Brett N:
I think Dave Davidson was confused on your 16:1 slope sentence. He was thinking that was a STEEPER slope than most of our ponds (most of ours are 3:1 or 4:1) and that would be a risk with lots of residential houses, with young kids, pets that may walk in the water, slip and then not be able to get out.
But I think your plan is for a 16 foot of horizontal run INTO the pond before there is a 1 foot drop vertically. This is a very very gradual grade into the water and that would reassure Dave that it is unlikely for pets or people to slip in and not be able to get back out.
