How much work is a pond?

[daugen]

On the Good Morning thread, Walker450 just posted a drop dead gorgeous picture of his new pond at daybreak, still very dark, and he was planning to build a new home nearby. This is exactly what I plan to do in about three years, or less, either buy a place with a pond or build one. I've read lots of threads here related to ponds but I have two basic questions:
first, how often does one have to to major maintenance to the pond that requires outsourcing
second, is a backhoe a requirement for maintenance?

trying to get a handle on equipment needs and some maintenance cost understanding.
I love the water, have swum all my life. I'd love to have some of my own.
Would appreciate your thoughts on what is needed for planning purposes, but no discussion of digging a new pond, just maintaining what I buy. Thanks. Drew

 

[LD1]

While I am only on the second year owning my pond, the only tiem I have used the backhoe (other than helping dig it and doing the overflow) was to set the dock I built.

I dont think a BH is a requirement, nor is much maintenance IF you keep up with it. Depending on how big, and how deep the pond is, soil conditions, runoffs, etc will determine how often big equipment is required to dredge it out.

If you do a pond with a dam/dike around it, you also have to keep after the muskrats (at least im my area) also.

Having a pond isnt much work. I know I have only had mine a year, but know several people that have them and grew up around dozens of farm ponds.

Now if you want crystal clear water that is always vegetation free, then it can be a bit of work. But still no major equipment needed.

 

[ncnurseryman]

I've had a pond for many years, it came with the property I bought. Other than mowing around it and fishing there is not much to do. One thing I have noticed is that good flow helps keep it clean and yes as mentioned prior muskrats and beavers need to be eradicated with extreme prejudice.

 

[daugen]

thanks guys. Is a muskrat like an aquatic ground hog?
boy would I like a clean pond I could swim in and even drink the water.
Which is why I don't want any horse or animal farms up river/aquifer of me.
Getting a comprehensive water quality test including heavy metals would be a must for me.
Maybe it's a dream, maybe clean water doesn't exist as much as we hope anymore...

 

[riptides]

thanks guys. Is a muskrat like an aquatic ground hog?
boy would I like a clean pond I could swim in and even drink the water.
Which is why I don't want any horse or animal farms up river/aquifer of me.
Getting a comprehensive water quality test including heavy metals would be a must for me.
Maybe it's a dream, maybe clean water doesn't exist as much as we hope anymore...

So why not build a swimming pool?

How big a pond? Did you see my whirl-pool to hot-tub topic?
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/184882-pond-hot-tub.html

I like water, the pond and the pool though service different wants and desires.

 

[LD1]

Yes muskrats are like aquatic groundhogs I guess.

They dig holes/tunnels in the banks of the pond, and cause them to leak.

I dont have any banks on mine. My pond location is basically a hole in the ground. So do dam or bank for them to dig into and cause leaks.

 

[foreman Etexas]

The builder will either give you several trouble free years or nothing but trouble. Spillway design,compaction in dam(core)(material used), easy maintance slopes,depth/location(if it dries up every year your gonna have a lot of silt). Get something on the slopes growing quickly after built,need something to hold the soil down,once erosion starts correct it quickly. After pond is built,its going to need the most attention(heavy rains can mess up a good thing going) but after grass is established the erosion corrected,shouldn't need anything but fishing pole and 22...

 

[dave1949]

thanks guys. Is a muskrat like an aquatic ground hog?
boy would I like a clean pond I could swim in and even drink the water.
Which is why I don't want any horse or animal farms up river/aquifer of me.
Getting a comprehensive water quality test including heavy metals would be a must for me.
Maybe it's a dream, maybe clean water doesn't exist as much as we hope anymore...

I don't think you will find a pond with water that is 100% safe to drink untreated anywhere really. Wildlife is a source of contamination too, not just farms.

If you were to buy a pond, some of the nicest I have seen were old limestone quarries that are no longer used and often spring fed. They can be quite deep (50'-75') and cold too. The one I swam in as a kid had water of a nice temperature on the top 6' or 8' of water, deeper you could really feel the cold.

On the other hand, there is a lot of odd and icky stuff at the bottom of some of those old stone pits. So, their history is something to consider when evaluating them.

 

[rekees4300]

and even drink the water.

Don't even think about drinking out of a pond directly! Our water is from a pond and it goes through several filters (filter well, cistern, sediment filter, neutralizer, softener, ultra violet, taste & odor, reverse osmosis) before it is drinkable.

 

[ncnurseryman]

Think of a pond as a toy so to speak. Something that is enjoyed and can be used irrigation of a garden. But drinking from, no.