What do i need to know before making a 1/2-1 acre pond?

**macantley** · 05-16-2008, 1:11 PM

well, my fathers dozer gets delivered tomorrow, he plans on clearing off my back yard and doing some smal jobs, then making a large pond over the hill from our house, the start of a small runoff stream starts on our property, it runs down in a V shape on our property, we have 13 acre's between me and my father, he already has a small pond about 13' around and 2-3 feet deep, but wants to enlarge it to a 1/2-1 acre pond about 6-8 feet deep in the middle, durring the summer the stream is dry except for his small pond, its never been dry since he dug it with the backhoe, he wants to enlarge it so we can keep fish in it, right now the ONLY thing living in or around it is salamanders, mud dogs, and crayfish as well as tadpoles/frogs.

we are outside of city limits, the neighbors frankly dont care what we do on the property, and there is enough rain on rainy days to fill the pond up without problems.

the major things im worried about is how to build the back wall of the pond so that it holds water and wont "wash" away, and that it doesnt overflow and create a large rut in the middle that drains the water to a shallow pool.

right now it basically drains through the mud/dirt and around underground roots, and when it rains real hard it just flows over the top.

i need to know whats going to be better, getting a liner on the back wall, or if we should use ALOT of rock and cover it with mud/dirt/clay, or if we should use fallen tree's and whatever else we have on the property as well as rock/clay?

i dont want the pond to be there for a year then wash away.

any help or advice will be appreciated.

matthew

**chesterfieldzoo** · 05-19-2008, 6:09 PM

I am not understanding the 'back wall' part. You can't use a liner on part - it's all or nothing. You can't use rocks or trees, the water will just go through them. If you are adding onto a pond, you dig next to the existing pond - leaving a strip of land, then use a backhoe - not a bulldozer - to remove the strip of land between. Otherwise, you just dig a hole and hope that if you hit a natural spring, you can dig faster than it fills your pond or your bulldozer will make a nice island.

**LurkMcgurk** · 05-15-2009, 1:34 AM

Originally Posted by chesterfieldzoo;1805081;

Otherwise, you just dig a hole and hope that if you hit a natural spring, you can dig faster than it fills your pond or your bulldozer will make a nice island.

**LurkMcgurk** · 05-15-2009, 1:35 AM

sorry, happened to my uncle once, it was hilarious!!!

**mkman** · 05-15-2009, 1:37 AM

what kind of fish do you plan to put in the pond? Are you going to put pumps and filters?

**Muske** · 05-15-2009, 8:06 AM

Search farm ponds. Geo-Textile will stabilize the wall. It could then be used as your underlayment if you choose to put a liner in it.

**rgunther** · 05-15-2009, 8:27 AM

Check to see if you are legally allowed to build what is effectively a dam. If that is Ok then talk to people who build dams on farms professionally. They know how build them properly, to keep them intact and to last. They do it every day. You are likely legally restricted to what species you can stock.

**perfect_prefect** · 05-16-2009, 9:56 AM

i have heard of people lining there pond by rolling in blue clay. water seeps alot slower.

**Wiggles92** · 05-16-2009, 4:05 PM

I'd say check the composition of the soil. If it's clay or mostly clay it shouldn't need a liner. I don't know about the laws regarding building dams for small ponds in WV, but in PA a permit is required to construct a dam over 15 ft high; I imagine your state will have similar regulations. Here's a link to a guide I found for building ponds in my state; most of the information should still be applicable in WV.