Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish over the dam?

Well the animals have paired up and are getting in line here in Oklahoma. I have stocked a one acre pond in early april with FH, CBG and CC. I plan on stocking HSB in the fall. I screened my lowest spillway before stocking never dreaming that in this dry state it would ever run over both spillways (one is about a foot lower than the other) Well I have had water go over both. I have alot of brush in both. Can anyone offer up an opineon as to the likelyhood of the CC staying put or heading for the North Canadian?

Some small number will likely go but the bulk of them will try to go upstream.

I've heard that brush in the spillway can end up clogging when debris gets caught and piled during a high water event thus putting the dam in danger.

I thought I was possibly going to lose my dam last fall because of clogs from brush and debris that collected at a fence meant to keep fish (grass carp) in the pond -- per government directive.

Although we are considered to now be in pre-drought conditions, my pond is still draining above my standpipe. Water drained through my emergency spillway from last October through early May. For much of that time, the water in the spillway was 6 to 18 inches deep. If anything escaped, it sure didn't affect my pond.

I have another post here about a recent catfish kill in my pond, probably due to heavy rains. But, overall, my pond appears to be in the best condition we've experienced since we bought it three years ago. My bluegill, bass, various carp, and frogs are doing terrific.

Keep the spillway clean,
Ken G.

well, I'm a little south of skennedy, and my pond startted trickeling over the damn today. I cleared out the spillway of some rocks and small logs. I hope its enough. I wonder if my dozer guy is responsible for any damage to my damn. Either the damn wasn't high enough or the spillway wasn't dug out enough. At full pool right before it goes out the spillway, the water at the corner of my damn is about 2"'s below the top of the damn. Was it built wrong or is this just to much rain?

Hard to tell but if it wide enough and running over NATURAL Ground, it should be OK. How much distance(height) is there between the overflow and the top of the dam?

If I understand you right. Its only a couple of inches.

Generally, it should be about 2 ft. In other words, it ought to run over the run around and still give you 2 ft. before it goes over the dam. One ft. is usually plenty. I would want more than 2 inches.

My catfish have been trying to go upstream and not down over the spillway. The only fish I have noticed going over the spillway have been shad that I didn't even know were in the pond.

I noticed my grass carp were right next to the spillway when it was running over last week. I only had 3 and haven't seen them since ...... kind of hard to miss if they are running the top ....they are probably 20 lbs each. Will have to wait and see ..... probably wouldn't hurt to start another application to acquire a couple more.

Robert, I just got an OK (permit) for some GC for a guys pond. The stipulation was that I install a fish barrier to keep them in the pond. I talked to Bruce Hysmith with TPWD and he said to build it out of 2 x 4 inch hog panels. That lets everything but large debris through and will have to be maintained. I also have to take a picture and send to him for their files. This is the first year that I have ever had to worry about GC going over the run around or through the pipe. Sure wish we could spread out some of this rain into August.

Dave,
I have a 1"X1" mesh 2' high as part of my spillway. I very seldom get any large debris in my pond because of the bushes and thick grass my watershed runs through to get to the pond. The problem was the water coming over that "safety net" by 6". I only had an additional one foot before the water breached the top of my dam. The good news is ..... my neighbor's pond begins about 100 yards downstream of mine and he "didn't" have any GC originally.
P.S. You KNOW we will be beggin' for more precip by mid-August. :rolleyes: