Just returned from a week in SW Oklahoma working on my new pond. It is 7+ acres and 49.1 acre/feet (according to NRCS). We buried 20 large (free!) tractor tires along south edge of the dug belly of pond and along the middle of the southern approaches to the pond. Also hauled in a load of limestone rocks and built some earthen ridges and trenches. Also cut and concreted in more than 40 green mesquite trees and plan to bury another 20 or so. Water depth at flood for most of this structure is 9 feet. Also "planted" some mesquite along ridges built in dug belly of pond. Pond is 33 feet at belly and about 27 feet at tops of ridges where trees are placed. New pictures are at:
http://photobucket.com/albums/d114/speardeep/Pond%20Progress/?sc=3 Now questions: I have access to some large oak trees that have fallen in creek elsewhere on the property. If I drag some into pond, how do keep them from floating around until they become waterlogged?
Should I add agricultural lime to the bottom of pond now? I know that a soil sample would be indicated, but I am back in Guam now and hate to task my brother any more than I have. Can it hurt anything?
The NRCS designed the pond with the natural 110 acres of watershed. We added two long terraces to catch 60 acres of additional water. I can always cut them if it means too much water, but that is just the sort of problem I would like to have in SW Oklahoma. As these terraces will have water moving rather quickly along them in the spring rains, are there any suggestions as to what I should plant along them? What could best survive occasionally rushing water?
This pond ends (starts?) at the base of the dam of an older pond to the south. I suspect it's full of bullheads. I am having trouble finding a local source for rotenone. NRCS could not help and recommended using Clorox, three gallons per acre/foot. Does anyone have experience or suggestions?
Can you have too much structure? I don't want to make the thing too hard to fish. I won't be able to keep my kids out of this thing, and I wanted structure that is swimmer-friendly.
Sorry for the long entry. I've been thinking about too much for too long. Many thanks, Tom
