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#462297 01/18/17 10:18 PM
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From Akron/Caton area

I'm Beginning the process of building a pond. I have no idea who builds ponds in my area other than one guy who had been recommended to me but I would like to see if anyone has someone they would highly rate in this area.

I have not actually picked a piece of property yet. I have one lined up but the ability to put a pond on it will decide whether or not I buy it. This is a deal breaker for me on any property.

I can't decide if these properties are good for a pond myself so I'm looking for a reputable pond builder to assist

Any help is appreciated

Thanks

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Jared, welcome to Pond Boss. What size pond? What size acreage? What other activities? The initial pond thoughts include pond(s) size, runoff area, source of runoff and who controls it, proper soil mixture, NEIGHBORS, etc.

I would probably buy Mike Otto's Book "Just Add Water". It is about the best writing I've seen on pond design, soil considerations, location, etc.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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I am just a little bit NE of you, and it was about 5 years ago I looked around for good pond builders and came up empty-handed. I agree with Dave on buying the book. You are that stage where you'll gain the most from it. Other than that, keep learning about ponds. Read this forum a lot about troubles that are incurred and how they could be prevented, both in building and managing. How a pond is/wants to be managed is often determined by how a pond is built, and vice versa. Even types of fish you may want can determine how to build it better for them.

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I live in Lorain County Ohio. Most folks here contact the county SWCD. I think they will help design a pond and probably have a list of builders. Rick

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Originally Posted By: Rick O
I live in Lorain County Ohio. Most folks here contact the county SWCD. I think they will help design a pond and probably have a list of builders. Rick

What Rick O said. Our county Soil & Water folks have provided lots of help with figuring watershed, sizing drain pipes, and the like. (Though they have much less funding for this than they used to; we now go see the guy who used to work for S&W on the side.)

They probably won't be able to "officially" endorse any pond excavators, but can probably at least provide a list. Ask any excavators you are considering for reference ponds they have built, and talk with the owners if at all possible. And by all means, buy "Perfect Pond ... Want One?" and read it thoroughly. It's the most important $27 you will spend on a pond.


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Good advice so far. Here is some help to find the suggested very good book about pond building.
http://www.pondboss.com/store?p=2
http://www.pondboss.com/item.asp?id=163&r=store%3Fc%3D8

Do your homework well. A leaker poorly built pond will be a big headache and a regret, not to mention very expensive to try and get the leaks fixed. Many people come here with leaky ponds. Don't be one of them.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/19/17 11:52 AM.

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thank you to all that commented...Bill Cody has been such a help for me so far....I may have jumped 15-100 steps ahead bc of how excited Iam but he has still indulged my questions and I appreciate it.


As far as the soil and water folks, I have contacted them but they have yet to get back to me ... thanks for the reminder...I will call them again...

I will post some auditor site photos of the property...the total field is 20.74 acres and I am buying 10 of it for now with the possibility and locked in price to buy the rest in the future.. the back of the property (west side) is low and where I want to put my house in on the east side or higher area. Supposedly there is a spring in the property and the back area where I want to put the pond, based on auditors site, is a flood plain A....this has since been tiled off and is dry now as they sod farm it.

I was told there is a steady slow grade from the road (east) to the back of the property (west) where I would like to build the pond

the farms to the west of the hopeful pond site are "muck" fields. I was told below the muck is clay. this area was at one point part of congress lake a long time ago. now they are fertile farming grounds, with black gold muck fields.

google map it if you would like but I will also post photos in a bit.

14249 Tope Rd NE
Hartville, OH 44632

as far as how big I want the pond, I want as big as my pocket book can afford and my watershed/property can handle...really hopefully between 3-5 acres.

thanks for all the help




Last edited by Jared015; 01/19/17 01:56 PM.
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Ok I got a call back from stark county soil and water. Good info here.


West side where I want the pond has good soils for making a pond.

As far as watershed, the property is 1441' long and has an elevation at the road (east) of 1128' and on pond side (west) of 1124'. The north runs down to the pond site as well

He said there is a water table high which will make it maybe more difficult to dig. We will have to find a place to send the water during the dig.

Also where to send the water from the overflow is another question.

Another issue is the flood plain. I may have to pull different permits to have the pond there.

His other fear is if I use a tile in that area to fill my pond. It could become a wetland.

He's sending me the elevation and soil composition maps today or tomorrow morning. I will post these as well.

He was super helpful.

Last edited by Jared015; 01/20/17 08:02 AM.
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It's good you are making some progress.

Something that may/may not be a kicker. Look into whether or not you can build a dam, how high above current ground level that might be allowed, etc. Where I am going with this is flood plains exist to alleviate water as a place to back up into. If your dam prevents an are to be flooded, they may not approve it. So you might say that is not a problem, that you will just dig it out instead of building a dam. The problem then arises that the pond is subjected to anything that may flow from the river/creek/floodplain into your pond.... Perhaps unwanted fish that will mess up your stocking.

As far as the list of pond builders they might provide, do your homework here (learn about ponds, etc) so you know who might be good/trustfull and who might be giving you a line of BS.

