PRIVATE WATER SYSTEMS - Surface Water - Farm Ponds

Farm Ponds

Surface water collected in farm ponds is usually suitable for livestock and for fighting fires, but consider it for home and milkhouse use only when ground water sources are inadequate or too costly. If pond water must be used:

  • Locate and select the pond site and watershed to yield the cleanest water possible.
  • Size and construct the pond properly.
  • Manage the pond and watershed to yield the cleanest water possible.
  • Beware of applying farm chemicals in the watershed. read the labels careful.
  • Remove only the cleanest water from the pond.
  • Correctly plan, install, and operate filtration and disinfection equipment
  • Keep livestock well away from the pond.


    Locating the Pond

    It is best if the entire watershed is owned by the pond user. Also, no roads should cross the watershed; and no septic tanks, feed lots, or other source of human or animal waste should be in the watershed. A buffer strip of grass 100 feet wide should surround the pond.

    Consider the following when locating the pond:

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    Pond Size

    Needed pond size depends on the anticipated annual water uses, rainfall, amount of reserve water desired, evaporation rate, and soil seepage rate.

    Small-area, deep ponds lose less water to evaporation than ponds with a larger surface area. Make ponds at least 8 feet deep, and deep enough in northern areas that the pond does not freeze solid in the winter.

    If the pond is spring-fed, it should hold enough water for one year's supply. If it is fed only by watershed runoff, however, it should contain at least a two to three year supply. For the average household, a pond volume of 200,000 gallons is recommended.

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    Pond Construction

    For assistance in designing and building a farm pond, contact the local soil conservation district. Recommended construction features include:

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    Watershed and Pond Management

    Maintain watersheds supplying household water with woodlots, grass, or other plant cover on most or all of the watershed area. Control soil erosion on cultivated areas.

    Limit grazing to ensure a good plant cover.

    Fertilizer and pesticides in the watershed runoff can contaminate the pond water. Read container labels, and consult the county agricultural agent for more information.

    In managing the pond, pull or cut water weeds as they appear. Do not plant aquatic plants in the pond, but fish may be stocked. No swimming in domestic water supply ponds.

    Kill algae with copper sulfate or other safe algaecides. Start control early in the season, and treat small areas of algae when they first appear near the edge of the pond. During very hot weather, treat only half of the pond, and then wait 10 to 14 days before treating the other half to prevent a fish kill.

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     float-suspended intake Use a homemade or commercial float-suspended intake, which removes the cleanest and most odor-free water from the pond. Put the intake in deep water, well away from the shore, and at least 18 inches below the surface. Install the intake deeper if necessary to get below ice.

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