I have an area on my property with a year around spring running through
the property and dumping into a creek.
I would like to dig a large pond approximatly 30x40x12 and feed the
pond with the spring. I also have water rights to the creek so I can
initially fill the pond from the creek. The area in question is wet
from the spring all year. Does anyone know if I will need a liner? This
property is in Oregon. Does anyone know if the Dept Of Fish and Game
will stock the pond?
TIA
Ron

I would get a sample of soil from a few various places using a pice
of tube or pvc pipe driven into the ground in the area your looking to
dig the pond at. Thehn you can do a permeability test on the soils you
have. Just mix them all together and send it to a soils analysis lab
or your county extension agent can tell you were to get it tested. No
sense digging a pond and findin gout its not got sufficient clay
content to hold water, and trust me, rthere is nothing worse than a
leaky pond be it a liner, concrete or natural one.....If the tests
come back with sufficient clay content to be used for a pond, great,
start digging, however if it comes back and its to permeable,, all is
still not lost. You can line it with a layer of sodium bentonite,
applied to the excavated hole at the recomended rate for the type of
soil you have........somewhere n the area of 5 to 7 pounds per sq foot
is used for soils with less than 40% clay content. Sodium bentonite is
dirt cheap, and your already out in the northwest of ther USA so it
should be readily available. Again your county agent should be able to
ppoint you to where you can buy it, or you can get it from places that
drill wells........Your county agent should probably have some info on
building a natural pond, or try your local universities aquacultural
divison.......they should have somehting they can send you....

I know if this pond was located in Alabama, it would not meet size
requirements for them to stock.....and also here in this state, even
if a pond ois on private property, they will stock it with whatever
fish is native for ponds such as bream and bass, however there is a
catch 22 at least in this state. If they stock it, you can not deny
others from fishing in it.....so it esentially becomes a fishing hole
for anyone with a legal fishing liscense.......BUT if you buy the fish
from the state hatchery, they will sell you what you need for the
size pond you have, and then you do not need to allow anayone to fish
in it period if you do not want to.....Stocking bream and bass or
whatever in that sized pond would be relatively cheap.......But
maintaining a balance of stocked fish can get to be a real
pain.......as you have to remove a certain percentage of fish in the
food chain and of certain sizes, or it will get out of wack really
quick.........and all you will have is a bunch of stunted
overpopulated fish.....I would also have a test done on the quality of
the water n the stream, just to be on the safe side..........Best to
check with Oregon Fish and Game division and see what their take is on
stocking it and access. Here you have to stock around the states
timeframe, so its always easier to just go to a hatchery and buy what
you want........The amount of fish for that sized pond would eaily be
able to be boxed and transported......and its best to keep the state
out of it, as hatchery game type fish are not expensive....

I have a 1+ acre, a 2.5acre and a few ponds of approximately 1/2 acre
or less......with my favorite pond being the 1+ acre pond which is now
mostly koi and goldfish, no bass and a few channel catfish and bream,
which I routinely thin out......The other ponds have bass, bream and
catfish and a koi or GF would not stand a chance in them. All ponds
have shinners, shad, as well as gamabusia minnows as well.

On 17 Jul 2005 16:00:53 -0700, "Ron" wrote:

===I have an area on my property with a year around spring running through
===the property and dumping into a creek.
===I would like to dig a large pond approximatly 30x40x12 and feed the
===pond with the spring. I also have water rights to the creek so I can
===initially fill the pond from the creek. The area in question is wet
===from the spring all year. Does anyone know if I will need a liner? This
===property is in Oregon. Does anyone know if the Dept Of Fish and Game
===will stock the pond?
===TIA
===Ron


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