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I have a concern about how much of the watershed you would own and control. Why? I was getting a lot of my water from a neighboring property. Then it sold and the new owner planted it in grasses to hold the water on his land. I lost an awful lot of runoff area.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Thanks I agree with building a elevated wall around the pond , but I also agree they may deny this idea. I don't want a 100yr flood to wash my fish away or bring any in.

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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
I have a concern about how much of the watershed you would own and control. Why? I was getting a lot of my water from a neighboring property. Then it sold and the new owner planted it in grasses to hold the water on his land. I lost an awful lot of runoff area.


Dave does it matter that there may be a spring on my property or a high water table??


Also how do you dig a pond 15'+ in some parts with water table being 5,10, or 12' down.

I'm gonna research this as well. I'm also ordering some pond books.

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Originally Posted By: Jared015
Also how do you dig a pond 15'+ in some parts with water table being 5,10, or 12' down.


There are ways. A few are:
-- lots of pumping
-- Use a dragline
-- sit just above water level and dig. Say go down 5', then have an excavator that digs down 10'.

All will probably add to the cost and possibilities of what you would like versus what you get become limited.

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Dragline looks pretty intense. Hopefully it's something easy. Sound like pumping will be the trick

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Jared, the thing to remember about springs is that they can give and take. They are essentially "trapped" ground water that looks for an exit. I have a small pond that has a spring at the bottom. It is essentially a ground water pond with somewhat limited runoff area. In the Spring, the pond can be full due to good rains. But, as the trees around it start to put on leaves in the late Spring and then Summer, it dries up due to demand and evaporation. I have some pretty big oaks around it.

A creek on my place originates from springs on adjoining property that is higher. It ran for years. Then, we got a 5 year drought and the spring dried up. Even with our serious floods, the groundwater spring failed to recharge. Right now, it is running. But, it is a crap shoot later in the year.

An artesian, under pressure, is a whole different deal. I would love to have one but it seldom happens in arid North Texas. Actually, I guess we had one until the extended drought hit.

If the pond water is above the level in the spring, the pond water goes back to refresh the spring. It's all about water pressure filling a void.

Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 01/19/17 08:09 PM.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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The head and/or flow rate on artesian flowing wells often varies with the seasons too.

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thanks guys....makes sense...

this is all low area. my properties west edge, where the pond will likely be, is part of this low area.

I have yet to see this area dry up even during dry summers. hopefully when we do some test digs we can get a better idea. I do not want a pond that fluctuates a lot.

I have been reading esshups and how his pond was built and renovated. I see how he sloped his pond as well, I was hoping to do the 3:1 in most areas to prevent from algae. hopefully I will not have a huge fluctuation and I can seal the pond.

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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
I have a concern about how much of the watershed you would own and control. Why? I was getting a lot of my water from a neighboring property. Then it sold and the new owner planted it in grasses to hold the water on his land. I lost an awful lot of runoff area.


right now there is nothing in the area except vegetables and to the north sod farmers. I do not think this area will ever change from these farms bc of the kind of soil they have.

Hopefully I never run into this issue.

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so I got the soil map

the area I want to build the pond in has two types of soils

lindwood muck (not sure whats under it)
luray silt loam

where I want to put my house and septic is chili loam

I placed it over my early sketch of the property with the pond on it ,this pond will change I was just messing around, and it kind of lines up.

I just need to get some test holes dug to see what is really there.

https://postimg.org/gallery/1alwjuhl6/

here are the photos of my CAD drawings and the soil map.

let me know what you think!

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https://postimg.org/image/le3e4cb8j/

heres a better photo of the soil map

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Is chili loam and muck soil a good basis for a house and does it provide good material drainage for a septic system? Those soils do not sound good to me as a layman of soil science. the area is probably being used to its best purpose - growing vegetables.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/20/17 10:44 AM.

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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
Is chili loam and muck soil a good basis for a house and does it provide good material drainage for a septic system? Those soils do not sound good to me as a layman of soil science. the area is probably being used to its best purpose - growing vegetables.


based on what the soil and water department said, yes chili loam is a well drained soil...I have a soil scientist, excavator/pond designer, and surveyor all coming to the site to decide if it is the right property for me. Pond and house-wise.

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Sounds like you are doing good homework. Well drained chili loam does not sound like it hold water very well. If the soil is marginal for a pond then the best soil compaction possible would produce the best outcome. Be sure you read and understand good soil compaction practices in this thread from the Archives. Remember a pond digger is not a pond builder. Vibratory sheepsfoot compactors are not built and sold if other equipment would do as good or a better job.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=She...amp;FORM=VRDGAR

Soil compaction testing
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=She...amp;FORM=VRDGAR

http://www.equipmentworld.com/choosing-the-right-machine-for-proper-soil-compaction/

https://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge441/online_lectures/compaction/GE441-Lecture2-7.pdf
http://www.specialtysalesllc.com/nutra-bond_compaction.htm

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/20/17 03:53 PM.

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Thanks Bill

I'm not taking the excavators word for it. I'm going to use multiple people's opinions. And have someone qualified, design the pond for the builder.

Like you told me, do it right the first time.

I will keep posting so if you guys see any thing out of the norm please let me know!

You all have been a great help so far.

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