Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? New property with a dry pond, need guidance

Hello Everyone,

I recently bought a property with a .77 acre pond that appears to have been dry since 2014 according to google earth.The house was constructed during the mid 70's so I'm assuming the pond is the same era. I've attached as many photos as possible to help paint the picture.

The good news is I'm surrounded by other ponds that can hold water and a small but natural stream runs through the pond.

Problems:

-over grown with vegetation.
-broken pipe causing water to flow straight through the damn into my neighbors pond.

Questions:

Where should I start?

How do I kill off the extreme amount of vegetation that is safe for a pond?

What type of concrete should I used to fill the old damaged pipe?

(I'm sure I can search this one) What type of syphon system would you recommend to replace the old galvanized pipe?

Also any other observations or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance!

If you have the pond-itch and a budget to back it...I would definitely consider having it dug back out to its original depth. It's hard to say from the pictures, but it looks like and older pond that has mucked in over the years and is now rather shallow. Depth is a good thing for a pond's longevity and having it renovated would also allow for the old pipe to be dug back and properly removed or capped/sealed. A shallow pond also grows pond weeds more easily. Having it dug out will also take care of the current trees and unwanted vegetation.

Welcome to PB! Getting the pond back will be a nice backyard feature.

What QA said, you have an almost blank slate with tons of potential without a huge amount of cost, Good Luck!

So again thank you all for the great resource. What is the best way to determine the water level. The pond edge at the bottom of the yard is the lowest spot. How do I measure and transfer that height to the dam and be able to set the siphon setup at the right height.

Thanks in advance.

So again thank you all for the great resource. What is the best way to determine the water level. The pond edge at the bottom of the yard is the lowest spot. How do I measure and transfer that height to the dam and be able to set the siphon setup at the right height.

Thanks in advance.

Don’t know. Never tried that.

Bump for you

See if you can rent a transit from a local rental yard. Another way to determine level is to use a clear hose with water in it. Fill the hose with water, hold the ends up. Water will seek it's own level in the hose. If water keeps pouring out of one end, it's not level and that end needs to be raised higher.

Good afternoon everyone,

I know people usually don't ever post the results and leave things open ended. See attached photos. I hired a professional and I don't regret it for a minute. The old hole is filled with concrete and new syphon system is installed. It actually has two sets of pipes on the back side of the dam. Due to the fact no one I could find has ever seen the pond full, We opted to put two pipes in for good measure. If for some reason I find the one 6" system can keep up, I can simply add the plumbing to complete the second pipe on the front side of the dam.

Looks good!! I like the screened inlet.

Thanks for the update. It would be nice to see it when its full also.