However, you will still have to file for the exemption, which may involve quite a bit of bureaucracy itself. Ponds for legitimate agricultural purposes – irrigation or watering livestock, for instance – are exempt from most permitting requirements. In California, every drop of water is regulated, whether it’s in Lake Tahoe, a puddle on the streets of Los Angeles or in an aquifer beneath the Central Valley. Any water that is not covered under federal jurisdiction is often covered under state laws. The vast majority of lakes, wetlands, rivers and streams – all the way down to the tiniest tributaries that you could leap across in a single bound – are, from a legal perspective, considered Waters of the United States.ĭoing anything that impacts these waters requires permission from the EPA under the Clean Water Act. Many rural landowners don’t realize that they don’t own the water that flows across their property. if it breaks) and you may have a mountain of red tape to climb in order to get a permit, depending on the size and location of the pond you want to build. There are serious legal liabilities involved in dam construction (i.e.

If you don’t have a background in engineering, you’re going to need outside help to make it happen. There is much more to building a pond than digging a hole and letting it fill. But you’ll know if it’s feasible if you understand the lay of your land, the way water moves through it and the basic requirements for building a pond. Clear, clean water surrounded by lush grasses and perhaps a weeping willow tree may be the image that first comes to mind, but achieving that dream is often a costly and complex affair, if possible at all. Both practical and idyllic, farm ponds are a dream for many newbie farmers.

Samantha yed build a coin pond