I've finally talked my dad into doing his pond. He's been thinking about one for years, and he thinks he's up for it this summer. Right now, the idea is to do around 1 acre in surface area. So, that should be roughly circular shape around 117 feet across, or 739 feet around. He wants to do a "farm pond," but wants it to look decent. He wants to put fish in it, and be able to watch the fish from his back porch, as well as be able to fish off the porch. I guess the idea is to build the porch so it goes right up against the pond, and maybe even build a bit of it as a little "dock" to go out over the pond.
The area the pond is going into is a very marshy area. It's a very heavy clay soil with a small stream that flows through the area, making the ground very soupy. There *ahem* may or may not have been cattails growing in the area. We plan on diverting the stream and using it to fill the pond, so there is a constant water turnover, albeit not a very fast one. The stream is only about 2' wide, and 6"-1' deep in the deepest spot, so it's definitely not a very fast flow.
Also, so you know, we're in western Pennsylvania, so that may affect things like depth, stocking, etc. . .
So, I come to MFK for advice. He wants to just use the backhoe to dig a hole 5' deep and that big around, let the stream fill it, and call it a day. I think this is a horrible idea, as it's going to result in brown water, and a very small bioload. Most "farm ponds" end up looking like large mud puddles, and I'd rather avoid this, as quite frankly, I'm going to inherit the place, and I'd rather be able to enjoy the pond as something nice to look at, not just somewhere to catch catfish and bass.
Now, I am guessing that we won't need to worry about a liner. With water constantly flowing in, and a heavy clay ground that already holds 6" of water in the rainy parts of the year, I can't see us losing too much water.
What would be the best way to go about this? We're looking for something that will be simple, low maintenance, and self-sustaining. He doesn't want to worry about having a beautiful bottom, and amazing plants, and all kinds of maintenance on it. He doesn't plan on adding chemicals, or wading to remove algae, etc. . .
Is there a way to do this that we could keep the pond somewhat clear, and actually be able to see fish, other than when they come to the surface for feeding? What kind of filtration would work best for this? Any easy way to make cosmetic improvements to the pond?
My thought on it is to do a waterfall, even if not a terribly large one. Water pumped up to a box on the top, filtered through some lava rock or something similar, and then trickling down rocks for the waterfall.
My other thought is a bog area. At the LFS I work in, their pond has a waterfall that branches off into a bog that's about 6" deep with a bunch of things growing emmersed in it- water celery, cattails, mint, etc. . . This would help a ton with nitrates, and all of the gravel in it works as a place for beneficial bacteria to grow.
How deep should we dig the pond? Deep enough to overwinter fish in western Pennsylvania, but shallow enough to be able to see them, and keep water oxygenated & not stagnant.
Also, stocking suggestions? The current thought is bass, bluegills, and catfish. I'd love to be able to put my spotted gar in there, but I don't see it being warm enough for that.
Any tips? Suggestions?
Thanks!
The area the pond is going into is a very marshy area. It's a very heavy clay soil with a small stream that flows through the area, making the ground very soupy. There *ahem* may or may not have been cattails growing in the area. We plan on diverting the stream and using it to fill the pond, so there is a constant water turnover, albeit not a very fast one. The stream is only about 2' wide, and 6"-1' deep in the deepest spot, so it's definitely not a very fast flow.
Also, so you know, we're in western Pennsylvania, so that may affect things like depth, stocking, etc. . .
So, I come to MFK for advice. He wants to just use the backhoe to dig a hole 5' deep and that big around, let the stream fill it, and call it a day. I think this is a horrible idea, as it's going to result in brown water, and a very small bioload. Most "farm ponds" end up looking like large mud puddles, and I'd rather avoid this, as quite frankly, I'm going to inherit the place, and I'd rather be able to enjoy the pond as something nice to look at, not just somewhere to catch catfish and bass.
Now, I am guessing that we won't need to worry about a liner. With water constantly flowing in, and a heavy clay ground that already holds 6" of water in the rainy parts of the year, I can't see us losing too much water.
What would be the best way to go about this? We're looking for something that will be simple, low maintenance, and self-sustaining. He doesn't want to worry about having a beautiful bottom, and amazing plants, and all kinds of maintenance on it. He doesn't plan on adding chemicals, or wading to remove algae, etc. . .
Is there a way to do this that we could keep the pond somewhat clear, and actually be able to see fish, other than when they come to the surface for feeding? What kind of filtration would work best for this? Any easy way to make cosmetic improvements to the pond?
My thought on it is to do a waterfall, even if not a terribly large one. Water pumped up to a box on the top, filtered through some lava rock or something similar, and then trickling down rocks for the waterfall.
My other thought is a bog area. At the LFS I work in, their pond has a waterfall that branches off into a bog that's about 6" deep with a bunch of things growing emmersed in it- water celery, cattails, mint, etc. . . This would help a ton with nitrates, and all of the gravel in it works as a place for beneficial bacteria to grow.
How deep should we dig the pond? Deep enough to overwinter fish in western Pennsylvania, but shallow enough to be able to see them, and keep water oxygenated & not stagnant.
Also, stocking suggestions? The current thought is bass, bluegills, and catfish. I'd love to be able to put my spotted gar in there, but I don't see it being warm enough for that.
Any tips? Suggestions?
Thanks!
. Dig a test hole to the depth of the pond and check the soil mix there. Then see if the hole will hold water. Farm ponds usually have a real clay bottom to them sometimes hardpacked down by livestock over a year or two period.
. Are carp legal there? Large shiners, chubs etc. are fun to feed.