Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Permits required for a less than an acre pond

Hello Everyone,

We are starting the process of building a pond. We have 2 springs that feed a small creek at the bottom of our property. We dug test holes to 8' where we hit bedrock. The bedrock is the same depth as the creek. Was wanting the pond to be 12-14' deep. We measured out the area and it appears to be less than an acre. Im just unsure of where to start for getting a permit. We want to use the pond for irrigation mostly but also including a fire truck hook-up, fishing and possibly swimming. We are located in central Virginia. Thanks for aby advice on moving forward from here.

I have dug half a dozen or more ponds here locally in central MO over the last ten yrs without any permits, including my own 15 Acre one, but Im sure that changes from state to state. that being said, if and when you do go ahead with the project, whether permitted or otherwise, never mention the swimming and fishing interest, that immediately makes it a recreation pond, consider it strictly a water source for irrigation, cattle, or fire suppression. Ag use will get you by a whole lot of red tape that a recreation pond wont. js
Good Luck!

Call Dana Young Civil Engineer (540) 586-9646, x110 Bedford at the NRCS office and ask them if you need any sort of permit to dig a pond for irrigation mostly but also including a fire truck hook-up to help lower your homeowners insurance. Offer no more info other than what county you are in and see what they say. Do NOT call the Army Corp of Engineers if they tell you to do so. I'd tell them (that NRCS Office) that the ACoE told you to call them if they say to call the ACoE.

Don't tell them that you will be disturbing the creek in any way, shape or form.

jludwig,

Approximately what year was that?

As I have talked to our district COE office over the years, their "engineering and permitting" advice seems to shift a little as the political tides shift.

I have also heard from someone else on the forum that the COE was certainly more permissive in Oklahoma. Perhaps the staff of the district offices varies widely in their interpretation of the regulations?

What FishingRod said,, the COE is hugely influenced by political control of the country, as of the moment they are all powerful, they are going to save the world in the next few yrs. the four yrs prior they were somewhat neutered and lost a ton of steam, prior to that they were all powerful, they were planning on putting regulations and be in control of a minute draw in a cornfield, navigable waters wasn't in their dictionary anymore. they were gonna control everything. The association I belong to did a lot of work fighting their over reach and after 2016 they just sorta went back to navigable water control.
Check out the description of WOTUS. they were going to regulate anything and everything, any draw that water flowed thru at any point in time.