What You Need To Know Before Digging a Farm Pond

[@thebrooklyngardenclub225]

I love it when people like you explain the problems instead of just creating a nice 'showy' video. Thanks

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks for the comment! I just want to help others out when I can! 👍

[@phil4483]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead I agree, really appreciate the post.

[@Solar750]

Great Video! One way to solve pond leaks once filled is to attract/raise waterfowl. Duck poop will seal a pond bottom and nature has a magic way of pulling the waste from the ducks into the perfect spot. Raising ducks is a whole other thing, but if you’re up for the adventure, it’ll help your pond and can feed your family along the way!

[@EliMooner]

Also as someone who’s owned ducks for years I just have to give them water and throw food out every day and they’re always happy

[@jeffallen3598]

We dug a pond about 15 years ago. Soil samples told us not to.. not enough clay.. we dug it anyway and it did leak. But after about year 5, it stopped or severely slowed down. Over time it will seal its self. Depending on if you are in a higher sand content, probably longer. To help fish life, every year we would take our Christmas tree and throw it in. After many many years, when the water is still and the light is right, you can still see them at the bottom. I stocked them with about 20 bluegill I caught at a nearby pond and with the wild life that are attracted to the water, most notably, Cranes, we now have bass. Possibly others.. they eat fish and crap out any eggs they had which is where I believe the bass came from. But give it time, the problems will sort themselves out and your pond will become as natural as if it had always been there.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks, I’m glad to hear this. I do think you are probably right. It is already a healthy pond and the fish are doing great. We are loving it!

[@bridgergaul4089]

How do those eggs get fertilized?

[@jeffallen3598]

@@bridgergaul4089 great question.. Possibly the crane ate the the fertilized eggs or a fish the crane ate did. But i never put bass in the pond and now they are there. I was sure none of the ones i caught and used to stock my pond were all bluegill. All had the signature markings. Yet somehow bass showed up. That other pond is about a half mile away and they don’t connect.. not even in heavy rains.. Its filled by runoff for my acreage. My pond is right behind my house and in full view so not likely some random person showed up and put them there not knowing it was ours. I had heard that birds don’t digest fish eggs so seemed that the crane or some other type of bird was the likely cause.

[@bridgergaul4089]

@@jeffallen3598 man that's super interesting to me. I've heard of birds spreading fish before but never understood how. I was under the impression that fish eggs are fertilized by the male after they are laid.. Sure doesn't make sense that anyone would try to stock your pond by the sounds of it you know how to identify fish, so birds seems like the feasible option 🤷

[@jeffallen3598]

@@bridgergaul4089 They are fertilized after laying.. The reason you need things at the bottom of the pond to protect the young (in my case, old Christmas trees) is so that other fish don’t eat the baby fish or eggs. Thats how fish like bluegill and i believe carp, can take over a pond.. They are eating machines.. But that protection only “helps” and other fish do end up eating them.. Then other wild life eat those fish/eggs and while visiting other ponds… well, you know… Nature is pretty ingenious. They don’t needs mans help. If you build a pond (size may be a factor in this) wild life will soon discover and at first use it as a watering hole.. Then birds like ducks, geese and eventually cranes will find there way. If you do nothing else, after some years, fish will start to appear.

[@sunnyday5621]

For your steep part. Laying rocks down, I got mine from local farmers. Soil will fill in between the rocks and that can be seeded with short vegetation. I used a speeding clover. Looks nice, organic and keeps the bank from eroding. When the clover blooms, it is picture perfect.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks!

[@greeneileen]

I appreciate that you're a realist about this, not blaming the crew who did the work you asked for, setting a realistic expectation about inflation, and also giving people a chance to plan ahead on elements that make a difference. It's really helpful when we share experience over time and not just shiny new results. Thank you!

[@phillipfritz7014]

Recommendation: If you're in an area where you have thick ice during the winter you might try placing pea gravel over the desired bedding area during this time. As the ice melts the pea gravel will gradually fall. If the ice isn't thick enough to support the entire load you might a little each year.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I think this is a fantastic idea. It will be next winter before we freeze again, but I would have never thought of this.

[@colmwhateveryoulike3240]

Wow good thinking!

