Digging a pond?

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  • cg21

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    Anyone with knowledge on this topic would love to hear your input. I am finally getting ready to have a pond dug. Roughly 1 acre... going to be in an L shape. Planning on 4' deep at the edges and then 20' in the center. Plan to stock with bass bluegill and cats. Would like crappie but I heard they need a larger pond? :dunno: Goal is to attract wildlife (deer bullfrogs and ducks) and have a decent fishing spot for me and my family. Planning on putting a berm alongside one of the pond edges and I will be planting all the disturbed soil with clover mix. Just looking for do's and dont's from people who have been here. I already heard do not introduce cattails or lily pads..
     

    Mongo59

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    You county extension agent will have all the answers for you totally free.

    They will even know the soil type and if your are barking up the wrong tree.

    Look under your county listings in the phone book and give them a call, you will be amazed at what is already available to you.
     

    cg21

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    I called the county and got forwarded to soil and water conservation she did not have many answers. I am keeping my fingers crossed.... since there are quite a few ponds in the area when I look at satellite images. I am not made of money but right now I have a person willing to dig it for a very reasonable amount... so as long as it isn’t rocket surgery I should be ok
     

    patience0830

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    I'd put red eared sunfish in first and let them get established then add the cats. Give them a year and add the 'gills and bass last. The shell crackers (red ear) will keep the snails down. We have a problem with flukes in our area. Little yellow flat worms and the black cysts(eggs?) they form from in the flesh of the bass and bluegill. With the red ear eating the snails, the life cycle of the flukes is interrupted and so no worms and black spots in the fish.
     
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    cg21

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    I'd put red eared sunfish in first and let them get established then add the cats. Give them a year and add the 'gills and bass last. The shell crackers (red ear) will keep the snails down. We have a problem with flukes in our area. Little yellow flat worms and the black cysts(eggs?) they form from in the flesh of the bass and bluegill. With the red ear earring the snails, the life cycle of the flukes is interrupted and so no worms and black spots in the fish.

    looks like I am a long way out from fishing.... they said to let the pond cycle for a year before adding fish also
     

    TJ Kackowski

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    If shooting is allowed on your property, it seems a shame to not use the excavated soil to build a nice back stop. Given what has been posted about how long it will be getting the pond ready to fish, you'll need something to do.
     

    cg21

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    If shooting is allowed on your property, it seems a shame to not use the excavated soil to build a nice back stop. Given what has been posted about how long it will be getting the pond ready to fish, you'll need something to do.


    that is the plan. I have a little concern about the backstop being too close to the water ? Not sure how much lead it would take to cause issues.
     

    natdscott

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    PM me you address and/or legal description, and maybe a sketch of where the pond is supposed to be, and I can tell you the soil types.
     

    natdscott

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    that is the plan. I have a little concern about the backstop being too close to the water ? Not sure how much lead it would take to cause issues.

    Keep applying a little phosphate and lime a year, and contain the actual lead fragments well, keep as much of it to jacketed or full metal jackets as possible, and plan for a secondary drainage system that does NOT enter the pond. Should be fine.

    Lime keeps the pH up and prevents some of the lead mobilization into water, while phosphate helps to form immobile metal compounds (lead phosphate is more-or-less insoluble in water). But do NOT apply any nitrogen, sulfur, etc. to the grass around it.
     

    Old Dog

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    CG21- contact your local USDA service center and see the District Conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. This person will be able to assist you in identifying the soil types, and may be able to give you a list of contractors that could do the earthwork. To make the pond safe and escapable, start with a 1 foot deep cut around the waterline, then go to a 3:1 slope to your desired depth. This way if someone slips in they have a chance to crawl out. An acre excavation isn't going to be cheap, and building a proper dam requires some engineering for a proper outlet pipe. Good luck with your endeavor.
     

    patience0830

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    stocknup

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    People I know stocked channel cats wished they would have put blue or flatheads in. They say better eating when they get larger.


    If you are wanting other fish also ( Bass , Bluegill , crappie, etc. ) I would leave the Flatheads out .........They will eat everything they want . They are meat eaters,( all other smaller fish )
    Just one decent size Flathead would have a huge impact on an 1 acre + pond .( No doubt you would probably have a big flathead at devouring everything ) If you want Catfish , I would stick with the channels ......They are pretty much bottom feeders ( snails , insects, crawdads, algae, plants )
     

    ws6duramax

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    Be aware that there is more to building a pond than just pushing dirt . If you're guy that's doing the excavation hasn't dug any test holes , you need to ask him to . Just because there are other ponds in the area , that's not a guarantee yours will hold water . You may have a sand vein right in the middle of the pond .

    That's a fairly large pond , with quite a few yards of dirt to move . Make sure you have a competent person doing it . The cheapest isn't always the best . If done wrong , you will the most expensive 1 acre mud hole in the county .
     

    stocknup

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    We recently sold our property that had a 1 1/2 acre pond on it ( already there when we bought it ) but it had shallow sides ( 4` to 6` ) and that is where the Lily pads grow ( They require about 7` or less depth to survive ) they were a constant challenge to keep in check . An all deeper pond would not have allowed their growth . Our pond was a constant spring feed and had a constant active spillway. ( not a candidate for Aquashade ) Though I think some Lily Pads were beneficial for cover and shading to some fish , I always wished I would have had more deeper edge areas ......I had Lilys , and bank fishing was non existent in the late spring/summer times .
    A nearby neighbor had a land locked pond that he treated with Aquashade .........It stops the UV rays which most algae, lilys, need to grow . His pond was always clear as a bell ......
     

    avboiler11

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    I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a similar ~1 acre project on my property in northern Clark County.

    The guesstimated pond site is currently all thin timber, but the property is chock full of good clay that holds water VERY well and it seems to be away from pond-draining bedrock.

    Just need to find a good excavator; a thread I made in the past recommended Doug Bergman and I need to reach out to him this upcoming week.
     

    ws6duramax

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    I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a similar ~1 acre project on my property in northern Clark County.

    The guesstimated pond site is currently all thin timber, but the property is chock full of good clay that holds water VERY well and it seems to be away from pond-draining bedrock.

    Just need to find a good excavator; a thread I made in the past recommended Doug Bergman and I need to reach out to him this upcoming week.

    Trust me when I tell you Doug's the guy to get . He will come and give you all kinds of ideas you probably never even thought about . Digs test holes before he commits and if he doesn't think it will work , he will tell you . Top Notch
     
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