Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Can I fill in part of a spring fed pond?

I own a spring fed pond. I would like to build a home next to this pond. The issue is that the space is a little narrow for building and I am concerned about flood risk.

My question is two fold:

-What are the issues and concerns with filling in a small part of the pond that I should be aware of?

-How do I locate the spring that feeds the pond? My thought is that the most important thing is not filling over that spring. If I can avoid that, I should be good.

Thanks!

Is it an artesian spring or just groundwater? There IS a difference.

I don't know, how would I find out?

Sounds like a fun project Chris, but we are going to need way more information to possibly give good answers to that question.

There is essentially zero flood risk from a spring-fed pond, UNLESS the pond also catch surface waters subsequent to large rain events. Is that the circumstance in your pond? (There are a few exceptions for some specific aquifer circumstances.)

How was your pond built? Is there an obvious dam? Is there a clay liner on the pond slopes that you can observe when the water level goes down?

I have some "groundwater ponds" that are tied to an areally extensive sand layer in the region that always holds water. As long as my ponds have a moderate connection to that sand layer, then the water level in the pond will match the water level in the sand aquifer. If you drained your pond and found an exposed sand/gravel layer right in the area you wanted to backfill for the house, then you could probably install some perforated 4" PVC pipes into that area and then connect them with solid pipes that feed into the main body of the pond. Backfill over the area for the house site. Leave as much sand as possible over the perforated portion of the pipe. You will also need to "block" the sandy subsoil with impermeable fill material to keep the sand layers from extending to the shore of the modified pond. Otherwise, a water saturated sand layer will probably flow sand into the pond and NOT support the weight of a house.

If your property is in some of the more hilly terrain outside of Medford, then it is more likely that you do have a discrete spring that runs into your pond from the uphill direction. That MAY make it easier to locate, and easier to avoid plugging while altering your pond.



Without seeing your property, I don't believe altering your pond shape and location is the best way to avoid flooding of your new house.

Flooding from surface waters is going to greatly depend on the watershed draining on to your property. Usually the best way to deal with that is to elevate your home site as far as possible above the grade of the floodplain.

If you are worried that the pond itself will be catching floodwaters and endangering the house, then a large emergency spillway might be your best option. You can use your current pond outlet to keep the pond at the desired level, or you can slightly alter that outlet if a different pond water level would be more favorable to your house plans. However, after you set the "normal" water level, you then construct a MUCH larger emergency spillway that will start passing water at an elevation just above your normal pond level. That should mitigate flood risk due to the pond itself.


Finally, you can even build your house partly over the pond. There is an old thread on Pond Boss where someone built a beautiful home in that fashion. Poured concrete is a wonderful material to create options.


Good luck on your project!

Thank you sir for the detailed reply.

To provide more information, the pond definitely catches surface waters subsequent to large rain events. In fact, much of the surrounding area drains into this pond, with the pond draining into an adjoining swamp, and the swamp draining many miles away to a large lake.

Still, I know the land well, and while much of it floods, the part I want to build on does not.

As far as I know from what the old timers in the area say, the pond was dug out of an existing wetland after world war II. There is no obvious dam. I have not observed a clay line on the pond slopes, but then again, I wasn't looking for one.

Can you recommend a resource to educate myself on general pond optimization?

I think I am just out of my depth here and will need help. How do I find someone who knows what they are talking about? Very few will have the attention to detail that you do. I am in Northwest Indiana if you recommend anyone.

Thanks again.

P.S. I sent you an image of the pond if you wish to comment further.

I clicked on the location hotlink under your name and google sent me to Medford ... Oregon!

I guess "Indiana" Chris should have been a hint.

I just pulled up your image from the PM. Do you own the entire lot that surrounds the pond? (It appears there is already one house on the pond?)

If so, then you just have an "engineering" problem. If not, then the pond may be jointly owned by everyone that owns a lot that encompasses any part of the shoreline of the pond. In that case, you have a "legal" issue to consider AND an engineering problem!

Ownership of the pond in situations like that tends to be very state specific for the applicable laws. You may need to find out what you are allowed to do, before you make further plans.

Can you tell if the two "scruffy" ponds north of you have the same water level as your nice pond? (It is possible for you and a helper to shoot some levels if you can't confidently tell by eye.)

Are the non-vegetated portion of the shores on the scruffy ponds mostly sand?

If the answers to both of those questions are "yes", then I suspect you have a groundwater pond. (This advice is from a far away random dude on the internet, based partly on a grainy satellite image, so this is very low quality advice!)

If your pond was originally a marshy wetland, then they may have made the nice pond by deepening the area by removing lots of sand. IF that is true AND you have a groundwater pond, then I think it is very unlikely that you making a minor alteration of the shoreline will have any significant effect on the water level in the pond.

However, looking at your proposed house site, perhaps you could be a little creative in the design and make things fit the available land a little better? A longer, narrower house would create a lot of rooms and windows that had a full lake view!


P.S. In terms of an educational resource, I would recommend Pond Boss. Just look at some of the sub-forums and pick a topic that interests you - and I can almost guarantee that you will learn something. When I try to learn a new field, it is the questions that I DON'T KNOW to ask that generally trip me up the most. The only way to learn what you don't know is to learn a little more about the whole topic and find your knowledge gaps.

IndianaChris, how far are you away from Plymouth Indiana?

Heck Rod; my biggest liability is that I don’t know what I don’t know.

When it comes to filling in part of the pond, just watch out for any local regulations – messing with water features can be tricky. Maybe get a pro to check the environmental impact, you know? As for finding the spring, I'd say bring in someone who knows their stuff, like a hydrogeologist. They can pinpoint that spring without risking any important water vibes.