Pond Boss
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 01:05 AM
I am going to post pics of my pond being dug and post pics and updates as it progresses, as of now has been getting worked on for 5 days. Enjoy the pics and I look forward to your pics and comments!






Posted By: anthropic Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 01:16 AM
My east Texas pond project has gone nowhere for 2 1/2 months -- too wet! -- so it is good to see dirt being moved. Good luck and keep us posted! grin
Posted By: wbuffetjr Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 09:46 AM
I bet you are excited!
Posted By: Mike Otto Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 12:01 PM
Go man go
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 02:21 PM
Oh yea!! I am gathering stuff up for structure now so I can start placing it soon as they are done, from the springs and the rain water flowing in, looks like my pond will fill up quick. Kepp checking back for updated pictures!
Posted By: BLUE72CAMARO Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 07:11 PM
How big of pond will this be when it is done?
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 11:50 PM
Just over a acre BLUE
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/28/15 11:50 PM
Now that is a lot of dirt!!

Posted By: Lake of Clouds Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 01:34 AM
Exciting progress :-)
Posted By: The Griff Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 01:47 AM
This is awesome! How big is your property? I wanted an acre but everyone scoffed when I mentioned it because I only have 12 acres.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 02:03 AM
it`s 10.5 acres, smaller than your place Griff
Posted By: The Griff Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 03:44 AM
Damn, I knew I should have gone bigger...Now I want an acre!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 02:05 PM
Yea I still have plenty of property left, in the pics where the pond is, you are only seeing the back right corner of it. Basic math
10.5 - 1 = 9.5 acres that's still plenty of land for every thing else. I live out in the woods though and no other houses around, so I don't know if that comes into play or not.
Posted By: CMM Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 04/29/15 04:24 PM
The Griff,

I have just over 4 acres of water (one 4 acres pond and one .25 acre mini pond) on just 18 acres of land smile If I could have flooded everything except the house I would have. Or maybe I would have bought a house boat!

Dinsmore,

looks like you are having fun. When it is done, you will be able to look at product you did yourself. May you have many happy memories.

CMM
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/01/15 11:17 PM
Hey guys! I know it been months but they have had problems finding people to buy the dirt coming out of my pond so they stopped digging, BUT I got to see what water quality I would have when it filled up and it is beautiful!! Also they have started digging again!! so I hope yall enjoy the pics and would love to hear your feedback.





Posted By: Bob-O Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/02/15 03:22 AM
Dang Dins, that last pic could be a postcard or a promo photo for a land development project. Congratulations and thanks for posting the pics and bringing us up to date.
The Griff, let em scoff, I have a 1/4 acre pond and have had 8 yrs of grandkids havin fun and friends askin to come over.
Posted By: Dave Davidson1 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/02/15 09:57 AM
Gonna be pretty neat
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/02/15 10:17 AM
Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors
Oh yea!! I am gathering stuff up for structure now so I can start placing it soon as they are done, from the springs and the rain water flowing in, looks like my pond will fill up quick. Kepp checking back for updated pictures!


Good for you. Many of us know the excitement of our first pond.

For those of us that don't know our trees what kind of trees are those around the pond?
Posted By: Bob-O Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/02/15 01:25 PM
Cecil, up kinda late aren't ya?
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/02/15 06:01 PM
Originally Posted By: Bob-O
Cecil, up kinda late aren't ya?


I wish!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/03/15 01:34 AM
Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors
Oh yea!! I am gathering stuff up for structure now so I can start placing it soon as they are done, from the springs and the rain water flowing in, looks like my pond will fill up quick. Kepp checking back for updated pictures!


Good for you. Many of us know the excitement of our first pond.

For those of us that don't know our trees what kind of trees are those around the pond?


Thoughs are long needle pine trees
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/03/15 01:54 AM
Hey guy they got a lot of water drained out so I wanted to put up some more pics while I can. oh and measured it out to day. It is 136ft wide and 320ft long





Posted By: Bob-O Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/03/15 02:33 AM
Are'nt those Long Needle Pines home to a special woodpecker that is/was on the endangered list? Also are they more popular in the northern portion of the state?
Posted By: Cecil Baird1 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/03/15 08:40 AM
Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors
Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors
Oh yea!! I am gathering stuff up for structure now so I can start placing it soon as they are done, from the springs and the rain water flowing in, looks like my pond will fill up quick. Kepp checking back for updated pictures!


