Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations pond location

Hi gang...I'm new to this site. What a terrific idea lots of great information. I have many questions.

In the next year or two I will be constructing a log home in the country and I would like to construct a pond on the property. I do not have the property as yet. The pond I plan on building will be stocked with trout. Bass are great fish but they are everywhere up here.

I live in southeastern Ontario Canada in an area of abundant natural lakes, however it is unpractical for many reasons to purchase existing waterfront property. The area I live in is a transition zone between the southern most extension of the Canadian or precambrian shield (granite bedrock and lots of outcroppings)and the farm land of the St.Lawrence lowland. The topography of the area as would be expect is quite varied. There are abundant low wet areas mixed with low granite ridges. I suspect drainage is poor as many farmers lay tile beds in there fields. The soil type is predominitly heavy clay. While the soil holds water very well it seems devoid of upwelling springs. There are some areas of sandy loam soils with naturally flowing springs, however these are few and far between and may not be practical to purchase land in these areas. Wells here area are normally very good. Flows of 15 - 25 gal/min are average. Many of the wells have a high iron content. Weather here is similar to the adjacent Northeast states, upstate NY or northern midwest.

I have earmarked up to $60,000 Cdn towards the land purchase and pond construction. A parcel of land from 3 - 30 acres will run you anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. Of course what I don't spend on the property I will spend on the house.

I guess my questions are: 1) Is what I hope to do practical in my geographic area (existing manmade ponds are scarce) 2) how big a pond can I make 3) will it support trout 4) any issues you can think of that I have missed!.

Thank You....Steve

Steve,
Hopefully some of our Canadian friends will chime in for you. We have several knowledgeable guys on this site from Canada.
In the meantime, here's a few thoughts from a Texan.
For your questions..1) Find a local soils expert and quiz them. Odds are, if ponds are scarce, your land will have issues. Local earthmovers who build ponds are often good resources to contact with specific questions. 2) Pond size is determined by each individual site, its watershed, runoff rainfall amount, soils types, and configuration. Topo maps and aerial photos aid in gathering this data. 3) Most likely, yes. 4) Lots of issues, but start at the start, and read this site.