Expanding an existing pond

[CFCB]

What is the best way to handle this.
I just recently purchased some land to build our country home on. It has an existing small pond that lies at the bottom of a hill. This looks like a natural pond and drainage doesn't seem to be a problem. Water drains down the hill from the east and west sides of the pond. The dam, (of sorts) is on the north side and it flatens out on the south side where a drainage ditch flows into it. I'm looking to expand the pond and make it bigger but I'm also trying to keep from having to drain the water permanently and start from scratch with the marine life. Should I (A) dig out the new part of the pond a little deeper than the existing pond and then drain the water from the existing to the new pond and then eventually combine them both as one large pond or (B) Have no choice but to drain the pond and start all over. Since it's a natural pond, is that a pretty good clue that I wont need to have any kind of lining even if I start over? Any advice would be great!! Thanks

 

[roscoe]

Can you excavate another pond adjacent to the existing pond and then gradually fill the new pond and eventually join the two? Since you are concerned about the "marine" life of the pond, dredging the existing pond deeper doesn´t seem like a good idea because it would probably kill a lot of the critters and also during dredging activities, you will distrub the existing sediment and it will eventually cover the pond bottom and cover the plantlife. Also, you need to consider the construction costs. If you dredge the existing pond, you will need to mount your excavation equipment on a pontoon, and the construction will take longer.

 

[jheidt2543]

CFCB:

You don't mention anything about getting permits to do the work. Most state EPA's require permits for any work, even on private land, in a pond or marsh or changing any drainage course. Check with your local County Agent or State EPA before doing any work to avoid a big hastle later. The other advantage to checking is that many of these departments can provide advice on how to go about your project in a enviornmentally friendly way.

Good Luck!

 

[CFCB]

Roscoe
Yes, that's what I want to do. My plan would be to cut out a new pond right beside the existing pond but dig it a little deeper. Once that's done then I would drain the existing pond into the new one and then eventually combine them together as one big pond. Does that sound like the best plan? I appreciate your advice.

jheidt,
Yeah, I plan on doing all of this following all state and county guidelines. I'm looking to get basic idea's before I actually start the excavating. Thanks for the info.

 

[golfdesigner]

I think you need to look at a few other issues as well, can the watershed accommodate the larger pond, is there enough water to fill the pond to the level you want after it is expanded. What is the general climate, is there enough rainfall or spring water to fill pond, what are soils like in the adjacent area where you intend to expand the pond. If you hit a sand or gravel seam you can drain existing pond or need to seal the sand/gravel seam, driving costs up significantly.

Maybe local NCRS office, [SCS] can help on the water budget as well as some preliminary planning on soil suitability.

We have designed and constructed two successful pond expansions in Northern Illinois but we did some research and soil tests before we started construction.

Good Luck.