[@mikemilkowski3982]

Same with clay. Dry it out for a few weeks/months make it a fine powder spread it on the ice same thing.

[@haroldgreen1425]

I built my pond 10 years ago. I got some estimates and it ran around $30K. Needless to say I didn't go that route. I bought an old dozer and dug an 1&1\4 acre pond. It's 14' deep in the center. I hit pretty hard clay and spread it all over the slopes of the pond. I kept the stumps from some of the hardwoods I had to clear. I ended up burying the stumps in the pond upside down to add structure along with cinder blocks and pvc pipes. Since I wanted some catfish I built fish breeding structures from two five gallon buckets tywraped together with an entrance on one end and the other end buried in the banks a few feet down. I have to say I get catfish spawns every year so they are working well. After the pond was finished it filled with water within two months. I thought it would take years. I found a pond with lots of red fin shinners and I caught several hundred and put them in the new pond. Now the important part. You have to add fertilizer to green the water. In six months the pond had thousands of minnows and at that point I added catfish and coppernose bluegills. They both flourished but unfortunately I wanted crappie and although I've added them three times I don't believe any have survived. I built a pier when I dug the lake and have power and water there. I have a small air compressor blowing air to an aerator at the deepest part of the pond. I also dug a 25' well to pump water into the pond 24 hrs per day. It doesn't keep it topped up but does slow evaporation down a lot. Mistakes? I allowed trees to get established around the pond and not I'm having to cut down 6" diameter pine trees around the lake. Lots of work I could have avoided if I had kept them cleared early on. I still love the pond. I go out on the pier every night and throw out some fish food and a hundred fingerling catfish come up for it and the occasional perch. The pond ended up being my favorite area of my farm and my grandkids enjoy going out and feeding the fish.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Sounds like you’ve got an amazing setup! Nice work!

[@billbaptiste5895]

​@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead what type of clay

[@twc9000]

Great information. I copied and pasted your comment to a word document for future reference. But, I have one question. Why do you want the water to turn green?

[@haroldgreen1425]

@@billbaptiste5895 Gray with streaks of red. Very hard clay. I had to tilt the dozer blade to even cut into it.

[@haroldgreen1425]

@@twc9000 It's the food web for the entire pond. Micro organisms feed on the algae. Minnows feed on the micro organisms. Small fish feed on the minnows. Larger fish feed on the small fish. All depends on the green water. It also prevents sun penetration that would allow moss to grow under water. The fertilizer has to be spread in shallow areas and best is to keep it off the bottom were the algae can't get to it.

[@thesoftwarepimpgma]

Hi, this was awesome advice, im in Zimbabwe, just got some land, i want to build a few ponds along my waterways/creeks . I took soo much from this video, thank you.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Awesome! Best of luck to you!

[@Fighting_stickman]

I plan on making a pond next to a stream. I'd like to make the stream enter it on one side and exit it on the other. This would ensure that the water is clear and relatively clean. It would Essentially act as a natural filter. You should consider this. You could also put lava rock or other porous material where the stream enters the pond to have higher quality filtration.

[@ladyhellenm9741]

Hi. I'm in Zimbabwe too. Just got land and would like to build a pond. Keen on hearing how your build is going and where in the country you are

[@thesoftwarepimpgma]

@@ladyhellenm9741 im in Chipembere, just after Nyazura if you coming from Harare, where are you situated. ?

[@ladyhellenm9741]

@@thesoftwarepimpgma I know the area, a little bit. Been to Nyazura a few times. I am in Bulawayo, land is in the Bubi district

[@devin5381]

I am years away from building my own pond, I appreciate this video. Thank you!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@sinfashion0]

Make water deck there. You can have some tables chairs, bed etc. To chill there. Love ponds. Thank you for the video. We are looking to make a pond soon. ❤

[@gscorsone]

Very nice summary and tips for all of us that have learned after the fact! Thanks for the wonderful overview!

[@irvingwashington171]

Planning a pond dig now and this was very helpful, thanks buddy!

