So the wife and i are having a pond dug! should be about a half acre and 12 ft deep! they dropped some equipment off yesterday and they want to get started today even though its been raining for the last day. they said it will take roughly 3-4 days to dig it and build the dam. Im excited to see it take place.
Yes please post pics! We have a perfect spot for a pond I would love to have dug someday when I have the funds available. Can I ask what the company is charging you to dig it?
You'll no doubt be happy with a pond. It's something my wife and I have considered but so far holding off on it.
We had qoutes from 8-16k. The quote we went with was 10k. We are paying cash so he said that will lower the actual cost some. Also he is just going to push all the trees into a pile and I’ll process them/burn brush. He was charging 800$ to do that. So I’m actually expecting to pay 9k or so.
This is so freakin' awesome. A big water feature like this is one of the things that really makes a property. That looks like some fantastic Ohio soil they are digging up. I've always been curious where the water comes from to fill something like this up, and what keeps it from draining away. Also, what are your stocking plans?
I'm thinking you know where the water comes from. Generally it's rain runoff and the pond is dug in a low area, unless it can be spring or creek/river fed. Some do feed ponds by well pumping, but that seems awefully expensive to me. As to water retention, I hope you have a lot of good clay soil there fordguy64 A good clay liner is the best for water retention, otherwise you could spend another small fortune on liner material that can deteriorate and breakdown/leak over the years. fordguy64 are they putting in a dam at all?? I've been wanting to put one in here, and had a contractor come out last year, price was in the same ballpark as yours, but I couldn't commit the funds. I wish you much luck and happiness with a nice pond.
so we have about 2 acres of yard that slope towards the pond so water supply will not be an issue. The guys digging said that the dirt is PERFECT for this. I guess i shouldnt call it dirt as its all clay. once they got the top soil off its been nothing but clay. The giant hole that my wife is standing in is actually the very bottom of the dam. its called a key and they will wrap it around in a U shape as the pond is being build on a slight hill. the bottom of the pond will actually be just bellow the initial layer of top soil. The dam will be 12ft taller than that. the hole is about 12 ft deep so they will be compacting the dam in 6-12" increments all the way up to 12ft above grade. the key is a very very important part of a pond. it keeps the water from running out from under the dam. hopefully that makes sense. edit added picture to explain my ramblings
Very nice. Seems you have near perfect site for a pond, great soil with lots of clay. I'm hoping the contractor you hired mentioned the "key" or "core trench", that would definitely show that they have done some ponds previously, and you should end up with a quality pond in the end. Seems to me that 2 acres for rain runoff to fill the pond may be a bit insufficient during the dry summer months, and you may experience some low water levels in summer. So, are you looking to stock it with some fish, or just a recreational type pond? Either way, looking forward to pics of your new pond all filled with water.
Didn’t get a lot of pics today. But we are going to stock it with some fish. The wife and I both injoy fishing. We will see what happens with the water level
Hey fordguy64 is that a lambsfoot roller they're using? I've seen/heard the term as both lambsfoot and sheepsfoot rollers, but HIGHLY recommended for good soil compaction. Looks like you hired a good crew to install your pond. Since you're stocking the pond, what type of aeration you planning on? Without constant waterflow, you will need good aeration for the fishes. From the research I did, 1/2 acre is quite adequate for a limited fish population, and I was informed that some hybrid breeds that cannot reproduce would be more beneficial in a small pond system.
Yes it’s a sheepfoot or lambs foot I’ve heard both. It viberates the house and its 250 or so feet away. We haven’t decided on aeration yet. I’m kinda leaning towards a bubbler. But I’m not against a fountain either.
I see some hedge in those piles. These guys seem to know what they're doing. Keyway for the dam is done right.
Really love being able to watch projects like this one. I'm too old and broken to move anything but a fork and spoon. I really do enjoy seeing the projects get done.
