Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam New pond construction- Wisconsin

At this point are there any recommendations? It was a little wet 15 yards up hill of the core trench (with a little trickle of water flowing down from there. We were fairly confident to have blocked that flow off with core trench, but there were other springs in the vicinity that showed themselves in wetter years.

I wish I could help but I'm sure these guys will jump in and give you the advice you need. Has anyone talked about ESS13?

ESS13 has shown to have very mixed results.

Recommendation: Either find another place to put a pond or wait and see what happens.

So we got about 3" of rain on Saturday morning. This took the still not quite finished pond up to about 1/3 pool or 6 feet deep. It is still wet on the backside where dam meets the undisturbed ground level. As of yesterday the rate of loss of water has been basically the same as evaporation as I placed a 5 gallon bucket with water next to a yard stick in the water to monitor the levels. We are losing a little under 1/2 inch per day, but it has been very hot, dry, and windy, with low humidity. Based on this I don't know what to think about the wetness below the dam. Even with increased water pressure the loss has not increased. I am hoping that the wet area downstream is from water running down from hillsides below core trench and funneling into the ditch. I will follow with pics soon.

Does anyone know if it is OK to use oats or annual rye as cover with WSG's to help prevent erosion? Thanks.

You can use them. The WSG will out compete them next year.

At the risk of being chastized by my wife for spending too much time on the Pond boss forum after work again, I am posting a few pics. Does anyone else have this problem?

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4128.jpg

This shows the Agridrain inline water level control structure which will allow me to draw the pond down 10 feet. There is stop gate valve which will shut off water to the structure for maintenance.

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4125.jpg

View to the west from the dam showing the results of a couple inches of rain.

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4121.jpg

View of the dam from pool area, showing 6" PVC that feeds into water level control structure, and the 18" main spillway.

I know there has been many posts on wells. I just had a couple thoughts/ questions on this. The pond is almost done. Hopefully a shop will go up on the property this fall. The plan then is to begin building a house on the property next year. I just received my bid to get electric for $8000. I also received a bid for a well for the pond for $10,000 (all inclusive to 240' with 25 gpm pump, wiring, etc.).

The DNR prohibits above 70 gpm well capacity per property without a permit and annual fees, so I want to stay below that. Does it make more sense to have two separate wells, one for house and buildings and one for the pond, or a higher capacity single well? The single well will end up being quite a bit cheaper. Any input appreciated. Thanks once again!!

Sorry guys for another question, but does anyone have a source for FHM, I am in SW WIsconsin. I think it is about time to go ahead with them.

Maybe it is a Wisconsin thing, but I doubt it. I have a feeling that it is a North American syndrome, that has spread to other parts of the globe.

I grew up in northern Wisconsin's Bayfield and Douglas counties, on the south shore of Lake Superior.

Now, first thing in the morning, I multi-task as I take my Kindle or my SmartPhone into the bathroom while I sit and wait for the shower water to heat up!

As a kid back home, at that time of day, I just got to read the pages that were left in the outhouse catalogs.

Now you've got me really wishing I was still back home. It took at least 2-3 hours for the sauna to heat up.

Uffda,
Suomi Knute (Ken)

Ken,

Well that syndrome is a tough one, it progresses rapidly and can be debilitating.

Sometimes the girls I work with have to drag me away from the computer because I am keeping patients waiting, and backing up the schedule.

Is there a forum to help me with this?

Matt

You, and our really good Pond Boss friend Bruce Condello, may need to spend some time together! He has been known to stop half-way through a root canal to answer questions on the forum about filamentous algae affecting the catch-rate attitudes of northern-strain bluegill.

I have bought fatheads from this hatchery and it show be within an hour or two of you.

http://www.keystonehatcheries.com/Default.asp

I absolutely resemble that remark.

FHM and many other things to offer you.

http://www.roeselerfarms.com/

Talk to your well driller to see if there is a way to keep water pressure in the house (and fill the bladder tanks) AND run a goodly volume of water to the pond at the same time. If he says yes, please let me know how to do it.

