[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by PapaBear If you plan to have multiple ponds anyway your thought of rotating them might not be a bad one. It is a common practice in wastewater treatment ponds to rotate seasonally for much the same reasons. I guess it really just comes down to space considerations, so if you have plenty why not? Another thing to bear in mind about your water table is underground water flow. If you have that shallow of a water table in the winter/spring seasons there will be a great deal of water exchange within the ponds as the water table beneath you slowly migrates fresh water in and out of your ponds from beneath. Location relative to water wells and subterranian water flow is also a factor to keep in mind. Percolation/migration from your ponds will introduce nitrates into the shallow aquifer. You want your ponds to be downstream from your water wells to prevent potential cross-contamination of your fresh water supply. The State is pretty narrow minded about anything that elevates nitrates in aquifers and you definitely don't want them up your @$$

All really great points, Larry, and I'm glad you brought that up because I would never have thought about it otherwise. I think Fortuna is with me on this one. The Sacramento River (just behind me) runs to the south. The proposed (and only place to put) pond site is to the south of the well by another 5 acres. I am assuming here that the current in the aquifer runs in the same direction as the river. Is that assumption viable?

Speaking of the state and aquifers, my son worked for the CA Dept of Water Resources from high school through college on his way to his Civil Engineering degree at Chico State. He'll be the one surveying and checking things according to my plans, so if there is a potential problem we should know it and be able to rectify it before we dig.

Marie