Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Groundwater pond water fluctuations

Al, digging a pond in this area presents it's problems. Many are just dug with a dragline, but that's not how I prefer to do it. The land is flat, and very few ponds have what you consider to be dams.

My pond was done that way, and that's why I had to renovate it in 2008/2009. Too shallow, banks were too steep, etc. They also hit a hard layer of clay that was about a foot thick that the dragline couldn't go thru. So they quit and the pond would drop to 18"-24" of water depth in that area during late summer.

Most of the ponds, are dug in the late summer/fall when the water table is lowest. Also, they are kept as dry as possible by pumping out the water as if flows into the pond. Digging the deepest part of the pond first, then working on the shallower areas works best because by doing that, you can keep the water down, and see what you are digging. It also keeps wear and tear on the equipment to a minimum.

Groundwater ponds present more problems than run-off ponds. Typically they drop in water level as the summer progresses, leaving all the shallow areas high and dry that would normally have cover (either underwater weeds or man-made cover) for the YOY and smaller fish. By summers end, if it�s a relatively dry year, all the fish are now swimming around in a bathtub, devoid of natural cover. The predators have a field day eating, and it�s hard to keep a forage base established without intensive management.

Also, you have 15�-25� of shoreline exposed, depending on the slope of the pond bottom. Any cover that was placed in shallow water for the fish is now exposed and is an eyesore.

Walking to the waters edge leaves your shoes muddy, and if any muck has built up, even an inch or so, it gets pretty slippery too�..

It�s difficult to get shoreline plants established because there is no �shoreline�, it�s a constantly moving target.

Also, if the water drops quick enough, BG beds get abandoned because of the water depth.

There�s management practices that can be done to minimize the poor aesthetics during low water levels, but it�s much more difficult (which results in more $$ spent) than dealing with run-off ponds that have a sealed pond basin.

We will see water level changes anywhere from 36� to 96� over the course of the summer, depending on groundwater levels and how the pond was constructed.