tremendous water cleansing filters. As you look for property, it is just important to know what is further up the mountain that might affect your water. However, with all of the ridges and hollows that we have, you can almost always find a piece of property that includes a ridge with a good watershed to feed your pond.

As for clay -- both Western VA and WV are great places for ponds. There is so much clay, in so many places, that getting drainfield areas with good percolation is difficult. There is nothing better for pond building.

We are also fortunate in this area west of the Blueridge, as the mountains seem to suck the moisture out of the clouds that pass by. Even during severe drought periods, we always seem to have enough water to keep the mountain ponds nearly full.

Lastly, WV is extremely fortunate to have one of the best agriculturists anywhere, and he heads the WVU Aquaculture Extension Service programs. Dr. Ken Semmens knows the state's waters and soils better than anyone. He knows pond building inside and out. He keeps pretty busy, but he is always available to help out and answer questions, particularly by e-mail. Here is a link to his organization: West Virginia Aquaculture Extension Service. Feel free to contact him. Just tell him that "Ken from Pond Boss" referred you.

Stay safe!

Regards,
Ken