etpm
Veteran Member
My wife and I have been talking about me digging out an area we have that already ponds every winter and making it permanent. And larger. The area is in the woods behind our house. Because of the way the land is I could excavate and pile the dirt around part of the perimeter and end up with a pond about 12 feet deep and about 50 feet diameter. Overflow would not be a problem because higher land on our property would keep the water from leaving our property. So there is no worry about flooding neighboring properties. Our house is about 30 feet above the pond so the house would not be threatened either.
The area that ponds now is fed by rain and ground water only. I think I can dig the area out and seal the pond with bentonite. I have a Case 580CK that I would do the work with. I have been reading books and government publications about building ponds. But I have never communicated with anybody who has actually put their own pond in.
One of my biggest concerns is keeping the pond from turning into a big mosquito breeding facility. I have plenty of small frogs living in our woods and I'm sure they would love a year round pond but I have no idea if they would keep mosquitos at bay.
I live in the PNW about 30 miles north of Seattle on the south end of Whidbey Island. Maybe that info will help with suggestions. Besides frogs I was thinking fish and crayfish might also be beneficial. I could trap crayfish in a lake that is close to me and transport them to my pond if they would live. Ducks and geese may find the fish tasty and so maybe there goes that control method.
I am willing to put in some sort of aerator for the fish if needed, but I was hoping the pond would be big and deep enough to not need one.
Since the pond would be in the woods it would get a lot of shade unless I cleared trees around it, which I am considering.
So, looking for suggestions.
Thanks,
Eric
The area that ponds now is fed by rain and ground water only. I think I can dig the area out and seal the pond with bentonite. I have a Case 580CK that I would do the work with. I have been reading books and government publications about building ponds. But I have never communicated with anybody who has actually put their own pond in.
One of my biggest concerns is keeping the pond from turning into a big mosquito breeding facility. I have plenty of small frogs living in our woods and I'm sure they would love a year round pond but I have no idea if they would keep mosquitos at bay.
I live in the PNW about 30 miles north of Seattle on the south end of Whidbey Island. Maybe that info will help with suggestions. Besides frogs I was thinking fish and crayfish might also be beneficial. I could trap crayfish in a lake that is close to me and transport them to my pond if they would live. Ducks and geese may find the fish tasty and so maybe there goes that control method.
I am willing to put in some sort of aerator for the fish if needed, but I was hoping the pond would be big and deep enough to not need one.
Since the pond would be in the woods it would get a lot of shade unless I cleared trees around it, which I am considering.
So, looking for suggestions.
Thanks,
Eric