Russ,
Thanks for the dose of reality and the good points. I knew the excavation and bentonite would be expensive, but hadn't given much thought regarding the insurance and property tax consequences. Safety is an absolute priority as well, so I had been thinking about fencing options or designing the pond with a safety shelf of shallow water (which will probably give me a good start on the aquatic weed garden I hope to avoid). Sounds like I had better start filling the piggy bank and considering other properties.
