Natural small pond ideas

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Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jun 9, 2008
2,148
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Ne, IN
www.tankterrors.com
I found this small pond in my yard that I never knew I had, it's really small as you can see but had some water bugs on the surface so there is life. I plan to clean it up and make it larger. Not sure how much, but just wondering what you'd put in a small natural pond. Keeping in mind it will freeze over in winter. I will make it whatever depth is needed to ensure it doesn't freeze solid though.

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I would make sure this pond will have water in it year round, I know right now here in Michigan we have lots of little ponds that come another month or so will not have any water in them. Just from the spring time high water table around here.
 
I am concerned it may dry up in the summer at the current depth but I plan to dig it much deeper to prevent that. I do have spots that fill/dry up near this one that are even lower than this spot and they are currently dried up so that is a good sign. I also plan to make it wider/longer.
 
Dug it out a little larger today. As I was digging I would hit these little springs of water so I think it should stay filled. The clay is very moist. No pics yet.
 
I would stock it will little native killifish and minnows. The killi eggs may be able to survive if it dries out or freezes for short periods and still come back. Same with the minnow eggs, although that's less likely. And if they don't survive, they're not very difficult or expensive to replace.

Maybe plant some bog like plants around the edges to help with pulling nutrients out of the water to keep it cleaner?
 
Thats a good plan, pretty much along the lines I was thinking. I'll just have to find a source for those types of fish. I don't know what plants would survive winter, I'll need to look into that. The bottom of it is this fine gravel stuff, so I think the previous owners dug this one since the material doesn't seem natural to me.

I looked and a Bobcat is less than $200 a day so I may rent one in the future and make it much larger with a stream like feature.
 
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