RE: ". . .why the rear scoops were called pond scoops . . ." Most likely because they are styled after the old fashioned, horse-drawn scoops used to build ponds! They had a pair of handles similar to a wheelbarrow's, and the operator - my granddad - walked behind with the reins over his shoulder. Controlled the team by voice, adjusted the scoop by hand, and built a heck of a farm cattle pond! (It was a few days ago - I got to ride on the horse!)