I am planning to dig a pond. The site used to be a rice field. There are several ponds near by me. All have filled up naturally without having much of a run off field so I think mine will fill up easily as well. I plan to dig a pond 250ft x 150ft x 7-10ft deep. I have several questions that I hope the experts here can help me with.
1)Is the pond big enough to stock fish or do I need a bigger pond. My pond will be about .86 acre and I am told that I need some thing larger than 1 acre. Is that true? Should I make the pond larger?
2)What pond construction should I do to create a good habitat for fish? What bank slope? Bottom terrain?
3)I am reading the Louisiana State University recommendation on stocking the pond. I am planning to stock it with blue gills, channel cat, and bass.
4)What should the cost be for constructing such a pond? I am planning to use the dirt that I dig up for my housepad. I am told that in my area, from 2ft to 20ft deep, there is good clay for foundation. My neighbors are doing the same thing. I am given a quote of $21000 for the pond construction. Is that OK?
Thanks for your advice.
As an engineer, you have probably calculated the amount of dirt that will be needed for your house foundation and, unless you plan to build your house pad twenty feet thick, you appreciate that you will be using very little of the dirt that you plan to excavate. Have the dirt on your site cored and classified; you probably own material that some dirt contractors would buy from you for resale. I get from $.80 to $1.00 per cubic yard for dirt from my pit and the resulting hole in the ground is free. But I'm sure that there are many contractors who would happily charge you to build a pond by removing dirt that they are hauling to someone else's property for $10.00 per cu yd. Don't allow a contractor to perform a rectal probe on you; if you need that done, consult a proctologist since you can then rest assured that only a gloved finger is doing the probing.
Believe it or not I am going to use every bit of the dirt to build up my property. His proposal shows removing the top soil (around 3000 cubic yard) and relocate it to low areas on my property and then dig up 7000 cubic yard of clay to build a 225ft x 150 ft pad area for the house and a 1000 ft long driveway.
So far I've received 3 quotes: $28,000 for digging pond and using dirt to build up land, $25,000 for hauling in dirt from another site. The best one I've got is $21,000 for digging pond and using dirt to build up the property and driveway.
Sounds kinda high in price to me but don't know your area. I had a 180 by 80 ft pond max depth 8 ft dug with a good backhoe operator for 2800.00 55.00 per hour give or take. I didn't need the dirt but a neighbor did and paid about 1500.00 for a trackhoe operator and 2 semi-dump trucks to move the dirt so for about 4500.00 my pond was dug. Double that and your looking at 9000.00 so I think you should be able to get it done for less than 15K . Just my thoughts.
Bob
Here's another option you might consider. Stick with your original plan. Then make your lake bigger by selling dirt. If you sell enough dirt, you might be able to pay for your pad or at least part of it and get a bigger lake in the process. It all depends on whether or not you can sell dirt.
I sent you a private message and if you can send back a e-mail address. We had a pond dug for free being the company, person doing the digging got the dirt for free.We had a pad fixed and packed for a future home done at no expense. It came out really nice and the fish are growing and were enjoying the results. The best is having the grandson fish. I have pics but have too figure out how to post on the site.Good luck too you.
I live in SETX on the border with LA and built a similar sized pond for under 5k. Paid a trackhoe operator and a dozer $75/hr. I talked with several people who told me to pay by the hour rather than getting a hard bid on the project. I am glad I did because I saved several thousand dollars. I also kept all of the dirt and had it spread by the dozer while the trackhoe was digging.
Ryan Richard, having seemingly insurmountable computer problems has prevented my responding to your email. Please feel free to call me on Tu, Wed, Th and Fri evenings at 337-937-0416. During the day on Wed, Th, Fri and Sat at 337-898-0262, or Sat, Sun and Mon evenings at 985-395-9800. I apologize to the site sponsors and to the forum members for using this site to send a personal message, and assure you all that I am only trying to help a fellow member.
