scraping for a pond

[ronbo3]

I'd like some info on how to use my 5'BB to scrape out a pond. I have been getting dirt from a low place to use around my new pole barn, and decided to make a small pond (in East Texas it's a "pool") out of the hole I've made. I have been scraping with the BB and then using the FEL to pick up the dirt. Should I scrape from the end where I want the dam, or do I scrape TOWARD the dam? How about side to side? The end result I want is a small pond about 20'X40' and about 3-5' deep.
Thanks guys, TBN is a great place!!

 

[Bird]

I can think of a number of questions, but to answer yours, I'd scrape TOWARD the dam, leaving the dirt scraped out as the dam. But how are you going to get it well compacted, is the pond to be filled by run-off from land at a higher elevation, is the maximum water level going to exceed the level of the original terrain where the dam will be, or will the dam you're building be to hold the water, what about a spillway, etc.? And while you can certainly build a pond that way, in fact, I know of a good sized pond that was supposedly built with a compact Kubota, it's certainly going to take a long time with a 5' box blade. I know I spent many hours doing exactly the opposite; tearing down a dam and filling in a 15' deep hole (a pond that wouldn't hold water).

 

[ronbo3]

Sorry I wasn't very clear with my question. I have a place where I've been getting dirt for other projects, and I wish to make it look less like a hole and more like a "pond". I just want the sides to slope smoothly. It is in a low place with drainage from higher ground, and already collects some water from run-off. Sides will be at ground level when finished. I don't care if it holds water year-round, I just wanted to know how to get the hole to look nicer when I finish getting dirt out of it.
I'm guessing I scrape toward the middle and remove the dirt with the FEL from there, but I really don't know.

 

[MMM]

Are you into sticky clay yet? That's what you'll need for a dam and you might would want to line slopes to edge with clay if topsoil is very deep. Otherwise it'll be a hole. There's a lot of info on web about pond construction. Your local USDA man will have info as to your soil type and how local ponds fare. Some soils just aren't good pond sites. My pond ranges from max depth of 11' in winter/spring to 7' in summer/fall depending on rainfall.