[@swordcoheir9186]

As far as that steep slope goes, a deck/dock wouldn't be a bad idea. You can get some big marble or rocks to line the slope to prevent erosion and give the beams some support, and the rocks that go into the water would give the fish more nooks and cranny's to hide. And even if the ponds too small for a boat, you can do a diving board and ladder, or a patio set for cookouts, heck just having a spot to fish into the deeper parts ain't too bad. Another thing you could do is build up the bank with some cinder blocks or bricks, fill in the gap with soil, and plant some decorative tree's like cherry or peach blossoms trees to give you something nice to look at from the other bank and ironically enough cherry blossom tree's deter mosquitos and some other pests.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Great ideas! Mosquito repellent would be awesome! Much needed!

[@ltridge504]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead building a dock or deck, place window screen over top of your joists before laying deck boards. This will help keep mosquitoes from entering if you build a screened enclosure/patio area.

[@God__Emperor_]

Just add some bat houses up in the trees along the tree line.

[@CatherineSTodd]

@@ltridge504 wrote"place window screen over top of your joists before laying deck boards. This will help keep mosquitoes from entering..." This is a brilliant idea, and one I would never have thought of. Thanks!

[@tealkerberus748]

Never too small for a boat! This pond has plenty of room for a little row-boat, but even if you've just got a fishpond in your backyard the kids can have fun with toy sailboats. Imagine the fun they'd have on a pond this size with remote control yachts!

[@danawaldrop4930]

Thank you for sharing! Had no idea you could do this on such a small budget!

[@gerlandkent6377]

now, this video will help me for digging a pond on the farm. thank, you for you're video. ✌ love, all.

[@Wi_Yeti_Official]

$4600 here in Wisconsin for a 1/4 acre, 9’ pond. Guys that did it were extremely skilled and got it done fast. Started at 8am, removed 4 trees and topsoil by 8:30 and kept digging till 4. 4-5pm was all clean up and final touches and they were gone. Extremely happy with their work.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Great addition to your property for that money! Congratulations!

[@RandyWest-fq4bq]

Excellent advice for my specific situation! Thank you!

[@jasonlightfoot4145]

This is the beauty of YT, thank you sir, this is some very helpful and valuable information. We will be starting our build this summer and you gave me a lot of great things to look out for and preplan. I had not even thought about fish habitats, a definite palm to face moment 🤦‍♂

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Glad you found it helpful. I figure we can’t all be experts at everything and I’m not an expert at much of anything, but if we share and research then we all benefit. Good luck with your build this summer! 👊

[@TwitchRadio]

I would do a partially overhanging deck with a gazebo type of thing... To do a small outdoor kitchen under it, and under The deck area that partially hangs off about 2 to 3 ft from the cliff... I would do some type of artificial waterfall with lights and stuff..... that is if you're a big into entertainment and Families coming over type of thing...

[@ew1421]

Great info. I have the same problem. When I had mine dug we ran into sand stone at the bottom that had cracks and I didn't have any clay to seal the pond. Its a 1/2 acre pond and it leaks through the sand stone. I had a well put in that's on a timer that keeps it full. One nice thing about it is the water is crystal clear basically spring fed. It stays cool in summer and hardly ever freezes over in winter.

[@pv2700]

Thanks for your candour and sharing your lessons learnt. Very generous of you.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@rastamandela981]

​@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead duck shit will help

[@dragonfarts4329]

Drain your pond, fence it and buy some hogs and throw in some clay and feed them well, they will root and pack the soil every day, cut some ceddr trees and eight them dow, they make really great fish habatant!! Plant ivy on there hillside, it holds the soil, and is great cover!!

[@CatherineSTodd]

Great video and you are one of the few that tells us "what you would have done differently." So helpful! Gracias amigo... your place must be beautiful!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you so much!

[@CatherineSTodd]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead : and thank YOU! We're working on our mud hole / pond so your video is really, really helpful. Gracias, amigo!

[@capnjan9835]

All good advice! Love your voice - brings me back home.

[@hippyhebrewhomestead8593]

Thank you for the advice! We are looking to do this hopefully this spring, seems like your viewers also have some good ideas too

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Good luck! Digging a pond is so exciting! I have loved hearing everyone’s ideas in the comments!

