And now for the Pond

[IndianaPaul]

Well, have now spent 3 years living in the sticks and loving it. Finally got a Blue Beast big enough to handle the chores and life got even better. Now have decided that the small, spring fed livestock pond/seep (100'x100', 3-4' deep, small earthen dam failing/leaking whenI bought the place) is the next project and I'll hire someone to do it. My goal is to make it bigger & deeper. Spring is a good one as it did not dry up during drought in Indiana 2 summers ago. Can anyone tell me at what depth, height of dam, or impoundment size the Corps. of Engineers will have to be included? I'd like to have damn pushed back far enough to make pond about 1/3-1/2 acre in size, 20-25 deep at deepest. It sits in a bowl and dam can be laid between 2 hills encompassing it. Any thoughts?

Should done it first so I could fish while dreaming up more projects to tackle.

Paul

 

[fishman]

IndianaPaul,

A while back, there was a bunch of discussion on new ponds, building, stocking, fixing them from leaking, etc. I believe it was under this topic, but it might have been under tractor projects. Several people, including myself, posted stuff that should be helpful to you.

As far as the Corps, I seem to recall 25 acres as the minimum. I sincerely doubt that they would care about a <1 acre pond as you are planning. You might check with your local extension agent (Soil Conservation Service or whatever they're called now under the USDA) to find out about the soil you are in. It might be more than your dam that is leaking . . . it might actually be the bottom of the pond. Might also check with your DNR . . . they may have a stocking program for private lakes. At least they can help you with stocking amounts, habitat, etc. Last thought. . . a lot of the stuff that makes a pond better for fishing is much more easily accomplished before the pond fills with water, like brushpile placement. Don't hesitate to use your local experts, cause that's what they are there for.

Oh, and one last thing. Unless your pond fluctuates a great deal during droughts, there is no reason to make such a small pond so deep. 12-15 feet is plenty if it stays pretty full and silt influx is not a problem. Might save you some $.

 

[Alan L.]

I'm told such a depth in a less than acre pond can cause oxygen problems in the water if fishing is an objective. Plus, spring water usually has some oxygen deprivation to start with. Try www.pondboss.com and www.pondking.com. The latter guy actually stocked my tank (pond).

Alan L., TX

 

[IndianaPaul]

Guys thanks for the info. I'll check on previous postings for info as well. I kinda figured there wasn't much reason for Corp of Eng. to be interested with such a small pond, but this being Indiana and all, I'll check w/DNR & County Ext. Agent as well. I've already spoken to Soil & Conservation Office and they seem to agree that Dam appears to be the culprit. I could raise water level about 7 feet by plugging one side which has washed out. Currently level does not fluctuate much at all year round (no more than an inch or so, except after heavy prolonged rains).

Glad I posted, since I'd never even thought about depth & its effect on oxygen content. Again, thanks!

Paul

 

[patrickg]

Check into aeration methods. There are ways to avoid deep water stagnation and make use of the entire water column. Deep is not intrinsically bad with some planning/engineering.

Patrick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

A friend of mine worked for the soil conservation board here in Iowa a few years back designing ponds. They would survey your land, draw up the plans and make recommendations to help preserve your land from erotion. The best part is, the service was FREE. You might want to check with your local SCB to see if they offer a similar service.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Paul,

A few years back, the DNR here was anxious enough to have new ponds dug that they were willing to PAY for part of the project. (Wetlands protection, you know). Might be worth looking into.

SHF

 

[fishman]

Alan L.

Thanks for the links.

As for making the pond deeper than 15 feet, it probably isn't necessary, unless the pond varies greatly in depth throughout the year. Without an aeration system, the pond will stratify, and anything below 3-6 feet will lack sufficient oxygen to support fish anyway. Most experts recommend a minimum max depth of 8' in ponds that don't fluctuate much in depth. Twenty+ feet is overkill, in my opinion, and can actually be detrimental. Here's how it works.

If somebody has a one acre pond that stratifies at 3' (I've seen them stratify as shallow as 2'), they have 3 acre-feet of water with the potential for 8-9 ppm of dissolved oxygen. Let's say the pond is 20' at the deepest the average depth is around 12'. That means there is 9 acre feet of water with less than 1 ppm of dissolved oxygen. During turnover (when the water column destratifies) the oxygenated and hypoxic water mixes and in this situation, the MOST dissolved oxygen that will be in the pond is 3 ppm, or at the level where many species began to die. If the weather has been cloudy and surface DO is low, it could be catastrophic.

So sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.