Ponds in Utah

[DMD Farms]

I've been thinking a pond or two would be nice, one for dipping my toes in and one for some ducks ect. I'm wondering how large they can be before they become wetlands and are under the control of the state. The duck pond might even be a good place for gray water or rain water to collect before finding it's way to the gardens. Any one have ideas??

Thanks Del

[uncle Will in In.]

To hqave a good pond, you'll need a supply of water coming into it to keep it full. Most around here just build a dam across a low place where water runs off during a rain. They bulldoze out the ground in the bottom of the pond to build an earthan dam. The only way to get the facts you need is to go to your county soil and water conservation office. Your state may call it something else but the FSA office can direct you to the proper people.

[Common Tator]

We were blessed to find a ranch that already has a lovely pond, but hubby had been reading up on ponds for a while before that. Tim Matson has written some excellent Earth Pond books, and I just found his web site here; http://www.earthponds.com/

Good luck!

[VOR.]

How big of a pond are you building? One of my friends has a 20 acre pond. The state does not regulate what he can do with the pond, but they do regulate how much water he can pump into the pond.

If you do not have clay soil to seal the bottom of the pond, I would recommend looking into using bentonite.

[texican]

Before you get your hopes up, you might want to check your state laws... pretty much every western state has water rights laws, and capturing and storing any water, that you don't have rights to, will get you into 'trouble'. Quite a few of these senior water rights date from the late 1800's.

[DMD Farms]

Thanks guys, Utah does have laws that wil lnot let us save rainwatter, we must let it run off our roofs and into the street.. we have some small groups trying to change the laws and allow us to collect rainwater. My pond ideas are more like landscape features, I was told they don't fuss much over small ponds and such. I'm wondering how large I can go before the law is going to fuss. I only have 8.5 acres so a 20 acre migh upset a few neighbors.
..LOL
Texican, been stocking you, you sound like someone I'd appreciate as a neighbor. Like the way you see things.