New to this...advice request

[Jtaylor 76usmcusar]

I purchased 100 acres in TN. I will be share cropping and building a home and then transition to farming myself. The acreage has about a 40’ elevation drop from front to back. There is a spring fed creek at the bottom. Looks like runoff is making about 4 ac unplantable. In addition to normal farming, I need something to dig a trench line, plant trees, and the big project... I’d like to do a lake/pond on that 4 ac. What equipment should I be looking at getting. Thanks for the info and the leniency.

 

[sea2summit]

Digging a 4 acre pond is probably best left to professionals or big rented machines.

What kind of farming are you talking about? Hay? Row crops? Chickens?

 

[stuckmotor]

Please describe the size of the rocks where you plan to place the pond and the trench line, also the projected depth of each.
Have you checked for possible government assistance in building the pond and trench line?

 

[jthibodeau89]

Where in TN is important. Much of middle TN is on limestone. It can be hard to seal a pond here. I have a 1/3ac x 12' deep spring fed pond that has been patched twice in 4 years. Fist size holes go straight into the hillside. Last time the hole was 3' above the bottom. Before that was about 6' up. Pond was originally dammed 30-40 yrs ago. I have several seeps on my property and a couple large springs on adjacent properties.

Problem can be that during rains the water comes up out of the hole, then goes back in as runoff subsides. Blows out the seal from the back side. Not sure if that is my problem due my elevation fall (200'), but saw it on another property we were interested in that was very flat.

 

[Jtaylor 76usmcusar]

Digging a 4 acre pond is probably best left to professionals or big rented machines.

What kind of farming are you talking about? Hay? Row crops? Chickens?

Going to do row crops. Will have chickens but just for personal family use.

 

[Jtaylor 76usmcusar]

Please describe the size of the rocks where you plan to place the pond and the trench line, also the projected depth of each.
Have you checked for possible government assistance in building the pond and trench line?

The trench is going to be for electric so not more than 24 inches. The pond is a different story all together. I wanted to shoot for 10-20 feet. I have not checked with the government, what agency would you even suggest looking at?

 

[stuckmotor]

The government used used to advise land owners where to place a dam and estimate the size of the pond depending on the dam's location.. I'm told they also contributed to the cost of building. Your county agent's office can probably tell you who to contact about this. The current farm bill probably determines what they pay these days, if anything. The government might contribute enough that it would be cost effective for you to pay the difference and to invest your tractor money in other attachments.

The advice I've heard about hiring trenching is to hire one big enough for the job. Roots, rocks, and even hard ground are said to be a problem.

Good luck!

 

[kenmbz]

Welcome to TBN and congrats on the land purchase.

 

[Jtaylor 76usmcusar]

The government used used to advise land owners where to place a dam and estimate the size of the pond depending on the dam's location.. I'm told they also contributed to the cost of building. Your county agent's office can probably tell you who to contact about this. The current farm bill probably determines what they pay these days, if anything. The government might contribute enough that it would be cost effective for you to pay the difference and to invest your tractor money in other attachments.

The advice I've heard about hiring trenching is to hire one big enough for the job. Roots, rocks, and even hard ground are said to be a problem.

Good luck!

Thanks. I’ll talk to the guy at the County office for the UT Extension.

 

[Jtaylor 76usmcusar]

Welcome to TBN and congrats on the land purchase.

Thanks. It’s gonna be an adventure learning all these new skills.