# Digging a pond



## reddog719 (Dec 22, 2002)

I have a swamp in front of my property in Harrison. It is a good sized one and holds water all year long. I would like to dig some of it out deeper and have a place to stock fish. Also would like the ducks and geese to use it. Can anybody steer me in the right direction so I can find out if I can do this?


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

DEQ, but if it's a swamp I doubt they will let you do anything to it at all. They now call them wetlands and are protected but 25 years ago it was just a somewhat useless mosquito ridden swamp.


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

That's where I started. Also get the DNR involved. Swamp might be tough tho.


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## Fowlersduckhunter (Oct 28, 2011)

Is it connected to another body of water? The easiest way to know if your good to dig or not, is if it is navigable by watercraft, kayak, etc, you cannot stock fish or dig.


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## reddog719 (Dec 22, 2002)

Not connected to another body of water. Will call the county courthouse tomorrow. Will also contact the DNR in the a.m. too. Thanks!


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

You need to talk to the drain commissioner and the DEQ


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

If it's under a certain size used to be 2 acres it didn't need a permit. Wetlands might be tough, I would approach them with the improving habitat line.


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## reddog719 (Dec 22, 2002)

Thanks for letting me know who to call. I was just gonna call and ask to talk to somebody about digging a pond lol.


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

reddog719 said:


> Thanks for letting me know who to call. I was just gonna call and ask to talk to somebody about digging a pond lol.


I would call your Drain Commissioner before you call the DNR. If it's not connected to a body of water, he may be able to issue you a permit without involving the DNR. He will tell you if you need to involve the DNR, or not. 

As was mentioned, not every lowland is necessarily a wetland. 

Funny how everyone assumes cattails mean wetlands. I was hiking in a large county owned reserve in FL the other day and ran into a guy in an airboat spot spraying. When he landed, I asked him what he was spraying, his reply, invasive cat tails!!:lol:


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## Steiny (May 30, 2011)

Who is going to dig / build your pond?
Any reputable excavation contractor in the area that has built a few ponds should know all of the necessary steps to go through. I'd start there first. 

Seems like when you start dealing with public officials they go out of there way to find ways to make a project more difficult than need be.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

If you have any duck nest in there get rid of them before they look at it.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

If your looking for a contractor, Porath contracting in Houghton lake does it well. And has long boom excavators.


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## MSUFW07 (Jan 22, 2009)

> Funny how everyone assumes cattails mean wetlands. I was hiking in a large county owned reserve in FL the other day and ran into a guy in an airboat spot spraying. When he landed, I asked him what he was spraying, his reply, invasive cat tails!!:lol:


Don't mean to sound like an ***** when I say this but there are invasive cattails. There are two species here in MI, wide leaf and narrow. Narrow are invasive, they will create a monoculture of plants and shade other plants out. Doesn't sound like a big deal until you look at a wetland beyond the "marshs" that Walmart digs in front of a store to seem more green. Guessing that FL has the same issue. http://sewisc.org/invasives/invasive-plants/82-narrow-leaved-cattail

As far as the pond goes, good luck. Guy I worked with dug a pond and it was supposed to by around 8 foot deep, the banks collapsed and most is now only a few feet deep. I'm sure he went thru the DEQ at one point or another, but his was also a fallow field.


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## icehunter1958 (Jan 5, 2004)

reddog I would first check with your township. most have ordinances on pond construction. setback from property lines, side bank slopes and max. and min. depth, also what you can and can't do with the pond spoils. you may have to have an engineered plan for the pond for overflow issues. I have done a lot of survey work around the state and different townships, and they all seem to have a little different specifications from 1/2 acre ponds to 5 acre ponds. if I remember correctly anything over 5 acres will have to get the DNR involved. hope this helps.


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## fowl (Feb 15, 2003)

A Deq permit is require for pond construction of any size (or any other excavation or fill) in regulated wetlands. Contact the closest Deq office to determine if the wetland meets the criteria to be regulated.


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## randall729 (Feb 18, 2015)

I believe if the swamp is in an area determined to have a endangered bug, bird, animal, plant, flower, etc. (even not in your swamp) a pond won't be allowed. Doesn't matter if you want to benefit the environment. And there are major consequences to deal with if you do it secretively.


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