Pond Construction

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Pond Construction

• LaDon Swann
• Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program
• Purdue University and the University of Illinois
• Cooperative Extension Services

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Topics

• Site Considerations
• Water
• Soil
• Topography
• Types of ponds
• Cost
• Construction of ponds
• Levee ponds
• Watershed ponds

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Site Selection

• Permits
• Wetlands (404)
• Floodplain
• Discharge (NPDES)

• Contact SCS for technical assistance

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Water

• Availability
• 25 gallons per minute per acre
• Source
• Wells
• Springs
• Streams

• Pesticides
• TEST Water!!
• Alkalinity
• 80 ppm minimum

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Soil

• Clay Content
• Take samples at various locations.
• Water Table
• Wet soils aren't best!
• Pesticides
• TEST Soil!!

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Topography

• Slope
• 2-10 best
• Flooding
• Do not build on floodplain!

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Types of Ponds

• Broodstock
• Spawning
• Fingerling
• Grow-out tomarket size

Spawning 0.1 acre
Fingerlings 1 acre
Food Size 5-17 acres
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Cost(60 acres of water, 12 ponds)

• 80 acres land 80,000
• 10 well 40,000
• Excavation 88,000
• Water pipes 8,500
• Valves 4,000
• Drainage 15,500
• Electric service 11,000
• Aerators 35,000

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Pond Construction(Levee)

• Size
• Larger ponds are cheaper
• 1-10 acres for new farmers

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Levee Pond Construction

• Shape
• 10 acre square
• requires 2,569 linear feet
• 10 acre rectangular
• requires 2,729 linear feet
• Levee width
• 20 ft for main
• 16 ft for others

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Levee Pond Construction

• Freeboard and Depth
• 1-2 feet freeboard
• 3 feet in shallow and
• 6 feet in drain end
• Slope of Levees
• 3 1 minimum
• 4 1 maximum

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Cross Section of Levee Pond
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Drains

• Size
• 6 inch for lt 10 acres
• 8-10 acres
• Slope
• 2

• Material
• PVC
• Effluent
• EPA or IDEM
• Best not to discharge

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Orientation

• Right angle to prevailing winds reduces levee
  erosion.
• Parallel increases wind action action and
  aeration.
• Site Preparation and Construction
• Remove vegetation and topsoil.
• Compaction is critical!!

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Levee Pond Layout
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Watershed Ponds

• Watershed is containment free
• Depth is a function of topography
• Requires 5-7 acres of watershed per acre of water
• Must have emergency spillway

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Watershed Pond Layout
Emergency Spillway
Main Dam and Levee
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For more information contact your county or state
extension aquaculture specialist.