I used an electric submersible sump pump to pump out my small < 1/4 acre pond and it took less than 2 weeks, I don't remember the exact number of days it took as it's been a few years now ( I think maybe 10 days?) but my pond was about 11' deep.

I put the pump in a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled all around it and screwed a larger piece of plywood to the bottom of the bucket to reduce sediment getting sucked in. There was a float switch on the pump and I shortened it up by securing it to the bucket so it would pump a little deeper. The electric cord is long on the pump and I rigged it so the plug and extension cord was well above the water. If you have a drainage ditch, pump the water there. When the pond was 1/2 full we moved the pump to the deepest part of the pond. When almost all of the water was gone we left the pump in there and ran it after a rain.

Once the pond was empty and drying I called in contractors for estimates. I picked my contractor and I had to wait a several weeks to get worked into his schedule giving the pond even more time to dry.

When they started, an excavator was used to remove material from the top and a bulldozer got in there to push the lower stuff within reach. All material was put in a dump truck and moved to low spots on my land and spread out with the dozer when the digging was completed.

Pumping out the pond yourself will save you money and help you get a more accurate estimate as they can see what's there. If the contractor has to pump it they use gas pumps and have to come back daily to gas up and move the pump. Time is money. Once it's pumped down they take the pump and any rainwater you get before they start will sit there and get pumped right before they start. If you pump it yourself you can keep the water out and help it dry faster. The dryer it is the less mess you and the contractor will have.

I have a backhoe/front end loader myself but I would never attempt to clean out my pond with it. My contractor measured and checked the slope as he was building it and the end result looked very consistent. There was 3 people, 1 excavator, 1 bulldozer and a small dump truck. Very efficient and they got the job done quickly. I've seen people clean out their own pond with their own equipment or rented equipment and the shore line wasn't stable and changed over the years.

I would start pumping while you decide what route you'll take, it can only make the working conditions better. I believe the muck will dry better while it's in the pond as the slope helps it drain out. That's my guess anyway because my muck was pretty solid after about 2 months of drying and only sloppy at the very bottom where there was some water. Soil conditions here could be different from what you have too.

ETA: The summer before my re-dig I got a couple of estimates while the pond was still full, they were all over the place and higher than what I ended up paying.




Last edited by loretta; 07/04/14 03:27 AM.
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