Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam New to forum and new to pond construction

I am from TN and have started a new pond construction. It is a hollow which is spring fed. It will be 750 feet and average 120 feet wide. It starts at 16 feet deep and goes to 4 feet deep. We have it all cleared and top soil removed. We will be hauling red clay in to build dam. I want to stock blue gill and bass and possible trout. I have some of questions.

I have PVC pipe and valves for a spill way. Do I want a bottom draw of top draw?

Get the best of both and go with a siphon system. Check it out a http://ponddampiping.com/syphon1.html

When they place the clay, make sure they tie in the core of the dam to good clay soil at the ends of the dam or the water might leak thru the soil around the ends of the dam.

It sounds like it's going to be a very nice pond!

In your situation with the size pond and fish currently present, the best predator is man. Trap, seine and angle them out of your pond. LMB are the most effective BH predator but would make a whole different pile of challenges in your pond if stocked...

Is it better to pull water off the bottom of a spring fed pond or just an overflow?

Am I wrong by wanting to stock LMB?

Bottom. If you aren't running an bottom diffuser aerator, the bottom water will be anoxic.

No, it's not wrong to stock any fish as long as they go towards meeting YOUR pond goals. (or are illegal to stock)

Thanks guys.

How can I divert the water through the siphon to keep the water level down while I build the dam?

I was thinking a pipe on the bottom with a valve and close it when I got the dam built?

Are you talking about a separate pipe through the dam at the bottom for use during construction? The siphon is added after or while the dam is built. If you have water that you need to remove during dam construction I would use a trash pump.

I just thought I put a PVC pipe on bottom and a valve which I have and just close it when done with dam and would always have it if needed to drop pond level. I see where the siphon would work better.

My dam is 17 feet in tallest point and 350 feet long. I want it 12 feet across top and guessing should be 50 feet wide on bottom? How wide should the clay core be? I am hauling clay in to build dam.

I cannot address the width of the core but if you are going to use a pipe in the bottom of the dam don't forget to use antiseep collars on it or it will be a source of leaking

If you want to be 12' wide at the top and your 17' tall you should at least be 97' from toe to toe. That would give you 2/1 front slope, 12' middle and 3/1 back slope. As for the core 15' is a good width.

Thanks Michael. I'm thinking of going with a siphon system plus an emergency spill way.

Does concrete make good antiseep collars around 8 " PVC?

I prefer concrete.

Pond is going great. Need to try to post pics.

I have a 8" pipe in bottom of dam, it is flowing right about half full from the spring. We have had little to no rainfall. Question is how big of siphon pipe should I put in?

Anyone??

BTW I do not know if it would be of any interest to you. But you can install a water faucet into the down side of some siphon systems and use it for many different things. If you plan on developing the downside area of your dam it is FREE water for flowers, gardens, automatic water for animal housing ect....