Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction newb here with a badly neglected pond....

Let me start by saying that I believe I found the right place...I was looking up things on pond repair and stumbled into here last night and just reading through the threads I'm alittle overwhelmed.

I'm 30 and my wife and I just bought our place last week, we were very excited as this place has a small pond. We got a really good deal on the property because if the severe neglect and condition of the property as a whole. Which is fine by us as we are self sufficiency types and now we own rather than rent we will no longer be hindered.

The pond: its a small pond which is fed by a small brook (branch, creek, tributary, what have you) the previous owner said that he believed this to be a natural pond. I concur based on the fact that there is no evidence of levees or shoring done. The property as a whole was purchased in the condidtion it is now by the previous owner. And he has not visited it much. Thats about all the history I know of it. (Aside from the fact that the person who owned it before the one Igot it from was quite trashy...)
The water level is almost 2 feet below the surface of ground level, which I believe to be low considering the way the banks look. The dam/spill way has a junky, half hearted pile of rubble for a damn which has apparently blown out at some point. After there's a small creek that just meanders into the woods on the opposite side if the property.
The ponds water is dark and is pretty scummy looking. Previous owner said he thought it was stocked but not certain. Lots of underwater plants (not sure what) in the places that you can see into the water to the bottom near the edges...maybe pond lillies.

I want to repair and revive this pond to what it could/ should be. I want to make it an attractive part of the landscape and have it stocked to fish in as well as let the kids swim. I dint even know where to begin.
Any advise woukd be emmencely appreciated.
Will post pics VERY soon

Also the pond and the small creek whick flows from the pond devide my property in half. So in order to start work on the rest of the property I need ti fix this so I can build a bridge or land bridge or whatnit. So that I can access the back of the property with a vehicle and or tractor without fear of it getting washed out

Here's some pics of the pond , horrid dam and stream leading from the pond...will post more soon

http://s269.photobucket.com/user/fullbattlerattle926/library/Mobile%20Uploads

Pretty unlikely that is a natural pond, and it could certainly use a face lift! With that said, it has a lot of potential to clean it up and make a beautiful spot.

Personally I would first find out what is living in it, and if it is worth saving. If nothing worth saving, I would drain it, and hire out someone to excavate, make the sides less steep, and clean up the site. Then lay some top soil down in the barren areas, seed it up with your choice of sustainable vegetation, and enjoy!

Yea it appears that someone in years past cleared the land and did nothing except junk it up. And with bare topsoil and nothing to hold it down it got washed away. I was thinking that if I drain it and go through that trouble maybe I can make it bigger and definitely shore the sides better.... I will be doing 80% of the work on my own or with some help.......any suggestions on the dam/spillway ?

I will let the experts chime in here, the most excavation work I have done involves a manual shovel. I did play with a backhoe a loooong time ago planting trees, but that was a different beast.

Looks to me like the ruble they threw in on the dam breast is a half a$$ emergency overflow. Does the pond have a over flow pipe installed?

No it does not have a n overflow...

I think the original blew out ant the junk was their solution...judging from other things around the property the last Active owner/residents weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer to put it politely :-)

If you are considering draining and re-working, consider buying the Perfect Pond, Want One? book from http://www.pondboss.com/store.asp?c=8

Good advice above. By the sounds of your previous owners, there may be trash in the pond itself. You know that phrase..."out of sight, out of mind". I would be leery of letting kids swim in there till you know that there isn't anything in there that can hurt them/cut them up.

If you are leaning towards expanding the pond, look for some pond guys to get out there to give you quotes. At the same time, they will offer ideas that you may not have thought of.

Welcome to PONDBOSS, you'll learn a lot here!

Yea I wouldnt allow them to swim untill I knew for sure what was in it, and it appears that I will find out soon enough because it appears that I am going to have to drain the pond to fix the dam. But that is probably best beibg that I will then know 100% what's in there because I will be starting from scratch