What? Forty three years you say? Yep, it's true. I built my first and last small cattle tank 43 years ago when I was 17 years old. It was so much fun, and so satisfying to me that I vowed then that I would someday buy some property where I could build another pond, on a larger scale. Last year, about this time, we signed the papers on a 68 acre tract of land here in east Texas.
For the last 43 years I have been studying books, internet sites, examining other people's ponds, and talking with people who know something about the subject. And last year I found this website, which I consider an excellent source for research, a place to read about successful pond projects as well as problematic projects or even total failures. I will also soon be subscribing to the Pond Boss magazine.
Shortly after acquiring our land last year, we purchased a 38 HP John Deere tractor with loader, shredder, box blade, and a three point dirt scoop. I have spent many hours just grading roads and leveling and filling eroded areas and high spots, etc. But I also found time for some preliminary pond work. I have since acquired a used, small bulldozer in great shape and a two yard dirt scraper to help with things.
Most of the acreage is going to be a tree farm. It was clear cut about 8 years ago and has since reseeded itself and has plenty of pines and oaks, from seedling size to some over 25 feet tall. But there are also tons of sweet gum trees and lots of trash trees and brush too. It will take a few years to slowly clean up and thin out stuff so the good trees can prosper. But we are leaving several acres alone for a wildlife refuge, with plans for an eventual small wildlife pond or two.
But the main projects are to prepare for a shop and house that we plan to spend the rest of our life living in, and to build two ponds close by. One will be the pond that collects all the watershed water, and will overflow into the larger pond which I plan to stock for fishing. We also have plans for two water wells. One will be for the house, with a typical submersible AC electric powered pump, and the other with a solar powered DC electric pump to feed the ponds during sunlit hours.
I have already begun work on these projects and am planning to document my work on the ponds here, both as a place to keep a log of progress and hopefully as more helpful information for others reading this site. It's slow progress as I still have a full time job and can only work on the property on weekends.
But before I begin, I want to say thanks to all who have posted here already. I have read a lot of this site and am continuing to do so as time permits. A forum is a great place to go for help as you usually get not just one viewpoint, but several. And there appears to be a lot of talent and experience available here for the taking. All that is required is that you ask your question properly.
So off I go. I will post a few pictures with information on them to bring you up to my current status, and we'll go from there. I'm just glad that the 42 years of just research are over and I'm actually moving dirt now. It's a great feeling to build your dream, and I'm loving every minute I spend doing so.