[@jerrywayne4887]

If you want grass on the high bank, hydroseed is the way to go! We live in the mountains and have a long, steep driveway. I had the driveway banks hydroseeded and it worked great. The bare banks left after the driveway was constructed was mostly sterile soil and rock. The hydroseed was an excellent solution for our steep banks! It's been six years and the grass is still there and growing. Congratulations on a nice pond!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you! That is a great idea!

[@MrJustoelcamino]

They also sell a straw mat that you can staple down that has grass seed imbedded

[@rodneywolfe1652]

The little guy made watching to the end worth it.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Yeah, that’s what it’s all about! 👊

[@jasondamron3408]

Enjoyed the video. I like the idea of either A. Building a deck on the steep bank or B. Cut that bank back and put in riprap. Thanks for sharing your video!

[@tealkerberus748]

A deck has a lot of potential. You can have deck chairs on it to just relax by the water, link it to a dock with a little boat, have a barbecue for fishing days, and if one of your kids or grandkids turns out artistic they can set their easel there and paint landscapes.

[@kapperoutdoors]

Very good info here for new pond prospects! Great information for those considering a new pond.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you, I appreciate the comment! My son and I actually spent the day up there today and I am so glad we made the investment!

[@horsetrader1991]

Nice pond, you can never go wrong with a pond and thanks for the tips. I wish we had a pond that was spring fed, I'm afraid that's hard to find. Thanks again!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@CatherineSTodd]

horsetrader: we don't have a spring-fed pond, but the animals, fish and frogs come anyway, along with all the greenery. It's more like a big mudhole sometimes but you can put a little boat out there and be very happy. Planting dogwoods, redbuds, rhododendrons and lots of bulbs, and beauty will abound!

[@CatherineSTodd]

But I too wish I had a spring-fed pond. Few and far between.

[@thakurpandit4039]

So nice and practical suggestions. Thank you. I wish your pond is now getting richer in terms of scenery and biodeversity. Great effort.

[@Prestoux]

deck, diving board and rope swing around the steeper edges of the pond would be awesome. Thanks for the video. I'm in the process of buying my first piece of land and want to build a pond to keep my 3 head of cattle cool in the summer. I appreciate the wisdom, subscribed. Stay blessed

[@BustedBoomer]

Your message and delivery are "spot on" genuine. Thanks for the video. Glad to have come across your channel.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you for watching and for the kind words! 👍

[@chadwickducharme1194]

Informative, insightful, and genuinely spreading the joy. Thank you 😊

[@newnatureadventures]

Amen Brother! Thanks for sharing your findings. I wish you well. From my experience, I would only swap your number 2 and 3 around. I would prioritize landscape and erosion control above fish structure based on our experience. You’re spot on, and thankful for you sharing. God bless you guys…you got a new subscriber! The value in the pond for the memories and experience with the family far outweighs the expense….whatever it costs.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you! We are getting so many great memories out of it. We love our pond! Thanks for watching!

[@benharris4543]

You can terrace the steep banks. Super helpful video- thanks for sharing what you learned!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@jhors7777]

Thank you for posting this interesting video

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you for watching!

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

Thanks for the tips. We're getting quotes for $67,500+ for a pond about that size around here in central Iowa, but possibly a slightly more complex site, with more of a ditch to start with, and loads of big trees (a lot like what you showed).

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Wow! I hear numbers all over the place. Best of luck!

[@mark46428]

i would find a different contractor but then again you didnt say how big the pond that was proposed

[@kirkbandy6689]

That’s a more realistic # they’re around $50000 here in nc

[@ThePreparedHomestead]

Yes, it’s quite expensive. $9k with 3 pieces of equipment over 5 days? Contractor on this job lost his shirt… guarantee it.

[@gangfetter]

I dug a two acre pond it filled up in one day we got 6 inches of rain in one day loved it. But it held water for about two weeks . Then it was like a stopper was pulled out water gone. Sink hole. Money gone too. I sold the house. Had my heart set on that pond just couldn’t look at it anymore it was beautiful a dream come true. Still hurts to think about it. Good luck with yours it’s nice when thing come together.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Oh that is just heartbreaking! Man, I know that was tough.