Is the 70 gpm based on the pump(s) rating, or actual water pumped?

I'm putting 25 gpm into my sand soil dug pond now, and all it will do is keep the level the same - it can't raise the pond level any. If I want water pressure in the house, I have to shut off the water to the pond. I'd get as close to the 70 gpm limit as you could.

I put two pumps in one well casing. One 12GPM for the home, and a second 20GPM for the pond. This was much less expensive than drilling a second well.

My pond came 10 years after building the home. Fortunately I had a "smart" well company and the water capacity flowing into the well to support the second pump. The pond pump is positioned above the house pump so if the water table should drop my home does not run out of water (never had a problem with either).

Wisconsin code does require that there is an "air break" between the pond and the well so there is no chance that pond water can back flow into the well. This means that the well needs to be above the level of the pond.

A few pics of a little structure that I started to put into pond basin. I have a fair amount yet to go. A few dump truckloads of large rock is set to come this week, and I have another 50 cinder block, a few more trees, and another dozen porcupine attractors to go in.

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4170.jpg

http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s518/mpandrews/IMG_4168.jpg

Matt thanks for the pics. When you get it all in take a couple more pics and I will add them to the archive on structure.

Keep in mind that the evergreen tree will not last very many years than 4-6. Plan now how you will replace it.

The dry weather continues, so we are proceeding with new electric service and a well. I am going to go ahead and put in a dedicated well for the pond, planning on using 50 gpm pump. With a full basin SA of about 2 ac. this will allow about an 1.5 inch change per day. When running PVC to the pond from the well should I bury it below frost line or is this not needed? Secondly, would it be best to go ahead with aeration installation prior to pond filling? Thanks again!

I would go below the frost line or otherwise you will probably be forced to blow out the line every fall to prevent freezing. This also gives you the option to pump water year around if needed.

Just about everything is easier to do when the pond is empty. The best thing I did was pour concrete pier pilings and now do not have to take the pier out in winter.

Sorry guys I keep forgetting to bring the camera. As of now we still haven't starting pumping water, but we are close. Hopefully I can flip the switch next week, which with this drought is going to be the only way I fill this pond in 2012. I went with a 5 HP 58 gpm pump with an electronic timer as I don't live on site. The electrician is running electric along side my water line to the pond so I can plug in my aerator (Vertex Air 1 plus package). Structure is now complete. This includes 50 yards of large rocks that makes up three rock piles, ten porcupine fish attractors, 100 cinder blocks, 20 pallets, several tires, two loads of gravel spread in various areas for spawning, and the 12 poles that my dock will be built on. I just used the bucket on my tractor to deepen area off of dock to 8-9' so kids can jump off. I will post pics yet this weekend, but anything else I need to do before I flip the switch?

That seems like a lot of HP for that GPM. I'm pumping half that volume of water with 1/5 (or less) the hp. (I forget whether it's a 1 hp or a 3/4 hp motor)

Will you be somehow getting the well water mixed with air before it goes into the pond?

Are you pumping 25 gpm or is that the rating of the pump? I need 5 HP to get close to my 58 gpm with a vertical depth to water of 180 ft. Anything less than 5 HP and I would be sacrificing on the output.

I will mix the water by flowing it over a sloped section of rocks prior to entering pond.

Rated putput is 28 gpm. I've only got 13' head and the way that I have the water going to the pond, it transitions to 3" PVC within 10' of the bladder tank. When the valve is all the way open to the pond, I have barely enough pressure to trickle out of the faucet, or fill the toilet tank.

You're saying that the surface of the water in your well casing is static at 180' below the ground surface? Or is that the depth of the well? My well is 66' deep, but static water level in the casing is 13' below ground level. It's a 4" well, but when sunk, we doubled up on the well screen. The driller said that by changing the pump it would pump 100 gpm.