New 0.5 acre pond on our property

[rogerius]

After almost 2 years of searching and indecision, finally we pull the trigger and shake the hand with a contractor to build a pond on our property. It will be around 0.5 acre in a kidney shape. The weather was and is quite cold so the heavy tracks didn't make a lot of mess on the property so far. They are using one big excavator, one bulldozer and two tracks for hauling. Today was the third day and half of the pond is done. The good news is that is almost 4ft of water already and is filling fast. The operator said he touched couple good springs at 14ft so the water will not be a problem filing this pond. It will take some time to finish as the excavated soil have to be haul up the hill at 700ft from the pond to level other side of the property. Here are couple pictures over the 3 days. I'll keep you posted.

 

[murphy1244]

Did you put any structure and rocks in it for the fish?

 

[rogerius]

Did you put any structure and rocks in it for the fish?

No structures, just rocks as were to big to lift out. We don't plan to have fish so far but maybe will change that in time.

 

[murphy1244]

No structures, just rocks as were to big to lift out. We don't plan to have fish so far but maybe will change that in time.

You will have fish whether you want to or not. Put in a Dock.

 

[rogerius]

You will have fish whether you want to or not. Put in a Dock.

Fish from where? I understand frogs but fish!!

About the dock, I'm planing for a floating one.

 

[murphy1244]

From ducks and birds the eggs get stuck to their feet and body and whala you have fish.

 

[AaronS]

I've never seen anyone dig a pond with snow on the ground before. Impressive!

 

[oosik]

Nice pond. If you ever want fish - you will have to stock your pond yourself. You have the correct idea to wait a couple year to plan on a fish stocking operation. It will take that long for the pond to stabilize. Water plants will help this process along greatly. That is quite an earth moving project.

 

[EddieWalker]

Fish from where? I understand frogs but fish!!

About the dock, I'm planing for a floating one.

The debate on where the fish come from is ongoing, but I agree that you will have fish in there. It's just a matter of time.

I dug my pond from out of the woods. We cleared trees and burned for almost and spend almost two years digging. It was bone dry several times and all the water in it comes from run off. I did pump from the creek and might have some sort of minnows in there from there, but I've never identified anything that small. I put in Flathead Minnows, Coppernose Bluegill, Channel Catfish and Large Mouth Bass. We have caught all those species, but also Yellow Catfish and Green Sunfish. Neither of those fish are in the creek, which dries out during the summer where I pumped the water from, and there are no ponds uphill of me that cold have overflowed and worked their way to my pond. The only way they could have gotten there is from the birds. Either eggs attached to their feet, or out their buts.

As for the spring at depth, that might be something to be concerned about. If the spring is down low, it could easily go both ways, either into your pond to fill it, or when the spring water table lowers, it will drain the water out of the pond and into the spring. The only way to know for sure is to wait and see what happens over the summer. Figure out your evaporation rate and know what to expect. If it leaks, those springs are where I would go to in order to stop it.

Eddie

 

[cartod]

Birds eat fish, birds poop fish eggs. Eagle snags fish from another pond and shreds it near your pond.