Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction just learning about ponding, needing advice

I have been snooping around this site for 3 months getting information and thinking and dreaming. I have also been talking to local conservation folks and family as well as calculating, estimating and drawing and stepping off areas and starting over LOL. At the end of the day I still want a pond in spite of warnings about how hard they are to maintain, how they become scum buckets, how they are full of poison water from surrounding fields and other nightmare negatives.

I live on the acreage my grandparents bought in 1907. They built all the buildings that still exist - a barn, shed, garage and house. I grew up here and raised my kids here. They are all in college or beyond, and I plan on staying here until ??. The building site is supposed to be 5 acres, but slowly the surrounding fields have taken it to 4.3 acres. My family owns and farms the surrounding 120 acres, rotating corn and soy. I have a rectanglar property with a conifer wind break on the west. It never grew on the NW of the property because it was always too wet (found this out from learning soil types from NRCS). A natural watershed of about 40+ acres drains to that NW area with clay tile that drains MUCH more than that. The tile is about 20 yards from my building site on the north and is about 4 feet deep, maybe less. It heads SW after it gets past my building site. There is a 4 foot drop of my property from the middle of the site to the west edge, which is about 100 feet, so pretty flat.

I am thinking of a pond on the NW corner. I want it for fishing and swimming, thinking of between 1/2 to 1 acre. Obviously this would be excavated. I have an idea from conservation to divert the tile above the pond to keep pond full, and reconnecting below the pond. Water level is high, 3-4 feet normally here. I also have an unused well near the site.

I know I have clay because we dug 20 years ago near the barn to bury the silo, and it was full of water all summer LOL.

I have read that no more that 25% of the pond needs to be 12 ft deep for fish to overwinter in my area, but have no idea what to plan for the rest or even if this is accurate.

I also don't have any idea of who to choose for contractor. Lots of people says they can build ponds, but based on what I read here, that just isn't true. What is the value of references if each site is unique? Do I just get bids? How do I get bids when I have no firm plan?

So that is why I decided to join in. I need more help! Fire away...

Hello Farmgirl and welcome to Pond Boss!

In case you haven't already, I highly suggest that you purchase the book PERFECT POND...WANT ONE? and that you download the publication Agriculture Handbook 590.

This will give you tons of information regarding designing and building a pond.


Ponds can and will require some work but IMHO the result is worth it. A lot depends upon what you want out of the pond. At the end of the day however having your own pond to swim in, or catch fish in or just watch the wildlife that are attracted by the pond is a huge pay back.

Hang on for some expert feedback.

Welcome Farmgirl.

That 12 ft is a handy number unless you get a drought. I would prefer 16 ft.

As far as getting a pond builder, I would start asking around from other pond owners. I would ask who did theirs and start asking questions from there. The NRCS has a list of dozer drivers that sign up with them to dig ponds. However, there is no competency test to get on the list. Be careful there. Don't get in a hurry. Take your time and keep studying and asking questions.

How about starting a thread asking what people wished they had known and/or would have done differently? That ought to give you some red flags.

Don't be hesitant about stopping and asking people about their pond. Pondowners love talking about their pond.

In my opinion the bigger the pond the better when it comes to fishing, or multiple ponds...

Welcome Farmgirl. I'm with Dave, I like a pond to be deeper than 12'. Especially if the water level will fluctuate with the seasons. 16' sounds about right (or deeper if the pond size will allow it without making the slope greater than 3:1 if the soil has any sand in it.)

Sounds like I came to the right place, this is what I was looking for!

Not many people here have excavated ponds, or any ponds for that matter, so I don't have much for local comparison. NRCS has been helpful with general ideas. No sand in soil, very compactable but grows corn and soy just fine. I was going for 12 feet based on NRCS maps and suggestions, but 16 feet sounds like were to aim. I have no idea how much water level will fluctuate. The creek at the back of the 120 acres is never dry, but does drop levels in August and September. What about using well water or tile to supplement ground water source in drier times?

Perfect Pond...Want One? is on order. I have the Ag document and have been referring to it.

I don't have any plans for starting this project this year, thinking of next spring.

I am working on finding tile and getting a survey to see what kind of excavation would need to be done for what I am thinking of, and to get an idea of budget.

Thanks for the welcome, I look forward to great suggestions and expert help.

The well is seldom affordable. One acre, one inch deep is 27,000 gallons. Sounds like you have good drainage so you "Should" be OK.

Regarding depth, my normal saying is that it is hard to have extra water during a drought.