A properly located, well-constructed pond can be a beautiful addition to a landscape. Ponds provide owners with excellent recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and wildlife viewing as well as potential water sources for livestock watering, irrigation, geothermal home heating/cooling, and firefighting.

The purpose of this document is to provide prospective pond owners with the basic information needed to understand the process involved in establishing and maintaining a quality pond (figure 1). The information is intended to enable landowners to avoid costly mistakes, to communicate more effectively with pond contractors, and to be successful at building and maintaining the best possible pond.

Pond Construction Process: Figure 1