Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat My Second Pond: Structure

...only from a high dive

Winter excavating season has arrived! We are frozen enough that my excavator was able to start hauling in equipment today (the big trackhoe on a low-boy semi-trailer, for starters) to finally complete the non-pond basin portions of the job. These are removing (chipping) the biggest brush pile left from tree clearing and clearing a path through the woods behind the new pond for new fence.

See My Second Pond: Got Mulch?

Mrs. Gallus and I took advantage of the hard water on the pond yesterday to put the 2"x10" - 20 ft stringers up for the dock that will run from the shore to Skull Island. It was much easier to work on 6" of ice than in 3' of water!

Theo,
Are those "Bodark" posts used for the pier?

The two deep water posts are. I only had to sort through about 50 posts to find 2 straight enough for a dock.

I had access to some additional rootballs after my excavator cleaned up the big brushpile from the pond and cleared fencerows for some new fence. Yesterday I put another 6 rootballs in the upper SMB beds before they finish flooding - their shelf is under about 4" of water now, with rain forecast for the next two days. There's about 32"-33" left to go to full pool.

Here you can see three of the new rootballs (in shallow water in the bottom/left) with the tops of the upper SMB beds and the deep water rootballs on the South side of the pond:

The best part of all this is that, if I'm really lucky, I might actually get to fish this someday.

Wow!!!

Those were some of the best 4 pages I've ever read through.

Thanks Theo for sharing the process. I look forward to seeing the pond reach full pool and - even more so - seeing you and the family out there enjoying it.

Only 10,049 threads to get caught up on...

This new guy's highly intelligent, eh?


You're welcome. I just used the Brettski method.


Maybe after supper.

Currently about one foot below full pool. I've got 4 or 5 rootballs (from both the original and last minute placements) floating around. I will have to tow them into place, tie some weights on them, and sink them when it warms up enough that I feel safe to work in the canoe.

P.S. Both Plastic skulls floated and will have to be weighted and re-interred.

sure they're plastic....

Ahh, but the plastic gargoyle stayed down. (?)

Thats going to be beautiful come spring and again in the fall, lucky (smart) guy.

I bet that pond is filled up now, after 2.5" of rain today.

It's been full since Feb 18:

Today it was as overfull as I've seen it, 7" above full pool. The 8" drain pipe was running pretty good, and the temporary trash guard had stopped 5-6 pieces of wood that might have gone down the drain (part way? ). I'm glad Otto, Brettski, et. al. talked me in to putting it in place.

sorry to bring this back but I was wondering how your smallies are doing or if you've even added them yet

Yes, the Smallies went in last November. Story and pics here.

I haven't seen any of them yet; limited fishing in the pond this year has produced just 2 RES and innumerable nibbles (most likely from the fingerling YP, I am given to understand).

I am building a new pond in a wooded ravine. I have harvested the good trees but left other trees for bass cover. A civil engineer told me that tress left in the pond could cause a leak and I should remove them all and build any cover. But I have seen many ponds with standing timber. What is the likelyhood they would "leak"

If the standing tees are not at the dam (which they shouldn't be if it was cleaned out, cored, and compacted), I would think there would be a very negligible chance of leaks.

Professional dirt guys?

Jim K, welcome to the forum...

I'm no dirt expert either, but I don't see them causing a leak either in all likelihood. Perhaps if they have a deep root system that penetrated into a sand layer or something similar, it could cause a leak. But I think that would be a stretch...

Jim K welcome to the forum, Thanks for comming on

Theo and CJB are right as long as the roots are not under the dam you should not have any trouble

Just read whole thread, very inspiring. Motivates me to try YP HSB SMB

Hi I am new to the forum and tend to lurk before posting. But I had to post on this one. I have dreamed of building a private pond with structure such as yours. You have done an amazing job that will reward you hopefully in the years to come. I live in NE Texas with tons of lakes in the area, but ponds fishing has always been a passion for me.

Sgt Rock

Welcome to the forum.
Just think with as much rain as you have had a new pond would be full right now.

Keep comming back.