Good for you. Many of us know the excitement of our first pond.

For those of us that don't know our trees what kind of trees are those around the pond?


Thoughs are long needle pine trees


Thanks. Seen quite a few in my travels in the south.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/03/15 06:58 PM
Originally Posted By: Bob-O
Are'nt those Long Needle Pines home to a special woodpecker that is/was on the endangered list? Also are they more popular in the northern portion of the state?


Bob there are millions of them, the land I live on was once paper company land, and they farm thoughs pine trees every for pulp wood. So no probs there
Posted By: Flame Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/07/15 03:31 PM
How deep will it be and what are you going to stock? It is beautiful. Congrats.!!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/20/15 10:11 AM
thank you! it will be 30ft roughly in the deepest part, and I plan on stocking Fat head minnows, golden shinners, blue gill, shell cracker, a few channel cats and the main fish im wanting to grow Large mouth bass. I cant wait to get home and start setting up stucture. currently stuck over in Africa while the pond is being dug
Posted By: RER Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/20/15 12:35 PM
Man 30 Ft is gona be nice, not many ponds in FL are that deep.
You going to use a bottom difuser aeration to keep the bottom oxygenated?

perhaps some of the experts can chim in but its seems Threadfin Shad would be an easily sourced aditional forage fish to stock and the Bass would love them.... Crayfish and fresh water grass shimp would add to a well balanced forage base too. I have loads of them and am willing to share , but they are pretty easily sourced locally too.

the FHM are great for jump starting the system but typically are gonna disapear only leaving the CNBG and the GSH.

Posted By: RC51 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/20/15 12:56 PM
So kinda hard to tell from pics I guess is it more shaped like a channel/creek? It's 3 times as long as it is wide so I am assuming it is like what we would call an oxbow here... not so wide but long? Would love to see a pic from above! Looks pretty cool though congrats!

RC
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/20/15 05:31 PM
yea was planning on adding crawfish, and yes a bottom aerator to keep the water circulated. RC51 they still have a lil bit wider to go but yes longer than it is wide, the are digging it so deep because they want as much hard pan as they can get
Posted By: esshup Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/21/15 02:25 PM
Before they finish, have them taper the shoreline 4:1 out to a few feet of water depth, then they can go 3:1 out to 6'-8' depth, then 2:1 if the soil will hold that slope. If it's sandy soil, it usually won't stay in place if the slope is steeper than 3:1.

Have the dirt above the waterline 4:1 or less steep to make getting to the water easier.
Posted By: RER Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/21/15 02:58 PM
Just curious , what is the "hardpan" and what might it be used for?
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/21/15 04:55 PM
Bobby its that red to almost black looking dirt we have here in North FL, when it compacts its hard as a rock, they use it for driveways and added foundations for homes if you look in the pics its the really dark dirt and what looks like rocks
Posted By: BBoss Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/30/15 11:57 AM
What you guys down in Florida call a pond, in New Mexico, we'd call a lake. Holy Cow! Amazing. It just fills in from rain and it is that clear? Incredible.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/30/15 03:29 PM
Well BBoss I have small springs that fill it up too
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/02/15 07:23 PM
Got my folks to take some pics of the pond while im gone here are the lastest pics of the pond. the length is done but they have a lil wider to go, if you look in some of the pics you will see a pine tree with orange tape on it or in the first piture its by the yellow loader, that is the goal width of the pond. Look forward to hearing you questions and comments!! enjoy the photos!







Posted By: esshup Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/03/15 12:46 AM
If the pond is a groundwater pond, and the water level will fluctuate a couple of feet, taper the banks to a more gradual slope to allow walking down and mowing down to the water's edge as it recedes.
Posted By: Bill D. Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/03/15 01:01 AM
+1 To add to what Esshup stated, my experience is that gradual slope and water level change inherent with a water table pond can work to your advantage. When spring spawn time comes around and the spring rains raise the level, that vegetation on those gently sloping banks gets submerged. Prime habitat for plankton and new spawn.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/03/15 05:18 AM
The banks are going to be sloped more, the are just doing the general digging out right now, once they get all the dirt they want out they are going to go around it with a dozer for the finish work and sloping of the bank so good there :-)
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/05/15 06:33 PM
any one know a good and cheap grass seed to put around a new pond like mine?
Posted By: esshup Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/05/15 11:42 PM
There's a science to getting grass to take. You have to keep the seed moist, and plant no deeper than 1/8" or so. Renting a grass drill is the best way to do it, but before you have the seed down get your sprinkling system dialed in. Once the grass starts to germinate, every time it dries out I was told that you lose 50% of it.

