I should clarify something. I know that nobody can really advise me about our soils and their ability to hold water. This is Cindy's pond and I've informed her of the situation to the best of my ability. Her (and my) confidence in the contractor's ability is fairly high. I know that can lead to trouble, but he is a local and is very well liked by all of the people we've come to respect around here. His reputation is golden. He grew up building ponds in this county with his father who is also a very well respected member of the community.

Even if we discover that the soil isn't good enough after removing the trees, we still have a good supply of clay very close by.

I'm sure the pond can be built to hold water, I guess the question is whether or not we will have to do more labor to move extra clay. Anyone care to make a prediction?

Does anyone think I have a decent chance at winning an Oscar for my documentary above?