Making a Creek Pond

[Boeing]

I have a similar situation with a small creek, rocks, sand, and culverts. You are overthinking it. Just dig a channel and lay those pipes into it at the depth you want the little pond. Put them at least a foot or two apart. Slope them a bit down - a quarter inch drop for each horizontal foot is the standard.

Then backfill with whatever dirt/sand/and rocks that you have. Use what you dug out. Yes, the material is porous, but that doesn't matter because if it is wide enough to drive across there is more than enough resistance to flow for your purpose.
This is technically called a "low water crossing" but it makes a nice little creek pond. Creek ponds are different from dug ponds. In making a creek pond you are looking to slow the flow of water which you do by increasing the resistance to flow. This is not a dug pond where you want to prevent flow with clay and concrete.

Since the cross section of the pipe is less than the cross section of the creek - and if you don't slope them too much - then a shallow pond will form naturally. You want a creek pond to "leak". It's healthier that way.

You can change the depth of the pond a foot or more by either restricting the flow into the pipes or by adding another pipe. For restricting the flow, just placing one big rock in front of each pipe will make a difference. Again, you are just increasing the flow resistance. Not flow prevention.

Do it with what you have and you'll be done in a weekend. Mine isn't much larger than a game room and you would be amazed at the wildlife and plants it supports.

Good luck,
rScotty

Thank you so much. Great advise and explainations......

 

[mikester]

Asking for permission to build a creek pond is a no-no around here. Bring in a beaver - that way it's a no-no to remove the beaver and you get your creek pond.

 

[dodge man]

I’d forget about it if I were you. What scares me is your post “where do I buy clay”. Not to insult you but to build a decent sized dam you are talking truck loads of dirt. Something else to think about what does it look like upstream? If there is not a flat area for a pond to spread out a little your dam will have to be high enough to get any kind of area for your pond.

 

[deezler]

Yeah... you don't buy clay soil for a dam at Lowes, lol.

Sourcing truckloads of clay for a pond lining is also one of my own logistical hurdles for future pond construction... most of my soil is extremely well draining sand.

 

[Eagle1]

All about location. I would trade red or gray clay all day for sandy or good soil. One of my neighbors used to haul big rocks to IL and return with rich black dirt. I've got boulder of all sizes and composition readily available. I have to make due with creek gravel and compost to grow stuff....

 

[deezler]

Yes, I do love my sandy soil. Easy to dig. Never have puddles in the yard. Grass likes it just fine. No frost heave to worry about. Only gets greasy on top during the worst of spring thaw. I could go on.

I don't have many rocks here. Whenever I am digging and find a rock bigger than an apple, I keep it. If i find a 2-3' boulder, I pull it out and do a little happy dance.

 

[Boeing]

I’d forget about it if I were you. What scares me is your post “where do I buy clay”. Not to insult you but to build a decent sized dam you are talking truck loads of dirt. Something else to think about what does it look like upstream? If there is not a flat area for a pond to spread out a little your dam will have to be high enough to get any kind of area for your pond.

I get it....duh. My creek is only about 4' across and normally a fast Fawcett size stream. Over centuries of flashfloods where it gets 10' across and could sweep away a car it has made a pretty good gully. I've brought in loads of rocks to make a crossing for my tractor. It is above that crossing where I thought I'd make a 4x8 pond....flow thru.

 

[dodge man]

If it’s enough to carry a car away twin 18” pipes probably isn’t enough pipe to carry the flow. I’m a retired land surveyor and worked for a civil engineering firm for 37 years. We designed lakes and dams and got them permitted. There is a lot of work that goes into that process. Normally small ponds don’t need a permit but it depends. Also most of the trees below the water level are cleared. For a lot of reasons I’m not encouraging you try a pond.

 

[rScotty]

If it’s enough to carry a car away twin 18” pipes probably isn’t enough pipe to carry the flow. I’m a retired land surveyor and worked for a civil engineering firm for 37 years. We designed lakes and dams and got them permitted. There is a lot of work that goes into that process. Normally small ponds don’t need a permit but it depends. Also most of the trees below the water level are cleared. For a lot of reasons I’m not encouraging you try a pond.

I agree, that is why I believe a "low-water crossing" as I described is his best option. It is also able to be constructed either without or with minimal permitting because it is not an impoundment above the flow level. A properly designed low-water crossing is simple to make by resisting the free flow as described. And if eventually he wants more pond, it is then simple to sit on the edge or the crossing and use a hoe to make it a bit deeper. That will eventually make a nice little pond, and the deepening does not put more water into into a higher pressure area above the plane of the normal flow.

A low water crossing typically has a stone topping so during higher flow the water simply flows over the top.

I've got 3 of them on my creek. After awhile you get the hang of building them so that there is a nice wide but shallow pool upstream and if you can get the water to drop a couple of feet as it exits the pipe it will eventually carve out a pool downstream as well.

Using the pipes allows the use of smaller rock and gravel because it doesn't have to resist the flow based solely on the weight of the fill. It is possible to build a low water crossing using large stone blocks with gaps between them and no pipes at all. I've got a couple like that for walking, but pipes make it easier for making the crossing wide enough for a tractor because then you can use much smaller material. Don't need the boulders.
rScotty

 

[Boeing]

that is beautiful rScotty. That's exactly what I'm hoping for. Thank you

 

[Boeing]

I piled up lots of rocks to make my tractor crossing and have achieved ONE small (4') mini-pond.

 

[rScotty]

I piled up lots of rocks to make my tractor crossing and have achieved ONE small (4') mini-pond.

I see it. It looks nice - a lot like the first ones I did. They were small too. The problem on each small creek pond is always getting access. As you've probably found, the hard part is getting close enough to the water to accomplish anything. But once you build one access point it gets easier. Especially if you make it wide enough for a tractor.

After literally decades of trying to get the hang of making creek ponds, what really made mine take off was several things: One was going to different rims with wide industrial tires for more tractor stability. Another was getting a long backhoe with a thumb. Then I bought several truckloads of rocks - some I trailered and some were delivered by a road construction crew for a fee. Then I hired an old retired experienced backhoe guy for a couple of afternoons to run my tractor while I watched and learned. I'm pretty good with the hoe - being close to 80 - but sure did learn a lot more just from watching him.

BOTTOM LINE: If you have a stream in a gully, a traditional pond is hard to do. The solution to that turns out to be making a series of stepped little ponds with each one feeding the next.

rScotty

 

[Boeing]

Thank you, Scotty. I have a friend with a backhoe....maybe he can help. Thanks again