size of pond

[heath]

I have always used existing ponds where I run cows, but I am buying a piece without water. I am planning on building a pond and dont want to build it too small, but also dont want to waste money on having it built too big. There will only be 25 head on this pasture and was wondering what size would be recommended. I have a size in mind, but was wondering what others thought.
Heath
east central Oklahoma

 

[Angus Cowman]

I prefer them to be not less than a 1/4 acre and to atleast have an average depth of 5ft
but alot of that depends on the terrain and how much drainage you have going into it and how much average rainfall you have
if I remeber correctly a 1/4 acre pond 5 ft deep average holds roughly 400,000 gallons of water

 

[Ruark]

Take care in selecting who digs it. I would have several operators come out and look at where you want it, and just listen to what they tell you. They may differ radically.

I expanded our pond and got bids from $3K to $8K. A few data points:

A Cat D3 is usually all the dozer that's needed. A D5 works better, but will cost more to operate and haul, which runs your price up. Also, good dozer work is a REAL art form, where hands-on experience really counts. A skilled dozer operator can do more in 1 hour than some other guy can do in 8 hours. Again, value for your dollar. You're buying X amount of digging time, remember, and at the end of the day it all comes down to what they can do in that amount of time.

It can be hard to predict how much they can do, depending on the rock situation underground. That can really slow them down. But again, skill counts. Some operators can chip off a piece from a slab, and gradually break it up from there. Others hit slab and just stop there "oh, we hit slab, we can't go any deeper." So, be wary of bidders talking about how big they can make it for $X. They don't know, because they don't know what they're going to hit down there.

A good pond builder will line the pond with clay. When he digs it up, he encounters clay soil and pushes it to one side. Then he spreads it out over the bottom of the finished pond, which DRAMATICALLY reduces leakage. He might have to haul some clay in from another site. One guy told me I didn't need clay, the soil had plenty of clay in it, which happened to be total bullcrap.

In my opinion, smaller and deeper is better than bigger and shallower. Mine goes down to about 20-25 feet in the middle, when it's full. It's teardrop-shaped, about 200 by 125 feet, completely lined with clay about a foot thick. It might get low, but it's not going to completely dry up, compared to a shallower, bigger pond with more surface area.

Again, my advice is to have several operators come out and bid and talk to you about what they'd do. Come share it here if you're uncertain about anything.

 

[Texas Gal]

It depends on your location. Around here, north central Texas, most folks want their tanks at least 12 foot deep to hold water year round. A lot also depends on location in regards to the lay of the land, skill of operator building the tank, soil composition, etc. Check around and ask some of the old timers in your area.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Take care in selecting who digs it. I would have several operators come out and look at where you want it, and just listen to what they tell you. They may differ radically.

I expanded our pond and got bids from $3K to $8K. A few data points:

A Cat D3 is usually all the dozer that's needed. A D5 works better, but will cost more to operate and haul, which runs your price up. quote]

not neccessarily
a D5 will do almost double the work in an hr than a D3 and there usually isn't but $20 pr hr difference in your price pr hr

also with out knowing the area and the type of soils how can you say a D3 is all that is needed
in my part of the country a D3 is just a little better than a big skid steer

Don't cost any more to haul a 6 than it does a 3 fuel is the same price and most trucks won't use anymore or less fuel hauling a 6 or a 3
unless the guy hauling the 3 is using a 1ton

also the needed depth on a pond is dependent on rainfall,terrain and soil type like I mentioned in my first post
I have over 40 ponds and I would say not over 2 or 3 are over 8-10 ft and most run in the 5-6ft range and most are no bigger than a 1/4 acre and several are 1/2 that size

 

[Ruark]

also the needed depth on a pond is dependent on rainfall,terrain and soil type like I mentioned in my first post
I have over 40 ponds and I would say not over 2 or 3 are over 8-10 ft and most run in the 5-6ft range and most are no bigger than a 1/4 acre and several are 1/2 that size

Not debating or anything, but of course it can depend on home much rainfall you have. I was referring to my area, which is smack in the center of the current record drought. Out here, the ponds you described would have become dusty craters a long time ago.

 

[highgrit]

It depends on were the pond is dug or pushed out around here. I have a couple that are still full, and a couple that are down a foot already. Here it seems where the Poplar trees grow makes a good pond site. A D4 class dozer is a small dozer for pond building, a D3 works good for dressing it up though.

 

[Kingfisher]

Take care in selecting who digs it. I would have several operators come out and look at where you want it, and just listen to what they tell you. They may differ radically.

I expanded our pond and got bids from $3K to $8K. A few data points:

A Cat D3 is usually all the dozer that's needed. A D5 works better, but will cost more to operate and haul, which runs your price up. Also, good dozer work is a REAL art form, where hands-on experience really counts. A skilled dozer operator can do more in 1 hour than some other guy can do in 8 hours. Again, value for your dollar. You're buying X amount of digging time, remember, and at the end of the day it all comes down to what they can do in that amount of time.

It can be hard to predict how much they can do, depending on the rock situation underground. That can really slow them down. But again, skill counts. Some operators can chip off a piece from a slab, and gradually break it up from there. Others hit slab and just stop there "oh, we hit slab, we can't go any deeper." So, be wary of bidders talking about how big they can make it for $X. They don't know, because they don't know what they're going to hit down there.

A good pond builder will line the pond with clay. When he digs it up, he encounters clay soil and pushes it to one side. Then he spreads it out over the bottom of the finished pond, which DRAMATICALLY reduces leakage. He might have to haul some clay in from another site. One guy told me I didn't need clay, the soil had plenty of clay in it, which happened to be total bullcrap.

In my opinion, smaller and deeper is better than bigger and shallower. Mine goes down to about 20-25 feet in the middle, when it's full. It's teardrop-shaped, about 200 by 125 feet, completely lined with clay about a foot thick. It might get low, but it's not going to completely dry up, compared to a shallower, bigger pond with more surface area.

Again, my advice is to have several operators come out and bid and talk to you about what they'd do. Come share it here if you're uncertain about anything.

Nice post. Thanks.

 

[wbvs58]

I have had 4 handy size dams, or ponds as you call them dug with a good size excavator. With the machine sitting in the middle the size is the reach of the bucket 360 degrees around the machine. It produces a good deep dam, clay can be stockpiled and laid on bottom. All of mine hold water well in sandy granite country noted for dams failing. They are also very reasonable in cost, usually finished within a day.
Ken