# Digging a free pond in central Ohio?



## CRAPPIECOMMANDER (Feb 25, 2006)

I have an acre to play with and I would really like to put a 3/4 to 2/3 of an acre fishing pond in it. I have heard lots of rumors about people getting ponds dug for free by the state and also digging them for the dirt. I have followed some of these leads but they all were over or false. If anyone has had a pond dug for free or at a least at a reasonable price could you let me in on the details. I would love to get the ball rolling but unfortunately my finances won't allow it for a few years. Thanks for all your help.


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## CShaver8 (Jul 12, 2005)

The ODNR will stock your pond for free....as long as you let it be known as public fishing waters.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

what could be a price tag of digging such a pond? I hope I will not steal the thread with my question.


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## timmyv (Apr 26, 2006)

Get yourself a shovel and start digging! LOL!


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

leckig said:


> what could be a price tag of digging such a pond? I hope I will not steal the thread with my question.


 There are a lot of factors to consider (ground layout, substrate composition, depth, etc.) but a quick answwer to an otherwise tricky question is...a lot.

Seriously though I am sure you would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to put in a pond for under $2-3,000.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I am no excavator, but I would have to guess a pond that size would run you about 12k or more. My grandmother wanted to have her existing 1/2 acre pond dug out deeper about 10 years ago and they told her 10k. 

A thought might be to rent the equipment and take a week vacation or something and try the old DIY approach. That might save ya some bucks. 

CG


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## Bigmoke (Apr 18, 2006)

first thing you should do is get someone out there to test the soil too see if the ground will sustain a pond in that area. my brother wants a pond on his place real bad and although he has the perfect area and run off and natural banks and such the soil was to sandy or rocky to be able to hold and water in it , if he built one it would dry up in the warmer months and such . well thats my 2 cents worth. better be sure before spending money or start digging to see if it will hold up at all .


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## FISHERBALL (Apr 7, 2004)

Those free ponds happen when they need your dirt to build an overpass when they are building a road. I would call an excavator & tell him your plan, I think there's much more than just digging a hole. You want an engineer(degreed or not, someone who works in the industry) to tell you want you need to know. The state may offer limited services like that. You are looking at lots per hour to have a pro come out with correct equipment & dig you a hole. Real similar to basement in a new home, only bigger. Good luck & tell me when it's stocked!!


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

bkr43050 said:


> There are a lot of factors to consider (ground layout, substrate composition, depth, etc.) but a quick answwer to an otherwise tricky question is...a lot.
> 
> Seriously though I am sure you would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to put in a pond for under $2-3,000.



if even $3000 would give my my own private pond of an acre size, I would not think twice!


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## REEFRUNNER (Feb 27, 2006)

I would sugest you call the county soil and water conservation office to come out to dig test holes at the site to see if it will hold water first.That way you will know for sure.I had my pond dug for $5500.00 for a 1 acre pond including sand for a beach and stone around the edges. For some good Information on ponds you can go to jonesfishhatchery.com they will tell you the do's and dont,s when digging a pond.Hope this helps you.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Im halfway through getting a pond escavated, it will be in an all clay basin, 12 ft deep and about 3/4 of an acre, Now my price is really discounted from family in the business but was told that it would be about 25k to dig it professionally. BTW diesal fuel is outrageous right now and clay is slow to work with. anyways part of this deal is its done on there time, so it was started last October and is is about 80% done, there really is a ton of work involved. 
Contact local SW&CD and they will evaluate the site for free then tell you what you might need to consider to have it built. oh yeah,asa nother rumer, thestate does NOT stock for free, so you had better figure on about 5-600 bucks to get a pond that size started with baitfish and a small variety of pond species. Lots of other expenses as well, for example a simple fountain starts out at about 1200 clams, then there power to run to the pond, and if you want a beach, a delivered 20 tons of sand will run you another 400 bucks, etc, and so on. its like a old house, the money pit. but one day will all be worth it!! Im also drilling a well to suplement my pond and the cost of that will be somewheres around 4-5000 dollars addition.

Good luck, Salmonid


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

As you can tell the price tag for a pond can vary tremendously due to so many factors and what your expectations are. I mentioned $2-3K as a starting point because I have checked into building my own with a couple of contractors. They know my situation and what I want and their price tag was in the higher end of that range. My land is laid out such that there would not be much hole digging happening because I have a natural layout (ravine). Obviously the topsoil would be removed and a little digging but most of the work would be on constructing the dam itself. This would be the most critical element to the project and would require more work. I was not referring to bringing in any other materials (sand, gravel, etc.) so that would obviously add to the figure by quite a lot. I also was not accounting for any aeration from fountain(s) which as Salmonid alluded to is a large expense. I think once you have found the monies for all of the above the expense of stocking the pond will seem very minimal.

I had not taken into account the difference in fuel costs nowadays compared to when I last looked at estimates a few years ago. I am sure that will really change the cost.


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## CRAPPIECOMMANDER (Feb 25, 2006)

Thanks for all the responces keep them coming. I have done a little research in my area around Marion Co. and the going rate is about 12k per acre which is a little more than I can come up with at the time. I appreciate everyones help.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

The 12-15K range sounds about right currently with all the increased expenses already mentioned.

Just something to keep in mind - Services of an operator and a backhoe are running between $90-145 per hour. The clock typically starts running when the equipment leaves the owners shop, NOT WHEN THE EQUIPMENT ARRIVES AT YOUR PLACE. If you decide to pay a professional, I would check with them regading their policy.


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