Originally Posted by SkunkedAgain
Very good information, thank you both very much. Since I don't have clay, it's more of a sandy loamy soil, so it looks like I'll need to go with a flatter slope or just plan on things adjusting to a flatter slope over time. Maybe I should remove as much soil as I can from the middle and let the water and gravity work out the edge slope since it isn't the best soil for compacting. I just don't want too steep of drop off in case someone falls in sometime, I want them to be able to get out okay. I'm hoping the weather doesn't turn wet too soon so I can still get it dug out in October when I have the machinery lined up... Wish I was digging today, but oh well... Later J

Having dealt with sandy soils in ponds for a long time now, what I have learned is to do the sloping with the excavator/dozer. In theory it will work letting nature do it, but in reality what happens is there is a steep drop off at the water edge of 1'-2' then it gradually tapers. Waves will keep working at the steep edge, any rooted vegetation will hold the surface dirt to a thickness of 8"-10", you will most likely get an undercut under that and a steep drop for the first 1'-2' of water depth. Then when the water recedes, you have to jump down to where the water level is.

When I renovated my pond that is what I had because they dug the pond deeper with a drag line. The banks are staying at the slope that I put them, and it's been 11 years since it was renovated. My water level will fluctuate up to 7' vertical. (It used to be 4' vertical but last Fall/Winter changed that.)

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