Wow! I appreciate all the input, thank you.
To answer as many questions as possible: I want to build a 3-5 acre pond due to the limited rainfall and drought conditions we encounter. I see a lot of smaller ponds dried up right now and starting with a larger pond leaves more wiggle room for years with little precipitation.
Also, 95% of my property is in crops and is terraced. Having 4-5 smaller ponds will disrupt a lot of terrace function. All the terraces drain into a central waterway that runs north/south and this waterway is the only "ditch" on my property. Corps says that any portion of this waterway would constitute a wetland...so they're automatically involved.
Yes, I did visit with a civil engineer and that is the person who told me it is futile to deal with the Corps and they just are not approving ponds that hold more than 50 acre feet of water. The firm is nationally known.
I also spoke to NRCS, FSA, and the water district people. To control siltation, I proposed creating an upstream "marsh" surrounded by warm season grasses and even pollinator habitat.....all buzz words I thought would help...but no luck.
Shoot...there is even a government initiative to control siltation of the river that my waterway drains into...thought my pond would be something they'd be interested in.....again, no luck.
I know a large pond is pricey and I don't mind footing the bill. What bothers me is the expense of going through the Corps application process and the Corps telling me just what the engineer told me about denying larger ponds.
Then, I read in Pond Boss about people in other states getting to build ponds much larger than what I'd like to do...and I ask "How?!?!?...aren't they subject to the same obstacles with the Corps? Who do these people know?"
What if I just dig a strip pit (no dam) away from my waterway and make it deep enough to tap an aquifer to fill it? I'm sure that has legal ramifications as well!
Ughhhhh! It's hopeless.
