heybud, this is our pond in N.E. Texas.
The area being cleared and deepened was normally about 4ft deep, but dry at the time after prolonged drought.
You do have to have a place to put the dirt however - we opted for a berm/dike with a "cut" to main pond. Now a tremendous fishery about 6 ft deep that was high and dry this time last year. Pond presently about 2-3 ft low - rain needed...!
A skilled operator is a given for a tract hoe - an artist in motion.
I know that some pondmeisters like to own and operate their own equipmnent, but I don't see the ecopnomics, or the time and effort to manintain and repair equipoment - let alone devlop the skills to operate these machines.
I enjoy watching them work - amazing the amount of dirt a track hoe can move.
The dozer was used only to move and level dirt.
