How do you maintain a Pond water level

[Redneck in training]

LD1, The size that you are talking about is pretty much what I am wanting. Anything larger would not look right in the area that I want it. I also wanted a little island in the middle and build a bridge to it. This is much more for looks and fishing eventually as well as attracting wild life. I thought 8-10k was way too much but have no idea on what a good or reasonable price would be.

Thanks
Wade

You have to maintain certain slope of the banks and depth of the pond. It the slope is not steep or the pond is not deep enough you will have cattails growing there. Cattails attract muskrat that will burrow in the dam and cause lot of damage. Therefore I would advise against island in small pond. You might be better off to build a deck connected to the shore by a bridge. My wife has a client that has floating "bedroom" where they sleep during warm weather. When you build dam compact every layer driving on it repeatedly in example with full bucket. Once the pond is full of water and has some defect it is very expensive to fix. You can ask me how I know.

 

[EddieWalker]

Something to consider when looking for bids for dirt work, it's all about where you are putting the dirt. The farther you move the dirt, the more it costs. Digging is easy. It's cheap and it's easy. Getting rid of the dirt is what you are paying for. Comparing what others paid for the size of the pond is meaningless. You have to understand local rates, laws or codes that may or may not apply, and how far the dirt is moved and what is done with it.

Eddie

 

[Josh Shoemaker]

I have a pond that is 3/4 to 1 acre on my property. It was there when I purchased the land. I believe that it may be spring fed but I think it also relies on water runoff to help with the water level. It has around 20 to 25 acres of mostly open pasture that runs off to it. But the water fluctuates around 4 to 6 feet during the year. But it has not completely dried up so that makes me think that it must have a small spring on it. I have been thinking about drilling a well to maintain the water level. I thought about putting a windmill up over the well so I wouldn't have to use any power. But after researching windmills and wells the well can only so deep. And me just guessing I think the water would be way below that and the fact that I would be at the mercy of the wind blowing to get water. So this goes back to have an electric pump to get the water. I am wondering if anybody here has a well that maintains water level in a pond and what kind of consumption cost would be envolved in running a pump to maintain water levels. I know that is a broad question due to all the variables that are at work, like evaporation rates, temperatures, pond leakage, size, etc. But just an average on a what acre pond would be all I'm looking for.

 

[Redneck in training]

I have a pond that is 3/4 to 1 acre on my property. It was there when I purchased the land. I believe that it may be spring fed but I think it also relies on water runoff to help with the water level. It has around 20 to 25 acres of mostly open pasture that runs off to it. But the water fluctuates around 4 to 6 feet during the year. But it has not completely dried up so that makes me think that it must have a small spring on it. I have been thinking about drilling a well to maintain the water level. I thought about putting a windmill up over the well so I wouldn't have to use any power. But after researching windmills and wells the well can only so deep. And me just guessing I think the water would be way below that and the fact that I would be at the mercy of the wind blowing to get water. So this goes back to have an electric pump to get the water. I am wondering if anybody here has a well that maintains water level in a pond and what kind of consumption cost would be envolved in running a pump to maintain water levels. I know that is a broad question due to all the variables that are at work, like evaporation rates, temperatures, pond leakage, size, etc. But just an average on a what acre pond would be all I'm looking for.

If your pond fluctuates 4 to 6 feet it has a leak somewhere. The evaporation rates are rather in inches/week or less.

 

[Josh Shoemaker]

If your pond fluctuates 4 to 6 feet it has a leak somewhere. The evaporation rates are rather in inches/week or less.

It dosen't have a leak. That is how much it fluctates when we don't get any rain. I have Red Clay for a pond.

 

[EddieWalker]

Both my ponds drop several inches a week during the summer from evaporation. Maybe a foot a month if I don't get any rain.

If your pond is dropping 6 feet, then the spring could be your leak. For water to come into a pond from a spring, it can also go out of the pond through the spring. All a spring is, is a water table near the surface of the land that is leaking out of the ground. The best springs are from the side of a hill or mountain, but some just come out into a hole dug into the ground just like a shallow well. As the water table drops, so does the water level in the pond.

Eddie

 

[sld]

On a hot windy day you can lose 1" per day to evaporation.

 

[Redneck in training]

Perhaps the depth of the pond might be also a factor. Based on my observation of neighbor's pond it would lose about 2-3" max a week during the drought we had this summer.