I am looking for advice when putting in a pond. I am near Chicago IL and have a high water table and all sand soil. I have MANY goals with the pond... I am wanting to stock it with bluegills and something else (catfish pike gar largemouth not sure...) I also want to attract wildlife deer for drinking... and would like to attract ducks also. I am considering about an acre in size. Kidney shaped 4’ deep around the edges and then 10’ deep in the center
I guess my questions are:
Is this a good depth for the fish?
Anything special I should do to attract ducks?
Is making a natural pond as simple as digging a big hole?
Pond advice?
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Re: Pond advice?
Interested in advice as well. I am curious about how to line it cost effectively. I have heard about bentonite and liners. Liners sound expensive
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Re: Pond advice?
I am not planning on lining... and if I must it will push the project way back on the list
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Re: Pond advice?
cg21 wrote:I am not planning on lining... and if I must it will push the project way back on the list
you mentioned high water table but sandy soil. Is your area spring fed? Not sure you could keep enough water in an acre pond without lining it somehow. I'd love to find a way to keep a pond at useable water level without lining
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Re: Pond advice?
If its sandy soil and you don't line it, it will leak unless it fills naturally as you dig (spring fed). You should really focus on what your looking for... For fish, deep ponds with airaitors and structure are needed. Ducks like shallow weedy ponds, and deer like tiny secluded stagnnent ponds...
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Re: Pond advice?
cg21 wrote:I am looking for advice when putting in a pond. I am near Chicago IL and have a high water table and all sand soil. I have MANY goals with the pond... I am wanting to stock it with bluegills and something else (catfish pike gar largemouth not sure...) I also want to attract wildlife deer for drinking... and would like to attract ducks also. I am considering about an acre in size. Kidney shaped 4’ deep around the edges and then 10’ deep in the center
I guess my questions are:
Is this a good depth for the fish? In your region, I would go at least 15' deep.
Anything special I should do to attract ducks?
Look for literature from Duck's Unlimited, visual security is huge when it come to ducks on small ponds. It seem they either want to see a long ways or they want security cover along the edge of the water and on land.
Is making a natural pond as simple as digging a big hole?
No it's not that simple. It's not rocket science but there is definitely a technique to it. With sandy soil you will absolutely have to bring in some sort of liner (bentonite, poly or a good clay). At minimum I would consult with a contractor that digs ponds in your area, even if you are ultimately going to DIY. First step would be to either dig some test pits or do soil boring. You may have sand at the surface, but if you have good clay at 10-20 ft you could be in good shape. Given the area you are in, it's likely you have some clay at the surface followed by a whole lotta sand.
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