By far the most prominent roles of ponds built in Arkansas are recreational fishing and livestock watering. Optimal designs for these ponds are quite different but they are often built to serve both purposes for their owners, Scott Jones, small impoundment Extension specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, said.
The following are some tips given by Jones to improve the performance of ponds built to serve one purpose or the other, as well as ways to blend designs to achieve great results for both purposes.
Fishing Ponds
Recreational fishing ponds tend to do well with complex shorelines, or shorelines that bend and curve with points, peninsulas and pockets, Jones said. Submerged or exposed islands can also provide depth and shoreline diversity. These topographical features provide locations for fish to congregate and position based on wind, sunlight and depth.
“While good for fish, increasing complexity also increases construction costs. Fishing ponds range in size from tiny, less than 0.25 acres, to hundreds of acres,” he said. “Water depths should quickly reach about 3 feet (utilizing a max 3:1 slope; one foot deep for every 3 feet from shore), with a maximum depth around 12 to 14 feet. Deeper than this, especially in small ponds, is unnecessary and often encourages more severe turnovers in fall.”
Diffused aeration, while beneficial in most ponds, is highly encouraged in deeper ones. Install fish habitat in the form of tree logs and limbs, piles of rock, brush piles or artificial cover for fish to hang around. Occupying 20 to 40% of the total pond area with cover tends to result in better fish production than less or more.
Livestock Watering Ponds
Livestock drinking water ponds, or tanks, tend to be smaller, usually less than 0.50 acres but up to several acres each. Overall shapes are simpler, often circular with more gradual slopes, as little as 8:1 or 6:1 but no more than 4:1 if animals are meant to enter the pond. Steeper slopes are more difficult for the animals to negotiate, Jones said. Max depth is not as important in livestock ponds, but their small size and lower shoreline slopes often keep them relatively “For superior drinking water quality, prevent animal access to the pond by fencing the entire perimeter. Install a gravity- or pump-fed watering trough away from the pond on a pad reinforced with non-woven geotextile fabric covered by 6-8 inches of coarse #53 or #57 crushed limestone covered by about 2 inches of coarse agricultural lime,” he said. “Ideally, locate the drinking pad downhill from the pond so that runoff from the high-use area does not drain into the pond.”
External watering structures not only provide water that is cooler, cleaner and containing lower bacteria loads, it also extends the life of the pond. If external watering structures are impractical, fence off the majority of the pond and construct reinforced access points same as described above for the drinking pads, Jones said. Build them at least 10 feet wide at the edge of the pond and extend a floating fence ring along the edge of the reinforced entry area. This allows animals a cleaner direct access point but also reduces negative impacts to water quality.
Blending Fishing and Livestock Watering Uses
“Generally, it is easier to make a typical ‘fishing pond’ suitable for livestock than it is to make a typical ‘livestock pond’ suitable for good fishing,” he said. “Many old livestock ponds are shallow, muddy and relatively small, which limits fish production and health. Fishing pond banks often require clearing, lowering and reinforcing the slope for animals to safely enter. Ponds can serve both roles well if livestock are excluded or limited access as described above.”
For older small livestock ponds, channel catfish and bluegill tend to be good species to try because catfish are adept to life in muddy water and bluegill reproduce prolifically, Jones said. Popular sportfish like largemouth bass and crappie tend to struggle in muddy livestock ponds compared to cleaner fishing ponds.
“Fishing ponds retrofitted to allow livestock access can still produce good fishing, but you may notice an increase in muddy water, algae bloom density and aquatic weeds due to higher nutrient loads from the animals disturbing the bank and relieving themselves in or near the water,” he said. “While dealing with these problems requires more attention and investment, it is the natural consequence of managing a multi-use piece of infrastructure.”
