Hello,
I’m looking for some knowledge, as I have basically none when it comes to ponds. We just purchased a property with an old severely overgrown farm pond. I made the decision (after reading some forums on here) to remove and cut all the brush from around the pond and on the dam. There were a lot of trees inside the dam (water side) and outside the dam (saplings up to 6” trees inside and saplings up to 12” trees outside the dam). I’m aware that I may have problems 10 years down the road but I decided to prevent it from getting worse and deal with any issues as they come. I’ve cut the stumps level with the ground. My question is, should I rent an excavator and pull the stumps out on the water side or just let them be and hope they don’t leak. I also considered putting a layer of clay around the whole inside ring of the pond since the water level is down about 2’ (rusted off stand pipe). I plan to fill the pipe with concrete and use the spillway, which is already there. Thank you.

Consider replacing the stand pipe with another pipe, perhaps a syphon system. Using the emergency spillway as the main drain can cause erosion issues. If the stumps are not d=going to interfere with maintenance on the dam, I am not sure that you will gain anything by pulling them. Time will tell if the deeper roots from the larger trees eventually rot and cause leaks, Not sure that adding clay around the exposed shoreline will do anything either. Might want to see how things look over a longer period of time to better gauge what issues you really have. If the stand pipe is rusted off, you might want to focus on that issue first. Do you know how much watershed you have? What is the pipe size? How many surface acres is the pond? Welcome to the forum! Lots of knowledgeable and friendly folks here.

Thanks for the reply, RAH. I’ve got the stumps cut low enough that they won’t cause any interference with mowing. I was concerned about the stumps rotting that will be under the water (trees grew along the lowered water line since the stand pipe had rusted off). When it fills back up they’ll be under water. But doing nothing and seeing if they cause any problems does make sense. The clay along the shoreline was just my hair brain idea (no science behind it) so I’m glad I didn’t do that.

It’s about a 1/3 acre pond and there’s probably 10-15 acres of watershed (sort of). It doesn’t drain directly into the pond. It’s actually fed by a 4” pipe from that watershed. The inlet of that pipe also needs work because it either barely flows out or doesn’t flow at all. With that being said, it doesn’t seem to be able to maintain water up to the current overflow level. Maybe because it doesn’t have much flow (if any) into it or maybe it’s seepage? I haven’t found any actual leaks though. My concern with a siphon system is that it’d be constantly pulling water out and I don’t know if it will stay full if that’s the case.

The original stand pipe is probably 8” and the horizontal is 3 or 4”.

As you can tell, I have a lot of issues but I’m determined to fix it!

Try to enjoy your pond! I also obsess about my ponds. My current OCD concerns whether my 4th pond will leak. Recent rains have begun to fill it, and so far so good... I try to remember that my ponds are a hobby, not a necessity. P.S. I don't have a siphon system, but I don't think that they pull water below full pool. https://aquascape.net/2020/08/05/siphons-suck/

Hello,
I just realized I posted this in the wrong section, so I’m reposting here.

I’m looking for some knowledge, as I have basically none when it comes to ponds. We just purchased a property with an old severely overgrown farm pond. I made the decision (after reading some forums on here) to remove and cut all the brush from around the pond and on the dam. There were a lot of trees inside the dam (water side) and outside the dam (saplings up to 6” trees inside and saplings up to 12” trees outside the dam). I’m aware that I may have problems 10 years down the road but I decided to prevent it from getting worse and deal with any issues as they come. I’ve cut the stumps level with the ground. My question is, should I rent an excavator and pull the stumps out on the water side or just let them be and hope they don’t leak. I plan to fill the pipe with concrete and use the spillway, which is already there. Thank you.

Unless you are going to rework the dam do not dig out trees as you described. Think long and hard about not having a secondary water control system (drain , siphon etc.) . Spillway is probably only for emergency situations. Post pics and consider getting an experience person to look over the situation.

Thanks for the reply ewest.

Copy that, I'll leave the stumps in. It looks like the stand pipe is in okay enough condition to "rework". It's very rusty but doesn't look like it's leaking anywhere and seems pretty solid (expect where it rusted off). It's a 6" diameter steel or cast iron pipe. Maybe the best course of action would be to put an 8" PVC sleeve over top that one and grout the gap. To put a sleeve inside, I'd need to go down to a 4" (maybe 5") PVC pipe. A sleeve may be the easiest and cheapest option.

I attached 3 pictures, an overview of the pond (after hurricane), an example of the stumps on the water side, and the stand pipe.

Thanks for your expertise.

How long do you think the run is inside the overflow pipe? Short enough to get someone with a camera down there to have a look see? (Plumber)

You will have to monitor the area in a few years to make sure none of the tree roots as they decay allow water to follow that path out of the pond.

Thanks for the reply esshup.

The horizontal run is pretty long, I’d estimate 50-60’. It comes out in the woods on the left side of the overview photo.

I’m glad I posted on here. You all changed my amateur plans (I’m sure for the better). I’m going to extend the standpipe, let it fill up, and just keep an eye on it for the next few years.

Thanks again.