From what I�ve heard: our pond was built by the wpa in the 1930s to collect runoff for irrigating the field below the dam. there is a �stone well� structure on the backside of the pond dam that must have been used for irrigating, but I can�t locate a corresponding pipe on the pond side. The original dam is green in the 2002 aerial pic. For whatever reasons, irrigating the lower field for cropland was abandoned and turned into a cattle pasture. a few years after the original dam construction, the west pond dike was created to prevent flooding the crop field west of the pond.

Dad bought this property in 1993 and had a dozer fix the spillway on the east side of the dam. also, we created a 1 acre marsh below the pond and installed a stop log water control structure to drawdown the pond in the summer months to promote shoreline vegetation for migrating waterfowl in the fall and spring.


Starting in 1994, we stopped using the pasture and pond for cattle production. The pasture has been restored to its original nwsg vegetation. Once the cattle were removed, we had an outbreak of willow trees on the west side of the pond. Within a few years, we had a beaver family move in and began destroying the west dike w/ their dens. Also, the original pond dam has a dozen or so mature, probably 20+ year old trees, mulberry, osage orange, willow, hackberry, growing on both sides.

The pond has collected a considerable amount of silt over the years. When walking in the pond, I sink 12~18 inches through silty mud. The water quality has improved slightly since removing cattle from the pasture, but still is poor less than 6 inches of clarity. The summer drawdowns have resulted in lush shoreline vegetation that is dominated by water willow. Last winter, I bought a windmill aerator and placed a hi~capacity diffuser near the dam.

We are managing the pond and land primarily for waterfowl. This summer, we are planning to build an 8 acre wetland in the field west of the pond, repair the west pond dike, and build a 5 acre marsh in the pasture below the pond. Also, the small parcel of land between the west pond dike and the 8 acre wetland will be planted to native bottomland trees, such as pin oaks and ash, which will someday be a 3.5 acre greentree reservoir that will be flooded in the fall once the trees are dormant.

I began drawing the water down in the pond this weekend by removing all the stop logs. pond will lose 24 inches of water w/ no logs in the water control structure. I spent New Years Day cutting and burning willow trees on the west dike, as well as, burning the beaver dens underneath the dike. Next weekend, I�m planning to rent a 4� water pump to continue lowering the pond�s water level. Ideally, the pond will be drained or very low) by march or april both to improve access to trees on the dam and dike and to dry out the hydric ground for the dozer to repair the dike this summer.

I set multiple beaver traps on the west dike that I�ll run for a few weeks. In February, I�ll have a local trapper come in to help catch remaining beavers. Over the next few months, I�ll cut, burn, and spray every willow tree on our property which will hopefully dissuade future beaver infestations.


a few ?�s:

H20 quality: What �testing� can I do to determine water quality, clarity, and microorganisms that are either present or absent from the water w/ the focus on improving waterfowl habitat?

Dam Integrity: The original pond dam is watertight, so should I cut all the trees on the pond dam or leave them be?

Water Removal: Once the spring rains begin, how can I prevent the pond from reflooding w/o cutting a hole in the dam or constantly running a pump?

Willow Tree Removal and Prevention: I�ve been told that willows should be sprayed w/ arsenal when actively growing. Is there anything I can spray now while the willow trees are dormant to kill them?

Beaver Removal: any ideas would be appreciated!

Preventing Future Beavers: any ideas would be appreciated!

Woodlot Planting: I�m hoping to plant a couple hundred trees in the 3.5 acre parcel in a couple months. What methods have been used to protect trees from beaver damage?

Pond Info.: Since the pond was originally built by the wpa, is there a government agency that may have records of the construction or any other historical data pertaining to the pond?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!