Rye seed is cheap and good. I would find the best grass seed for your area of the country, seed at the recommended rate, and add 50%-75% of the recommended seeding rate of Rye grass too. Rye will pop up in a few days if conditions are right, then it will help keep moisture in the soil for the other grass seeds.
Posted By: Nicole Martin Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 12:47 PM
Marvelous! Just amazing work, I really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: SetterGuy Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 01:53 PM
We had amazing success with throwing down fescue and winter wheat, and then covering with straw. We have very thick fescue all around the pond, including the dam.
I never watered it, but I did fertilize. I reseeded again the next spring.
The winter wheat came up strong, and attracted turkeys all summer.
The toughest part was spreading the straw over all the seed, but it made the difference. Where we did not put straw, we had very little grass.
Posted By: DonoBBD Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 03:22 PM
REally like the idea of putting straw on top of the seeding.

We found that if you have a way to spread the seed yon can then just drag a chain with a 4 wheeler with a spreader bar. Just dragging the chain was enough to get the seed covered and take really well.
Posted By: Hollywood Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 04:18 PM
I seed then dust over it with peat moss and mist it down well, so it's saturated, but not washed off. The surface may look dry afterwards... But underneath where the seeds are stays moist. I'll bet you could grow grass on asphalt like this. Had a friend get a big landscaping project done a few years ago. The contractor said there was no sense in trying to establish seed until fall, once that hot dry summer weather was gone. He came back a couple weeks later to finish a wall and was amazed to see the new lawn well established with almost no rain in that time. Adding rye is great too. It establishes VERY quickly, the roots help hold everything together until the grass grows and it helps a lot by shading everything, really helps keep the ground from drying out.
Posted By: JDMahindra Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 06:02 PM
Setter is the green pipe part of a siphon system for the pond?
Posted By: SetterGuy Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 08:07 PM
Originally Posted By: JDMahindra
Setter is the green pipe part of a siphon system for the pond?


It's just an overflow pipe. In retrospect, I wish I'd never put it in. I have spillways on both ends of the dam, but the guy from the government thought I needed a pipe also.
I didn't know about the true siphon systems when we put it in. It just angles down from front to back. It collects water before the grass spillways do. I've never had water go over the grass spillways and really only had it coming out of the pipe a few times.
We put seep collars on it, but it has leaked along side the pipe when the pipe was almost under. Not a good situation. I've packed bentonite around the pipe entrance. I'll know if it works pretty soon. We had rain yesterday, and are supposed to get rain the next three days. I'll know Sunday if it's leaking. Pain in the backside to do a proper repair. Expensive too.
The other side.

Posted By: JDMahindra Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/24/15 08:18 PM
Appreciate the response
also appreciate your insite on the drain pipe issues

I have just finished excavating our pond and now working towards installing a siphone system.
Would post some pics but not sure how too from an android phone
Posted By: ksessions Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/27/15 04:49 PM
Looks good. I can tell by the pictures you hired someone that knows what they are doing! It's a lot more expensive when you hire someone that doesn't. haha. This is a tough time of year to dig ponds. Where about are you located?
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 02/20/16 12:08 PM
K im in the very North east corner of FL im only a 15 min to GA. They have been diggin since May so almost a year now, digging isn`t the problem though, finding folks to buy the dirt to get it off the land is! thats why it is taking them so long. Only takes them like 3 days to dig and put up the dirt, takes them forever to haul it out!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/14/16 11:52 AM
Hey guys! got my folks to go by the pond and take some pics for me and get me a update. So all the stocked piled dirt is gone now, which means time to dig for the last time!!! If you look at the pics the rough long edge away from the wood line is the last bit they need to dig out and then they will go around the edge with a dozer for the finish work. Cant wait for them to be done so I can get to work!! in the mean time look how blue my water is!!! would be a awesome swimming pond to bad im gonna be raising bass lol.







