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  • Results 1 to 8 of 8

    Thread: Considering building a mud pond, options/opinions

    1. #1
      AmyLM is offline Junior Member
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      Question Considering building a mud pond, options/opinions

      I own a 12 acre farm that is now virtually useless to use for growing fieldgrass/vegtables/fruit. Between the exploding populations of elk, deer, and rabbit that would be compleatly pointless. We have a a poultry farm, but that leaves ten acres compleatly unused. It is pretty much flat land with a ditch that has water year round between the 7th and 8th acre (property is shaped like a rectagle). We are in western Washington and our property sits on top of a volcanic lahar from long ago. We have TONS of clay, loads of mineral content, and our water table is pretty much surface-level year-round, so much so that we cant really do much with the back acrege about half the year. The area I'm considering is slightly higher ground (not by a lot, but enough). I know from digging our new septic line, that if you go down about three feet, you hit solid clay that then goes down between 2 and 10 feet. It does vary quite a bit as it was formed by a lahar. We have a natural spring on the property that comes up in our orchard and runs down one side of our property, just under the ground. SO, with that being said I have a number of questions:

      1. What size/depth should a mud pond be for breeding (and possible commerical) koi? (not sure if we would do sales like that)
      2. What is the koi size/gal in a mud pond?
      3. I understand that covering it with a net is necessary, and we already do that with our chickens. What other predators do we need to worry about?
      4. Does anything need to be put down on the sides of the mud pond so it keeps its shape and doesn't fill in?
      5. Are premits required to build a mud pond? *just assuming the answer will be yes, so what department?
      6. We don't get super hot here... except maybe a week or two a year. We also don't get super cold either. We are in the upper foot hills of the cascades, but the most we have gotten is snow to mid shin that was gone in two days. Most years we get snow maybe once or twice a winter. zone 7B
      7. what else do i need to consider? I don't know what else to ask

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    2. #2
      batman is offline Senior Member
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      Permits vary by locality. For us each county has an agricultural office that deals with drainage and will assist with pond planning and approval if needed. We also have a county Engineer and department that deals with roads, bridges and drainage. Worst preditors for us are mink, otter and herons. Mink and otter will clear you out quickly. Nets can control herons. 3 to 1 pond bank slopes work well anything steeper erodes too fast. Good that you are in zone 7b and excellent you have an ample water source.

      Fun hobby but don't expect to make a lot of money.
      Last edited by batman; 07-17-2019 at 11:09 PM.
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    3. #3
      icu2's Avatar
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      No useful advise but just a quick welcome to the forum and always glad to see another here from the
      Pac. NW!

      Enjoy the forum!
      --Steve



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    4. #4
      AmyLM is offline Junior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by batman View Post
      Permits vary by locality. For us each county has an agricultural office that deals with drainage and will assist with pond planning and approval if needed. We also have a county Engineer and department that deals with roads, bridges and drainage. Worst preditors for us are mink, otter and herons. Mink and otter will clear you out quickly. Nets can control herons. 3 to 1 pond bank slopes work well anything steeper erodes too fast. Good that you are in zone 7b and excellent you have an ample water source.

      Fun hobby but don't expect to make a lot of money.
      I will look into the offices. One thing we are used to at this point is jumping through hoops. Any kind of agricultural operation you spend half your time doing paperwork/permits/inspections/ext. We DO have a bad problem with mink and the littler weasels. We have a poultry farm and they just love to kill our ducks and chickens as well as the wild rabbits on occasion. However, they go after my birds more because they are easy targets. I will have to think about that. I didn't consider that the dang weasels might go after fish... I hope they don't go after the koi I have already.

    5. #5
      AmyLM is offline Junior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by icu2 View Post
      No useful advise but just a quick welcome to the forum and always glad to see another here from the
      Pac. NW!

      Enjoy the forum!
      Yeah! cool! I'm up here in Buckley (Next to enumclaw) on the way up 410 on the way to crystal mountain ski resort.

    6. #6
      icu2's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by AmyLM View Post
      Yeah! cool! I'm up here in Buckley (Next to enumclaw) on the way up 410 on the way to crystal mountain ski resort.
      Been by there many times... great to have you with us!
      --Steve



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    7. #7
      batman is offline Senior Member
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      Haven't seen a weasel in 20 plus years as the return of coyote in our area has removed them all. From what I remember they are not aquatic at all. Mink and otter are another story as they swim as well or better than a large koi.
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      Orlando is offline Senior Member
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      Here's something else to look into, Game and Fish commission comes into play here since a pond will bring in wildlife like migrating birds a complete set of new rules could come into play here so look into that also you don't want local or federal agencies giving you a new set of rules because some endangered or on the protected list species bird has decided to include your pond in the migration route, just look into that.

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