[@Billy-ro5ws]

Came across your channel not long ago and love what you're doing. It's also really awesome to see you and your son fishing and hanging out. Reminds me of when I was younger with my dad as well as the fun I get to have with my own kids now. These are great memories you're making! Anyway, a thought about the steep bank on the camp side. Now, I'm not experienced in this but my first thought was to cut the bank down to sort of round over the edge more. In woodworking, when you have a sharp corner on a board you'd chamfer the edge, so something like that but obviously on a much larger scale. Not sure if that makes sense.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I appreciate the comment! We have a great time! Your idea does make sense. I am thinking something along those lines might be the answer. It may be bigger than my little Kubota can handle. Might be a good excuse to rent a bigger machine sometime. Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

[@Billy-ro5ws]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead Good luck and I look forward to seeing how you eventually solve this!

[@TheWestlandgirl]

Slow and steady wins the race, a shovel and some time is free and effective what your Kabota can't do you can finish.

[@Heritagepostfarms]

I just had a pond dug about a 1/4 acre that ran me $4,000, so you got a great deal

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Great info. Thank you. I used to live on an acreage. Oh God, do I miss it.

[@RedMoonRising24]

Thanks for the tips and sharing your experience. This was helpful! - Amy

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@joenewmeyer8358]

Ponds that close to the house is Awesome. All the extra skeeters is healthy!

[@sweetmusic6954]

Very satisfying information and thank you for sharing this.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@sweetmusic6954]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead you are welcome.

[@Oddfeller]

Hey man thanks! I know its an older video but we are lookin at doin a 1/2 acre pond definitely getting a clay base in and some peat gravel 🤙

[@hiddenacresoutdoors]

Our estimate for a one acre sized pond should be here tomorrow. Thanks for the informative video. I'll let you know when the digging begins!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Good luck!

[@mariasemilla8000]

That steep area can be made into a sweet rock waterfall with a solar water pump. Will help keep that water clean, too!

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Oh, that would be super cool!

[@edavid2557]

But depending on the exposure it may be an issue for evaporation...

[@coleknier5672]

Could also be windmill powered like the old west style farm pumps.

[@sneakybohemiancreature2970]

.. Hydro electric moving water there's a select few good videos coupled with solar panels off grid while the bottom is sealed over time Congratulations and thank you ...

[@lineman5724]

You can plant Crown Vetch.

[@homebuddha]

Helpful Informative video 🙏 the steep banks you could plant a few evergreen creeping ground cover plants that tolerate freezing temperatures, cypress has some amazing varieties in different shades, with a few big boulders grouped in some areas to add interest and texture. These would add a softening cover to the banks in winter. Up on the high lip you could also plant a few weeping willows? They’ll eventually hang down to frame your pond, soften the winds and hide the sharp banks. weeping willows are deciduous so they’ll add character to the frame of your lake in the fall. The creeping evergreen ground covers & boulders will be a winter back up insurance to maintain the banks disguise. Just a suggestion. Have no idea if those trees exist or will survive in your area as I’m in sunny Queensland Australia 🇦🇺 👍🙌

[@ricardoarzac3119]

It’s a superb project for the price of $9000. Here in the San Antonio Texas area you could not do that for double the amount. Congratulations. Thanks for the tips.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks we are loving it!

[@kapperoutdoors]

OK, I'm in the process of watching the video and I just got to the price. First of all, that is a great deal for what you got! At least around here, it would have been more than that! Congrats on this beautiful pond!

[@Gooders478]

You can always drain it in the future and dump some clay in the bottom and a layer of pea gravel on top. Great work mate!

[@gerlandkent6377]

I've. got a natural spring coming in so this will help to along with the ☔. / that's a nice looking fish that came out of you're pond.

[@gerlandkent6377]

thank you

[@eliassanchez6844]

Nice pond sir!!

[@signalsoldier]

Cheers 🥂 I appreciate your time

[@greglast3610]

Thanks for the info I am having one dug in June of 2025 . I have quite a few big trees to sell off that my guy is going to push over this winter to get the root balls to and I will take all the fire wood tops and he ha s a place to stage all the logs for pickup and a place to push all the root ball over the hill

[@danielsestina6457]

Couple of thoughts on the Steep Bank: it looks to be a little rocky, if so, you might consider putting gabions to stabilize that edge. It will serve two purposes; structure for fish and also stabilize the bank. You could also do something similar with timbers. Eventually the material will break down and create more organic material for that bank. You could use some herbaceous plants that grow in the pond margin. Something like Japanese or Siberian Iris. I would be cautious about using any woody plant as they might encourage muskrats or damage the dam. Just my two cents

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you for the input! I will do some research on those things. I appreciate you watching!

