I need a surveyor. And a pond digger for my new backyard.

[SlugSlinger]

A friend got a quote from MJM Construction out of Inola. The contractor and friends land was just a couple miles apart, so
Transportation wasn’t a material expense.

The general quote was to dig out an existing pond. It was $1100 per day. And only a day of work was estimated.

And as mentioned above I would use compacted shale and not just dirt.

Also, with that much fill, I would drill or cut and pour piers under the footings.

 

[John6185]

Don't you have to put a layer of "something" on the bottom of the pond to prevent the water from soaking in? I heard of it but can't remember the filler or whatever it is they place on the bottom especially if it is sandy.

 

[SlugSlinger]

Don't you have to put a layer of "something" on the bottom of the pond to prevent the water from soaking in? I heard of it but can't remember the filler or whatever it is they place on the bottom especially if it is sandy.

Clay is best. Some folks try to use bentonite to help seal a porous substrate.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

A few years ago I was getting bids from dirt/heavy equipment contractors on putting in a small pond like you describe. A word of advice I will give you… keep an eye on the different prices/Get a lot of different bids.

I literally had guys with price ranges all over the map. Cheapest guy was $7k… mr genius big shot was $60k!! And a whole bunch in between. Honestly I got so annoyed and confused about the situation I decided to hold off. Eventually I’ll rent equipment and dig my own

There are so many variables with pond installation. Depends on how the ground is. Is it a retention pond? Where are you building a dam and just push the dirt. These can usually be done with just a dozer. Much cheaper.

If it is an “excavated pond” then you will need a dozer, a large Trackhoe, plus a dump truck. Double or triple the cost right away!

Does it need a spillway? Do you have clay in your soil? Etc

 

[kroberts2131]

I’ve got no advice on the pond, but you will love Coweta. Great small town!

 

[enuf]

One word of advice on using government aid, check the rules. There could be verbiage that if you use government subsidies that you have to let it open to public use. Not sure about Oklahoma and certain departments here, just check it.

 

[mouthpiece]

Need a surveyor!!

 

[HiredHand]

Try Geodeca Land Surveying Company

 

[SoonerP226]

Clay is best. Some folks try to use bentonite to help seal a porous substrate.

My old boss used bentonite to seal the bottom of a pond he had dug. IIRC, it worked OK, but he had a hard time getting enough runoff to keep up with evaporation.

An old timer suggested getting mudcats to work the bottom of a leaky pond, but I'd think that'd only work if there's a lot of clay in the soil underneath it.

 

[SoonerP226]

Also, the OSU County Extension office has documents on building and maintaining ponds.

Building a Pond - Oklahoma State University

extension.okstate.edu

Pond Management - Oklahoma State University

Ponds do not come with owner’s manuals. Most people stumble into being responsible for a pond without giving a thought to the understanding and management that will be needed. We appreciate ponds and respect your objectives for your pond, whether they are recreational, aesthetic, utilitarian or...

extension.okstate.edu

...and not to be left out, here's what ODWC has to say on the subject:

Pond Construction | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

wildlifedepartment.com