I have a small pasture that I want to build a small pond in so I don't have to run 200ft of hose to fill up a stock tank all the time. I've cleared out the area pretty well that I'm to the point I'm ready to start actually moving dirt. My question is that there's a ditch running through there at the moment that I can't cross with the tractor. In the image below the black line is a representation cross section of the current ground level and the red line is where the dam will be. Is it ok for me to fill the ditch in and build the dam on top of that or should I dig the area around the ditch down to the green line to get to "ditch level" before I start building the dam? The ditch is 4' wide and 3' deep. It would be a lot easier to just fill it in but I'm wondering if that will just create a weak spot in the dam for water to leak through. This will only be a 1/4 acre or so in size. Just want something to hold water for cattle.
Small Pond Build
- Thread starter mx1alex
- Start date
JJT
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2001
- Messages
- 1,804
- Location
- Upstate NY, USA
- Tractor
- Kubota L3710 HST and a Kubota ZD21 60Pro
A 1/4 acre is not a small pond, if it's more than a few feet deep. What's down stream if your dam were to fail? If nothing, why not take the easy route and see if it's good enough, (simply damming up the existing ditch).
fishman
Veteran Member
I agree with jk96, and clay core is needed.
ovrszd
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
- Messages
- 33,499
- Location
- Missouri
- Tractor
- Kubota M9540, Ford 3910FWD, Ford 555A, JD2210
Just found this thread. Was gonna read to the end then PM you about joining the conversation.
Jeremy has a LOT of experience in this type of project. Listen carefully to his advice. Ask questions. He'll gladly offer suggestions.
Update: It won't be near a 1/4 acre in size but I think it will serve its purpose in holding water for some cows to drink in the summer. Dug down fairly deep to get into the clay and packed it all down as best as I could with my tractor. Got some rain the other day and it's already holding over a 12" of water.
Coboco
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2020
- Messages
- 50
- Tractor
- L2501 HST 4x4
You might get lucky and it holds water! I made one of similar size and fashion trying to do my best working with the clay I encountered, and it always has some water in it, and will fill up and overflow in very wet conditions...but steadily drains several feet down over the course of a couple weeks. The summer dry period will be it's test? If nothing else, mine functions as a silt collection point/wetland area prior to it turning into the creek.
etpm
Veteran Member
Years ago a fellow I worked with had a pretty big pond built. It would fill quickly but would also drain quickly. His solution, one that was recommended to him, was to scatter bentonite on the surface. He bought a lot of bentonite in bags, the same stuff well drillers use to seal around well casings here in the PNW. He then went out in a row boat and scattered the stuff on the surface. It sank and sealed the bottom. It worked well, his pond retained water much longer.
Eric
oosik
Super Star Member
My lake drains into a much larger lake. I built a low dam at the outlet of my lake. It is mostly a mix of clay and cattails. It worked fairly well. Then about ten years ago a family of beavers moved onto my lake.
Man - do they ever know how to build and maintain a dam. Any and all worries about this dam disappeared when they arrived. It's now strong and tight as if it were made of concrete.
They even built a bypass channel. During really high water - it flows out the bypass channel and doesn't overtop the dam.
Man - do they ever know how to build and maintain a dam. Any and all worries about this dam disappeared when they arrived. It's now strong and tight as if it were made of concrete.
They even built a bypass channel. During really high water - it flows out the bypass channel and doesn't overtop the dam.