Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site 1 acre to 1 1/2 pond planning

Ditto to what Rainman said. Islands can cause problems or be a blessing.

They detract from the overall depth of the pond, because you have to consider the slope up to the island. They can contribute to a leaky pond if the slope going up to the island is such that it cannot be driven on and compacted by a sheepsfoot roller. The island can be a safe haven for geese to nest on (they contribute a lot of poop to the water). Also an island, unless you have some way to get to it with landscaping equipment, can look very unkempt.

Islands are good if the pond is large and you don't want to move a lot of dirt.

As for depth of the pond, it all depends on the type of soil, and the physical size of the pond. With slopes of 4:1 - 6:1 in swimming areas and slopes no greater then 2:1 (3:1 is better for the contractor to compact the soil) the depth of the pond will be determined (to an extent) on how wide/long the pond is.

One thing to consider is that a pond starts to fill in as soon as it is completed. If anyone will be diving into the pond, I would want 12' depth minimum in that diving area.

Muck/sediment can build up a few inches+ per year depending on what falls or washes into the pond. So, if it is 12' deep, it can be 10' deep in less than 10 years.

I had over 24" of soil wash into my pond within 2 months of it being completed......

I would have jute reinforced erosion mats and grass seed ready to spread out as soon as construction on the pond was completed. Some plastic reinforced erosion mats can act as gill nets if they end up below the water line.

To promote bass and bream spawning areas, you want a gradual slope, not a fast slope, and they do very well spawning in small gravel areas, like pea gravel areas. Steep slopes all around the pond limit spawning areas, and if the water level fluctuates during spawning season, you could lose an age class of fish due to a failed spawn.