Hello to everyone, I'm new here and am a total newbie when it comes to ponds.
I purchased a 5 acre piece of ground a few years back and it had this little pond on it. (maybe 1/10 of an acre) I think it was most likely a septic lagoon when it was built, but that was well over 30-40 years ago and there are no records. The house has been gone for at least a decade.
Anyway, i have cleared most of the brush and trees from the dam and around the pond and am seeing ducks, frogs and even some small fish in the pond.
What I would like to do is add some height to the dam and dig out some dirt on the other side to make this pond a little larger and a little deeper. Most of the 5 acres drains to this pond and it has never gone dry in the 5 years I have owned it. For the past 2 years, it has regularly been over flowing the dam and starting to cut a channel in the dam.
I have access to nearly unlimited clay from a nearby residential development. They are willing to bring truckloads of clay to me from the foundations they are digging out.
My questions:
1. What do I need to consider when adding to the dam? I'm assuming I need to clear any vegetation and try to compact the clay as much as possible when adding. 2. There is no spillway or drain pipe currently. What would be my best solution here? 3. Do I need to dig out any muck from the pond now, or can I just skip doing that?
I am in the Kansas City, MO area.
My goal for the pond is just to have a nice pond to enjoy. I don't fish (I am allergic). I'm fine with some fish to help keep the pond healthy but wont be fishing.
Thanks for any help. I really don't know where to start right now. Any guidance is appreciated.
Picture was taken standing on the dam, looking south/southwest.
