And my biggest question is what to seed the inside of the pond with so I don't end up with weeds growing while it fills. I live in zone 5a and there is no telling how fast I will reach full pool.

My property is blessed with lots of clay and many springs. The dam is going to be constructed in my front yard with a natural swail that channels much of the property's runoff directly into where the pond will be. If we have a long wet fall, my pond might very well be full before things freeze, or it may be next summer before it fills to full pool. My pond layout calls for a 5:1 slope out to 10' deep then much more steep down to a max depth of 25'. I would like to keep the vegetation to just corkscrew val in close and maybe a small amount of red jungle val out at the 10' mark if it does not fill till next summer. I will actively eradicate any other vegetation that I find.

My ultimate goal is YP/SMB but the only thing going in till 2016 or even 2017 (depends on how fast the vegetation spreads) is PK shrimp, fingernail clams, papershell crayfish, spotfin shiner, johnny darters, bluntnose minnows, FHM, GSH and hopefully LCS if I can source them.

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