Pond digging.

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Permalink Reply by Russ Kroeker on February 2, 2014 at 1:03pm

Ponds, ponds ponds, I love ponds.   I've had mine a long time now.  Originally in was a low spot pushed out in the 60's for a garden watering supply hole.  After 30 years of zero maintenance, trees grew up, Cattails grew in, and then Pondweed and Milfoil consumed it.  When I bought the place from my father in 1999 I started hand digging it with a shovel.  My pond (most ponds) dry to thier lowest in mid-August, so that's when you want to dig.  After several years i finally decided to dig mine more.  I settled on a rental of a Case 580E I believe??? Backhoe, vs. Trackhoe/Escavator gives you the 15ft digging depth, but more importantly you have the ability to move the dirt, than spread it at another part of your property.  Most ponds are created in a low spot to take advantage of useless land and water table, so the logical place to spread the dirt is right around the pond.  This way the ground next to it is more useable/accessable for you and your family to stand on (higher off the water table).  Remember...it's illegal to transport live fish from one water to another, but you can legally "plant" fish after an expensive wetlands study has been completed, and you fill out the request form for planting.  Now lets say, in an "imaginary world" it was legal...you would plant mid sized fish only.  You would shoot for fish around 12" to 15".  Any smaller fish will immediately be eaten by Kingfishers and Blue Heron.  Having very steep edges slows the Herons down (4+ feet straght down), and having no posts or logs for them to hunt from helps, but be aware the Herons can swim when they are hungry enough.  Racoons will be discouraged by that too.  I'll stop here.  Hope this is helpful.

Permalink Reply by William McMurry on February 3, 2014 at 1:49am

cool! thank you! as it goes, whats in the pond is what was there when we bought the place, coons? herons?  I don't have an issue with them. thou my boy has acouple hats. hmmm. im gonna stop here also..... anyway thank you!     lol