Pond excavating

[ohnesorge]

I need info on pond excavating a 180'x120' pond with max depth 12' with sloping on both ends...Will I need to drill for water? It is in a low area on the property where waater collects when there is rain..I have access to graders etc..need info on liners and I would like to eventually put fish in the pond...Any help would be appreciated

Thank you!

 

[KAM_imported]

You should start by having a geotechnical consultant drill some exploratory borings to determine the soil and groundwater conditions. Borehole permeability tests can be performed to determine how well the soils drain and whether the pond bottom will have to be lined or not.

 

[nec]

ohnesorge,
Your pond project does not have to be as complicated as many think. Liners can be precut and manufactured to size for your project. This cuts down on labor and cost at jobsite. Contact for more information. NEC,

http://WWW.NATIONALEROSION.COM

 

[BillHolt]

I'd suggest that, rather than drilling, this may be a situation where getting the ol' backhoe onto the site is appropriate. Since you've given no information about the geology, I can't suggest anything more than digging a few holes so you can get a good idea of the soils and, perhaps, using the holes to get an idea about how well you pond will hold water without a liner.

Warning: Don't get into an unbraced backhoe trench. It's an unpleasant way to commit suicide.

Bill Holt

 

[mpoint]

Contact your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and check if they have soils maps of your area. This will give you hint as to what type of soils are in the area. They also have a Pond brochure that has some good information.

As Bill suggested, dig some test pits but don't get in the hole.

Mike Lapointe

 

[la86]

The 2-stage borehole tester previously mentioned is a good test for in situ permeability as long as the materials are fairly homogeneous for at least the depth needed for running the test (about 3 feet). The 2 stages of the test are to measure the vertical permeability and secondly to measure horizontal permeability.

To reiterate what others have said, the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is an outstanding resource if you are in the U.S. Compacted soils may be adequate without a synthetic liner. Many soils that have a reasonable percentage of fines will eventually, if not quickly, hold water. The more sticky and plastic those fines are, the more likely it is to hold water sooner than later. Also compacting on the wet side of optimum decreases permeability.

 

what is a backhoe trench

 

[echosix]

> what is a backhoe trench <

Just a trench, dug with a backhoe.

A test pit or backhoe trench can be more economical than soil borings and gives you a visual cross section of the soil.







- Dennis
--
Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.
-Sir Winston Churchill

 

[rgd]

I would concur that for the size of pond that you are talking about, your local &quot;natural resource district&quot; or whatever its called in your area or SCS office will likely have the engineeering data that you need, or will provide services required, (its a habitat thing paid for by the licences of hunters and fishermen in your area).

A backhoe Trench \ /
\ /
\__/

Talk to a local OSHA office before you dig
mistakes can be death in 4 minutes - about one a year in our area it seems

Also a pond usualy also means a dam the most serious engineering consideration a bursting dam can DESTROY the people - crops - property - buildings - livestock of your neighbors at your expence

All that said It may come together fairly easily - GOOD LUCK)

 

[pigdog]

ohnesorge,
What you need to do is determine where the &quot;water table&quot; is. The water table is a theoretical elevation, below which all of the available pore space is occupied by water. If this condition is at or near the surface, all you will have to do to make a pond is dig a hole and it will naturally fill. If the water table is way lower than land surface you will need to make an impermeable layer to keep the water where you want it. You can take your trusty posthole diggers out and dig a posthole to the proposed depth of your pond. Put a perforated pipe in there so the hole can't cave in. Wait. Any water? If you have to go the impermeable layer method then you will have to locate a source of water, runoff, gardenhose, well, etc. Now if the water is very near the surface, say less than a foot, you may have a wetland. Strangely enough building a pond on a wetland is just as against the rules as filling a wetland.
pigdog

 

[dicksewerrat]

Talk to your Dept. of Nat. Resouces. There may be financial help to create a wetland. or better a tax incentive.