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Farm in Kansasbarn 11 image by michael langley from Fotolia.com
Locate a spot where standing water accumulates and aquatic plants like cattails, cypress, or weeping willows are growing. A wetland community on your property might also point to a good place to start. Contact the Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Service and Soil Survey to determine if your land is suitable for a pond. If you're not sure the location is ideal for a pond, dig a test hole. It's worth noting, however, that even a test hole could require a permit. - 2). Contact your city and/or county governments to determine what kind of permit is required to dig and how to procure it. Equally as important, call your local utilities, like telephone land-line service, natural gas provider, and electric company to find out if gas pipes or electrical lines are buried in your prospective site.
- 3). Dig a test hole to the pond's projected depth, using an auger or backhoe, to determine the depth of the water table. Ideally, the visible water level should be 2 or 3 feet from ground level. Since water levels will change seasonally, the test hole should be observed for one year, noting significant fluctuations. Cover the hole with a grate, or fence around the hole as a safety precaution. Consider changing locations or building a shallow waterfowl pond if deep muck soils are revealed, since it yields poor water quality and has weak side slopes.
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Fishing pondfishing image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
Plan your building specifications depending on how you want to use the pond. A pond intended for swimming should be at least 10 to 15 feet deep, while a fishing pond should be 15 to 20 feet in depth. Grade the banks of the pond no steeper than 3 to 1 (3 feet horizontal for every 1 foot vertical). Steeper slopes are too dangerous for recreational ponds of any type. - 5
Breaking ground with an excavatorexcavator. image by Stanislav Komogorov from Fotolia.com
Contact at least three excavation companies for advice and estimates to choose a contractor to do the digging. Consider assessing a few of their previous pond builds to judge the competency of the contractor. Dig the pond to your desired specifications. - 6
Canna lilycanna lilly 44. image by mdb from Fotolia.com
Plant native aquatic plants like Canna lilies, pickerel weed, and duck potato around the perimeter of the pond for shoreline retention and erosion control. Other benefits of shoreline vegetation include a natural privacy barrier, space definition, climate control, and habitat for wildlife. - 7
Life ringsalvavidas image by Amalia Arriaga de Garc?-a from Fotolia.com
Post signs that clearly indicate the depth of the pond, location(s) of life rings and preservers, and where the nearest telephone is located. Many drownings could have been prevented with the proper safety signage and equipment. Double-check with your homeowner's insurance company to determine if this new liability requires changes to your policy.
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