[@danielsestina6457]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead yes sir, thank you. Great content!!

[@DavidSmith-lp5tz]

i'd go with the gabions.

[@CatherineSTodd]

Just be very careful with which Iris you plant: check with local Ag Ext Agent first! Yellow Iris is really pretty but very invasive and considered a "noxious weed." What are the negative effects of yellow iris? Impact: Yellow Flag Iris displaces native vegetation and reduces habitat needed by waterfowl and fish, including several important salmon species. It clogs small streams and irrigation systems by compacting the soil and trapping sediments. Yellow Flag Iris - Cowlitz County Noxious Weed Control Board

[@jyienger]

Lovely pond. That year update when it was overflow full was amazing. There's enough water there, give it time to silt up. Each time it draws down it sucks sediment into cracks. it may just go down less and less each year. The say farmers seal ponds with livestock, and that's because the hooves constantly churn up clay and mud into a slurry which, when the pond is losing water and head pressure is pushing water down through the bottom, this slurry sucks into crack and crevices. Doubt you need expensive polymers, just clay sediment and mud and churning.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you! I appreciate the input. That sounds logical. We are enjoying the pond either way, but it would be nice if it would silt in and stay full!

[@chadwickducharme1194]

Informative, insightful, and genuinely spreading the joy. Thank you

[@rjv2395]

for your steep drop offs, try using a geo pad like product. now sure if you have there but it is coco coir sheets that you can cover the bank and anchor into the clay to give you a mat fr your seeds to sprout into. I also checked bama bass's pond and he used a spray seed mixture that was sprayed on the steeper banks.

[@gerlandkent6377]

you do got a nice looking pond of what I can see on you're video.

[@gerlandkent6377]

thank, you

[@peterwhelan6144]

You have done a great job and come across as a REAL MAN - somebody who is not afraid to say “ hey , I’ve made a few blues ( mistakes ) but I’ve learnt from them and trying to do the best I can “ . Congratulations and keep up the great job , it looks terrific

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I figure no need to hide it if I can help someone else do a little better. 👍

[@I00kingin]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead thanks for the heads up, it is a very nice pond.

[@SignatureStagers]

how the heck is this a great job? he should have called professionals instead of guessing his way around just to make a "shit I did it to maself" video...

[@I00kingin]

@@SignatureStagers some of us learn from doing and others, some you you know it all

[@danieldanfoxworth9528]

On your steep bank issue you can build stairs with a couple of deck landings , but you did give me a few things to think about on the planning portion, May God Bless you and your family.

[@TORAH-613]

this is a lot of good information. I am planning on having a pond dug as well. And I will for sure have clay ready if my bottom is not good enough. One suggestion I may ad and this comes from a youtuber called " letsdig18" he builds ponds and clean ponds up from over growth. And one thing he hammers home every time he cleans a pond up is that there should be no trees on or near the bank area. And I noticed that behind you there are some trees near the water level. He explains that the roots of a tree near a pond will cause a pond to leak. One thing you can do but it will cause you to either have to lose your fish or maybe have them put in a stock tank, depending on how many you have, but you could drain the pond and haul some clay in to line the bottom of the pond. But I have no idea how much that would cost.

[@TheIrishdriven]

I have not done it my self however i remember a discussion about raisinf a few hogs in the pond area for a season the waste willwork into the ground helping to seal and adding to aquatic plant life

[@tryder7901]

I had a pond built on my property and made a siphon system for the overflow. That way it pulls the toxic water out of the bottom couple of feet. Very interesting to watch it kick in when the pond overflowed.

[@edfisher7577]

Not reading all the comments, but the steep bank would be rocked, if it was mine. We have a 2300 square foot pond next to the farmhouse we bought (WI) it is only about 10' deep in the Spring and drops at least two feet in the summer. We would love to enlarge it at some point, so thanks for the tips.

