Who will dig my pond?

mrs.H · #1 04/14/05, 06:20 PM

We want to dig an acre +/- pond on our property. Who do we ask? How much will it cost?
We are in western TN.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks.

JoyKelley · #2 04/14/05, 06:59 PM

I don't know who to advise to hire but when you get it dug out, fence it off and throw a pig in there to live for a while , or at least where they can get to it, Pigs are the only thing I know of that can actually seal a pond. When we lived in Kentucky our pond leaked until we put the hog in it , she sealed it right up and it held water thereafter

Beeman · #3 04/14/05, 07:34 PM

Contact soil conservation and your ag extension agent. They will give you site recommendations and references.

mtman · #4 04/15/05, 06:00 AM

benonite clay seals ponds without the pig poo and make shure the guy digging has done so before it has to have a burm allso needs to be laid out so water run off helps keep it full its very inportant to read the land

Cray · #5 04/15/05, 06:03 AM

The Soil Conservation department may help with some of the expense as well. I was talking to a guy the other day who said they put his pond in for him. It's worth checking into.

Windy in Kansas · #6 04/15/05, 08:09 AM

Turtles will also seal off a pond, but then you have to deal with them.

As mentioned, bentonite clay is a good sealer. My brother used to operate Six Toes Feed and Seed and sold it to many customers for sealing small leaks in their stock tanks. It comes in 50# bags.

I would also check for the availability of public funding. Some use of public funding requires that you allow fishermen, etc. on to use your facility. I'd check that before accepting any.

Cost? I'd expect to pay a dozer $100 an hour. If you don't have rocks it should dig fairly easily. Cost will depend upon how deep you have it dug. Deeper means the water will stay around longer during dry periods. Might be a safety issue if used for swimming. Deeper would also mean colder water for swimming. Perhaps an underground spring will be hit to continually fill it.

Rita · #7 04/15/05, 08:42 AM

We just contacted a fellow to level a hill behind our house and he suggested using the dirt to build a dam. He has 40 years experience and knows about digging a core etc. We are on the Cumberland Plateau in TN and he said he would charge $60 an hour. Prices would be different in different areas I'm sure. We have built two other ponds at other places we owned and didn't call in any govt. I don't want to get involved with them. Rita

Highground · #8 04/15/05, 08:57 AM

Ever see those signs "Free fill dirt wanted"
Contact some construction and landscaping companies and let them know you have clean dirt if they want it. Then just show them where to get it.

tkrabec · #9 04/15/05, 01:27 PM

I just read about "dew ponds" basically it a natural dehumidifyer (easiest way of explaining it) involves a stone tower(thermal mass) loosely stacked and the wind blows the warm humid air thru the rocks and the water condenses out.

-- Tim

mrs.H · #10 04/15/05, 05:59 PM

Thanks ya'll.

you've given me much to think about. We aren't ready right this minute and wanted some input from people who thought out side the box!

Little Quacker in OR · #11 04/15/05, 09:16 PM

I had my pond dug in '99 and hired a licensed engineer to do it. He used lasers to survey and then brought in his l DC cat and back hoe. Took him 2 days. I had him use the leftover soil to make a nice berm and now that berm is all covered with grass and a bench sits on it for watching the ducks and wildlife drawn by the water. Very cool!

I also ask him to make an island for safe sunning and nesting for waterbirds(and just because I wanted one..LOL)and I also ask him to make a bit of a "canal" off of one side so I would have an excuse to make a foot bridge over it. He did and it led to a nice "keyhole" shaped lagoon. I love it!

Do keep in mind that....one..you want a constant source of clean water for the pond..and two..you want an outflow pipe bigger that the pipe that brings the water in, so excess water has a place to go during periods of excess rain.

Have fun..I can't tell you how nice it is to go out there and sit on the bench first thing in the morning with coffee in hand and watch the turtles(small, harmless), salamanders, ducks and herons etc that visit that pond.

LQ

Shepherd · #12 04/16/05, 12:32 AM

Mrs.H we had a 2 acre pond dug a few years ago, after decided the perfect location (at the base of some hills so the run off rainwater would fill it) for approximately $6,000. We didn't actually plan on one that big, but that's what the pro suggested. We asked around with several farmers to find who they recommended for their expertise and reputation, before hiring someone.

He used dozers to dig it out and build a dam to hold the water in place. Once he got down to clay, he spread the clay around to line the pond and dam. He put an overflow tube into position, and created an emergency spillway in case the overflow tube couldn't handle it fast enough.

We could have had about half of it paid for by the county or state, but then we'd have had to allow strangers on our land... we decided our privacy wasn't worth giving up! We stocked the pond with bass, blue gill, crappie, etc. from a fish hatchery locally. Again, we chose to fund this ourselves.

I hope this information is helpful. I'd plug in a picture of the pond, but I don't know how to do that here.