A lot of ponds this year seem lower than ever. Some may dry up.

Trader Vic, I had 34 years with NRCS most as an Engineering design tech. Which equates to meeting landowners and the entire gamut that comes with assessing John Q's wants. I did WRP restorations, mitigations, Ponds-Dams, all kinds of wildlife projects along with soil and water practices that involved some type of hydrology evaluation. I went toe to toe with the US ACOE folks, reviewed (critiqued) professional engineer's designs for competency, proposed solutions to water problems, did hundreds of storm runoff calculation for county highway depts and local government agencies when they had no engineer to help, etc.. I did all this while surveying, designing, staking for construction, surveying for completion and certifying quantities for any payments for projects funded by USDA, the NRD (Natural Resource District) and for private wildlife groups. Trained a few SC's, techs, and an engineer or two and 3 DC's in how government, private individuals and business works together while administering Congress's mandates. ALL this above is Moot Point unless you get someone (who has experience) to visit the site and do some Hydrological evaluation whether or not it will meet the desired goal of the LANDOWNER. It can be a contractor, private engineering firm, local or state agency person, or a federal agency person, but I caution anybody doing this to find the right person who is as unbiased as possible with what can and cannot be done to the site Hydrologically. I've seen to many dry holes or destroyed projects due to not enough or too much water on a person's site (along with a few threatened frivolous lawsuits). The permits, regulations, political requirements can be discussed along the way but its The Water availability (science) that makes or breaks the persons plans...... My take .................................. the mike

a friends neighbor built a pond and then had to fill it in in Kenosha county not far from Bong this was mid 90s i can't imagine they got any easier on people

you absolutely need to check with the township and DNR

the township found out he was digging a pond , no problem double the permit cost for the fine and permit and he paid it

then the DNR found out about it , he was withing 200 yards of a "navigable water way" and his spill over was going to that navigable water way

mind you that creek was so full of fallen trees you couldn't even walk it with out getting out and going around some things. it doesn't not matter that no person could navigate it , if water from it reaches a navigable water way it is one.

at the same time another fiends dad was building one just off KR just north of Bong they took the permits it was over an acre and were 400+ yards from any creek and sent their spill away from the creek to the ditch which of course ended up in that creek.

I was found to be in violation of wetland rules. The county ag guy said it was prior converted wetland so I could do what I wanted to, wetland guy from DNR said they had authority over it, not ag guy. Ultimately, I had to restore the site, have my own dozer so it just took me time. DNR guy said the wetland was within 500 feet of navigable water, drainage ditch, and the corp of engineers could take authority over the site, but that he would let them know it was being handled. He was an OK guy, told me I had invasive reed canary grass, loosestrife, and narrow leaf cattail, so nothing important, but I had filled wetland, and needed to make him happy with how it looked. Just neede a place to park equipment and I got that.

Below is a link to the DNR requirements or needs. Note the 500 foot distance from navigable water or wetlands. From my experience if you are further from those sites then acres may not or usually don't apply. The Price County office or any county office that like the FSA and or ASCS or park and plan department should have soil type, typo maps, and if the land is or is not a farmed wetland. As stated above I would start at the town or county level and work up if needed.

Bryce

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Waterways/construction/ponds.html

It’s amazing how much difference there is between states, here no one really cares as long as you don’t back up water onto someone else, and the FSA office only cares about tiling wetlands not if your flooding it.

nice to see this old thread brought up...I skipped that deal, and found a nice parcel with a class 2 trout stream on it last spring....it takes a lot of time to find what you are really looking for in land, If you are looking....don't settle for something that is only 1/2 of what you want...just keep stockpiling cash until one pops up, then get ready to spend more than everyone else

You sir, have the knowledge, training, engineering and hands on experience to assist about any landowner with whatever he/she wants or needs to do. I wish we were closer as I'd certainly like to share a cup of coffee and conversation with you.
Best regards, Vic

I’m glad you found what you wanted, it sounds like a pretty good setup.

Good to see this discussion. I work for a local government as a design engineer. We do lots of culvert replacements, utility creek/river crossings, etc etc

Everyone that mentioned the USACE is dead on the money. You will not build anything within 500 feet of navigable water without them having their say. Navigable water is defined as whatever they say it is that particular day.

Not to mention, you also have the state environmental/land quality divisions to obtain permits from. Ours is NCDENR/NCDEQ.

These hoops are the reason I haven't built my dream duck impoundment yet. I have the opportunity to buy a 40 acre corn field on a river bottom for a great price. Of course it is all floodplain and the only thing its good for is growing corn. It would set up perfectly for a waterfowl impoundment that could be planted and flooded each year. With it being directly beside the river it would never fly with the USACE.

I looked at my natural water hole today.. dry as a bone