[@brandond2233]

Appreciate your insight on this my man! My family has some land that’s kind of wooded up like yours and we want to put a nice size pond on it so we are definitely using the tips you gave out!

[@happyhillsfarm8567]

I’ve got the same problem except my pond has leaked almost all the way out. Didn’t want to spend the money on the real expensive 2 part polymer and hope it worked. My soil is super rocky and we’re up 250’ so has to be leaking straight down. Of course I’ve been looking for clay locally but can’t find anyone selling it 😑.

[@user-dc7im7id5q]

I saw another comment reccomending to hydroseed those steep banks. It's a great choice, but can be expensive. You can take a 5gal bucket and just fill it 75% with water, and then add toilet paper until its thick but still barely runny. Then just add your grass seed and sling it by hand. You will get way more bang for your buck over buying actuall hydroseed. Best of luck with your pond friend.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

This is an amazing idea! I will be doing this! Thank you for the suggestion!

[@christianeniss5768]

Have you ever looked into coconut mats, in Portugal they use them on hillsides after soil extractions and it looks straightforward and does a very good job very easy!

[@Sinnicide]

You said 8000 dollars and I was amazed. I was expecting much more never knew what the cost of a pond was. I know area is huge and if you know some people with equipment etc but either way!

[@Robert-g2n]

Great video, good info, you should teach your kid how to properly handle fish!!! Teach him now while you still can, I know it's tough to be a parent but try

[@mikemcdonald5147]

bentonite clay comes in pellets that you can spread to help seal. Also ducks poop and that helps but takes years.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I am going to look into that.

[@thebackflowguy]

Great video. Great advice! For the steep slopes, you can use rocks/boulders to step up the slopes. It will be a ton of work, but it's doable with your tractor. Erosion control is a must to keep the dirt out of the water. I'm planning a 1/4 acre pond in North Idaho.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Awesome! Good luck with your build!

[@frankcruz9829]

I’m trying to plan for a pond build on my 5 acres. I plan on a 1 acre. I really appreciate your video it had great information on it that I will be using. Much appreciated.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Glad you enjoyed it! Congratulations on your upcoming build! I hope it goes well!

[@subash15]

Very nice closing notes ! We all learn .. am sure you can do grass and cherry blossom trees on those steep slopes .

[@SteelLake]

Also for the deep ledge maybe you could pile some rocks and put a large pump to make it kinda like a waterfall in that area for look’s and natural benefits

[@anthonyjuarez77]

Thanks for the great info. I’m planning a build for bass specifically. So I have all the habit ready to go different soil plans and structure for spawning. But I did not plan on the issue you had with the bank grade. Thank you so much for the info looks like I have more planing to do.

[@s.hdurrani3392]

Have you a installed a drain pipe on lowerside of dam to drain the water / slush/ mud out of dam. Can use it after 3-4 years

[@dalemccausland2345]

Larger rocks for your bare spots.that's what was used by county at our place.helps fight erosion too

[@preachwins1500]

Great video. Thank you for sharing this information. My wife and I are talking about a pond and this helped tremendously.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Great! Thanks for commenting!

[@God__Emperor_]

Nice pond! I'm closing on a property in 2 weeks that has a one acre pond, and I can't wait.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

That’s awesome! Congratulations!

[@coleknier5672]

There’s also some sort of polymer on the market that helps seal the pond that you can use. The channel Bama bass did that not too long ago on their pond build which had leaks through parts of their clay topper soil. He did an experiment with a jar to see how well the polymer would seal as well to show you how it works. Hope that info helps.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I watched that! It worked well for him. My main problem is affording enough to treat mine. Maybe at some point.

[@jamielee9350]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead Exactly .It's all about the pounds, or in your case dollars. In a perfect world you would line the pond with a membrane , but you work with what you have got. Love your pond, and how you incorporate it into your life. My pond has never leaked , but it is dug out of pure clay. Best wishes from the U.K.

[@donball7007]

I started a pond project years ago and the first thing was to take the trees down and sell what I could for timber and the rest for firewood. That only left the stumpage to deal with and take out and burn it a few piles. I didn't want to deal with having large piles of trees lying around.