Posted By: Hollywood Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/14/16 12:51 PM
That looks awesome! Your water is that beautiful blue/green color because of the color of your soil. It absorbs the red/yellow from the light that enters and reflects back the other end of the spectrum, blue & green. Looks beautiful!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/15/16 01:22 PM
thank you! never knew that why it had that color because it trapped the light. GOOD NEWS!!! was told they started digging again today!!!
Posted By: liquidsquid Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/15/16 03:10 PM
I believe iron in the water will also provide this color, for the same reasons.
Posted By: Hollywood Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/15/16 07:49 PM
Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors
thank you! never knew that why it had that color because it trapped the light. GOOD NEWS!!! was told they started digging again today!!!


My smallest pond has similar soil color and also has similar looking water color. We have a glacial lake not far from here named Green lake. It has a 10-15' thick layer of red algae about 50 feet deep which creates the same effect, red is absorbed from the light that enters and the result is brilliant green looking water. Look forward to your "after" pics!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/18/16 06:41 PM
GREAT NEWS!!! they started digging again! got a couple pics from a couple days ago. I was told they pulled the pump and they should be finished this week!!!! Leave some comments guys let me know yalls thoughts!


Posted By: RER Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/18/16 08:26 PM
get some FHM planted
Posted By: stickem' Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/18/16 08:31 PM
Dinsmore O,
Nice project you have here. Gonna be a beautiful place when everything greens up around it. Keep posting pics of your progress.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/19/16 07:36 PM
GREAT NEWS!!!! She is all done!!! well dug out that is anyway. I might go around on the back hoe and add my own touches. So what do yall think?!?!? let me know what ya think of the grade. Can`t wait to get home and start placing cover and build the dock!! look forward to see yalls comments! enjoy the pics!








Posted By: Bill D. Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/19/16 08:39 PM
Looks fantastic!....
Posted By: canyoncreek Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/20/16 12:58 AM
Your measurements in one of your first posts above for width and length are pretty unique. They equal .9991 acres, or a perfect acre. That is one talented surveyor! Neat project and great looking pond!
Posted By: mpc Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/20/16 02:41 AM
Hi DIns, Great looking pond and I read all the posts. Thanks for all the great pics. That will be a spectacular pond. Get part is you can kick on a feeder and a aeration system and probably never turn it off. Your bass will really like what you did depth wise. Your states red CNBG and Florida strain CNBG will really feed whatever bass you stock. I am sure you have read that the CC will get hook shy and not bite in short order. The CC will end up being pets to feed, but good luck on them anyway.

I did not see you state what type of structure you plan on using. Do you know just yet?

Keep us informed as you can and thanks again for the ground up view of your pond. I will be reading with Happy fishes wish for you.
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 03/20/16 01:08 PM
I will be planting bald cypress trees, lily pads, cork screw eel grass, standing timber, pallet towers, stumps and log piles, rip rap and rock piles, semi tires filled with sand and gravel for CNBG beds, and large bedding areas with Pea gravel
Posted By: aggiehorns Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 08/22/16 02:18 AM
Any updated pics on how this bad boy turned out after cleaning up and filling?
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/31/16 10:00 PM
sorry Aggiehorns for such a late reply yea I need to get on that im about 4 to 5ft from full pool havnt gotten the steady afternoon rain this year, but have been taking advantage of the lower water to place structure and spawning areas
Posted By: Zep Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 10/31/16 10:25 PM
wow that's pretty...love the tree backdrop...you shouldn't have much of an FA problem with all those steep banks...I wish mine were steeper...keep posting pictures
Posted By: RC51 Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 11/01/16 12:05 PM
So how wide is this pond it doesn't look very wide to me or is that just the pic? Is there a reason for your shape? Looks great don't get me wrong but just wondering if you built from scratch why so narrow? Or like I said maybe it just looks narrow??

RC

Ok I think I got it. First pics look great bottom pics look like pond is only at half pool. So not a narrow as I thought I guess.

Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/21/16 02:55 PM
RC it is 140 wide by 320 long, have it that way for property reasons.
Posted By: aighead Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/21/16 03:10 PM
Very pretty Dinsmore!
Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors Re: My pond being dug! with pics!!! - 12/21/16 03:52 PM
It aint that color anymore Aighead lol. I need to take updated pics
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