I met with a couple members from here and received so much information from them. Since they didn't post their names on here, I won't reveal their names. Just want to post an acknowledgement and express my thanks for their help. I hope to start the construction soon and will post my progress.
i would dig your pond larger,you will find in most books that it is hard to raise bass in a pond less than 1 acre.after several years they will clean you out,all though you will find some members who work hard with there ponds and have a good exp.with smaller ponds.i think bob said it best when he said (less than 1 acre,put bream and catfish in pond)i know 2 people with ponds of 1.35 and 1.65 acres and everything has worked pretty good for them.you might try to get a min. size in this range,it will be best for the bass you put in your pond.
We are building a small pond - 200' x 150' (approx).
We are planning on going 8'.
What are the levels necessary for a pond?
What kinds of fish will we be able to raise in this size pond?
Ryan, my computer problems have been resolved but I lost my address book along with everything else. Please contact me again and I'll be happy to talk with you. djlod@cox.net
i can see it now, in bathrooms all over louisiana, "For good time call dudley at...337 555 xxxx" !!
Cajun, I'm with Norm...try to sell any dirt you don't need, you'll be surprised how much you can make. contact your city and county and state hwy depts, they may make a deal with you; call your local dirt companies. i sold a lot of mine to a guy nearby building a horse arena and needed fill dirt for level ground. use the topsoil around your house, or if you don't need it, sell it also. also, if you have extra dirt, don't let someone talk you into and charge you to move it far away, just make a less steep back slope...will make it much easier to mow!!
also, i think 21k is way too high. i really think you can get it done for under 10k, especially if you can sell some dirt. also, important to note if you have clay down below that stuff on top!
i can't remember where it was, but i thought there was a post on this website last year about a guy building a pond in louisiana, encountered shallow water tables etc..might want to search this site.
another free thing...contact your local farm service/coop service agent... ours had a guy who came out and surveyed for free and "shot the lines" for the dozer guys (i might add that my dozer guy was so good, he got everything right within a few inches of the "techno" guy!!)
ask your dozer guy how long he has been building ponds. number 1 question!! don't let some guy quote you less per hour, but cost a lot more in the long run because he is learning on your dollar!!
well, keep us posted on your pond adventures.
don't forget to add structure when the pond is dry! mark
Mark, I had a stamp made with those numbers on it. Dressed in drag, I can rapidly access ladies' restrooms to leave my message. Business is GRRRRREAT. The downside is that my brain is now held together only by spirochetes.
you crack me up dudley, i can just picture it now!! mark oh, republican or democrat drag?!!
Noticed the phone numbers with 898 & 937 are in my neck of the woods. Don't be spreading any fish eggs over here.
Independant, of corse. Caint risk alenating ma client base. Altho Ah does ware ma hillery '08 button. Ah look goooooood too. But Ah shure cud use some assistence. Just Joe, wat size underalls does you ware? We cud tell our clients we frum Mountain Home, Ark. Who cud doubt us wen we nail em all doe eyed with them static mid-dilated pupils! Hee hee hee.
Don't give Bubba a hard time.He looks like the mothers side of the family.
Digging just got started yesterday! I'll post some pictures soon.
Sounds great. We have some great pics since our pond was done. Bream are about 4 to 5" and we added a few bass caught in other places and released are doing good.
Can we upload pictures to this site? I have pictures of my pond construction that I want to post.
Cajunrider:
See this thread - it's the latest I can remember on posting pictures:
Posting Photos You can't currently post them directly to the PondBoss Site; you have to have then on a webpage elsewhere, then you reference that page's URL to display the picture here.
Free Storage space is available online at Photobucket (mentioned in the thread above), Geocities.com (which I have used), Tripod.com, and other places. Web consultant assistance is available for $50/hr from my 13 year old (that's less than what he costs me).
Here's a link to pictures of the pond construction process.
Pond Construction
Can't wait for it to be done.
Pond construction continued