[@Pegasus209]

Pre-planning, prior to ground breaking, is vital to the the success of the final product. You can often get the game and fish commission to offer suggestions for habitat, and a good contractor to offer suggestions for the area surrounding the pond. Making the banks maintainable should be a serious part of the discussion. While it may raise your initial cost, it's easier to do during dirt work than trying to do it later when it can easily cost much more. Just my 2c...

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I think you are spot on.

[@CatherineSTodd]

Local County Ag Extension Services also have lots of info on farm ponds and more. DOT, Parks & Rec landscape designers and University Botanical and Garden services are also really helpful for plants for erosion controll on banks.

[@carltonbailey3498]

How much water are you losing to evaporation ? as a former employee of the US Corps of Engineers, ( lake mgt. ) it's not uncommon to lose as much as 1/2 inch per day on hot windy days, that adds up pretty fast, when you are not getting regular rains to replace it! it may not be leaking as much as you think?

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I guess I’m basing my conclusion on neighboring ponds that appear to be holding their water level during times when mine loses water. Either way, it isn’t the end of the world. I appreciate the comment, I do find it interesting that evaporation can have that large of effect!

[@raymondheckard234]

@@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead does you neighbor have a spring in his pond? I have seen pond that look similar that was not far apart, one relied totally on runoff, and the other had a natural spring feeding it. I seen clay lined ponds and liner ponds in the summer months loose as much water as a pond that wasn’t built with a liner of any type. A spring fed pond will drop in the summers but not as much as one that is not spring fed.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

@@raymondheckard234 it is possible that his is spring fed. I don’t know about that. Thanks for commenting!

[@Rshtuni-Papikyan]

Nice work has been done

[@Nightowl5454]

For that steep area you could simply spread a mixture of native wildflower seed and some short native grass species. That would solve the erosion problem and give it an aesthetic feel to it.

[@mgoh1984]

Looks great! I realize it would be pricey, but a deck coming out from that steep, bare spot would be really cool. Maybe even some steps going down to a lower deck closer to the water level. Like I see the comment from jeffallen, I believe years of the water level going up and down will force enough debris into the leaky spots to seal them.

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

I’m hoping that’s what will happen. This year we have had enough rain that we are still full in June.

[@EcoNeighbor]

Good information. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@als.1024]

Have you considered bringing in some big rocks to create an edge and refiling with smaller rock down to gravel and finishes with dirt this will aloud you to walk up to the edge of the water with out sliding in

[@malonesoutdoors7205]

Great video a lot of new things I’m thinking about now. And poor fish 😅

[@cxpeky]

Wow man! It's a hudge pond! I would love to have one this size. But will have to do a quater it's size. BTW I have problem with Clay I mean I have to much of it. :) Sides will slide over time so I will need spend some money for securing edges. Steep edges? Hmmm? Leave them for swallows, some of them like to do nests on steep edges.

[@MyFamilyChoi]

Good dad.

[@keeperofthegood]

I get a chuckle out of the folk who want BASS FISHING ponds. And they spend no time at all looking up 1) water depth for wintering, 2) water depth for breeding 3) bed material for breeding 4) support fish for the feeding of the bass and then the 1,2,3,4 for those. Lots of "lets dig a hole and..." instead. While I'm not in the USA, if I was, I would reach out to my local Cooperative Extension Service for knowledge based assistance.

[@wlnlax14]

I would try to pile up large (basketball size plus) rocks along the steep end. Backfill crushed gravel (21aa) overtop of thr large rocks. If you need access to drop those rocks build a road access and then overtime turn that into a deck lengthwise along the edge of the pond.

[@downtownab]

For the steep bank, cant you get a mini excavator and just take some of that material out and make the bank more gradual? Looks like you have a long enough run there to reduce the steepness by 10-15%+. More if you removed a few trees there.

[@jamesnicholas8652]

$9000 is a really good price we had our pond dug on a low spot in a pasture. It went down aboit 12 ft and there were no trees to clear. They did take some of that dirt to build a pad for a house but nothing crazy. Cost us $12,000

[@mel41138]

Beautiful presentation and very informative. Super helpful 👍 thank you so much God bless

[@PeeksPeakHobbyHomestead]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching!