Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Spring Hydraulics Question

I have a 2 acre spring fed pond in East Texas. The pond was full when I bought the property so I do not know where all the springs are, but I do have some that are above the water level and run down into the pond. The pond is constructed in a small ravine. The pond could probably be doubled in size if the dam was raised a few feet. However, this would put the visible springs under water. The spring at the head of the ravine is a particularly strong spring.

An old-time pond builder around here told me that you needed to be careful in covering up springs with water because the spring may stop flowing. I don't want this to happen. My springs are very strong and even keep flowing in the worst of droughts. (I am five miles away from an Ozarka water bottling plant. I figure I lose $500 per day in bottled water over my spillway. )The pond is situated on the typical deep sand of East Texas.

Is the old-timer right? Do I need to leave well enough alone and get over pond-size envy? (Bigger is better right? )

A spring is an outlet for water stored at a higher elevation. It can be treated like a tube from the bottom of a tank full of water. If you place the other end of the tube in a bucket of water and raise the two water levels to the same level, the flow will stop. The further you lower the level of the water in the bucket below the level of water in the tank, the faster the water will flow. If, the water level in your pond drops below the spring outlet, the water will flow at maximum velocity. As the water level rises above the spring outlet, the flow of water will drop until the water levels in the spring source and your pond are at the same. Does this make sense to you?

Pond builders -101
springs giveth...springs (can potentially) taketh away

BillB
The old timer RAH and Brettski are telling you the truth be carefull.

RAH, great analogy, even this old bean counter could understand that.

BillB, Put a pipe in the outlet of the spring to determine how high the water from the spring will be lifted. Be sure to seal the spring to prevent a blowout---other exits may open up regardless, depending on the soil integrity. The height the water will lift to will determine the point at wich your spring will become a drain.

jeffhasapond - thanks for responding. I am not a great communicator, so I appreciate you letting me know that my post was understandable.

BillB - If ypu want to maintain flexibility in your pond water level, consider including a water-level control device such as those sold by Agri Drain. I just bought one but have not yet intalled it, so I cannot speak to how they work. It sure looks like it will work well. I need to wait until it stops raining in central Indiana, and until I am a little more mobile after knee surgery. They ain't cheep, but if I can gain a foot more of depth on my acre pond, it cheeper than digging.

Thanks for all the advice. Sounds like I better leave well enough alone.

The main spring out around the roots of a Tupelo tree that is about 6 foot in diameter and would be hard to put a pipe on it. I do know that when the beavers plugged up my overflow pipe, the pond came up about two feet and overflowed the top of the dam before I could get it unclogged. The water backed up to the spring, but did not really inundated it to any depth. It was still flowing.

A spring is actually a shallow aquifer that gives and takes. I ruined a small forage pond by deepening it to get to the seep spring. It's not a flowing spring like you have.I think you could use a pipe and a check valve like RAH is talking about.

Actually I was referring to a control device on the pond drain so the pond water level could be adjusted as needed to keep the spring flowing. Piping the spring sounds like it would be a serious undertaking.

I'll bet it is serious but I've seen some that were piped. I figured you were talking about a check valve.

This is a really good discussion and has a lot of good information. I have never put a pipe in a spring but have seen where other people have and they have worked.

Try the pipe and see how it works.