thank you all for the great advice! I can't think of a reason they would turn down a pond permit, but I don't trust Gov't agencies at all when it comes to dealing with normal folks... the property in question is actually in Price county, and... remote is a good term for it. LOL..I don't consider it a wetland, and the nearest creek is over a 1/4 mile away ..unsure if it is considered navigable..If I get the old farm I'll probably buy the equipment to make the pond, and any improvements, then sell it..maybe

Building a pond without permits is a great way to spend thousands of dollars, and still end up without a pond. Often their reasons are crazy, but don’t think for a second you can build a 2-3 acre pond and hide it.

some of this makes me chuckle inside.....I am sitting less than half a mile from a major stream re-routing project of which required a most definite 404 permit. Guess what, the USACE, is carrying out the milcon project and decided they don't need one - whatever.......as well EO 11990 is not hardly ever followed today. If it was, there would be NO federal dollars used for the degradation of any wetlands such as pond creations, wetland mitigations etc.....so pick and choose which laws you want to follow and which you want to break......the gov does everyday.

Why would you need to hide it? Plow it up and call it a corn field with a wet spot....

start with county drain commission

I suggest you start with the local NRCS office on the SW side of Meford.
Discuss what you've got in mind, they'll let you know if there would be any conflicts or issues, one way or the other, then leave you to go about your business.
FWIW, there is no drainage commission.

All unincorporated areas of Price County except for the non-shoreland areas located in the Towns of Kennan, Catawba, Georgetown, Ogema, Hill, and Worcester are governed by county zoning regulations. Please contact your Town Chairman for zoning information in these townships.

Shoreland Ordinance
The Price County Shoreland Ordinance governs all property located within 1,000 feet of a lake, river, or flowage and within 300 feet of a creek or stream. In addition, all 17 of the Townships have adopted the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. All sanitary permits must be applied for through the Price County Zoning Department.

Please check with the Price County Zoning Office to see if permits are required for your project

Yep, all counties in WI have a planning and zoning department.
The OP lives in Taylor County, just south of Price County.

Yep, all counties in WI have a planning and zoning department.
The OP lives in Taylor County, just south of Price County.

Yes, and he said the property would be in Price County. I would assume the zoning would be for where the land is and not where he lives.

If you dig a pond on your own land and it does not cause any damage to other property owners and you pay your taxes, the government has no business being involved. I have seen where the government took property because it was in the flood plan, tell everyone else not to build on the flood plan and than built a park with restrooms on that site, that has flooded twice.
Before long the government is going to tell us what we can and can't eat.

Yes, my mistake...

I'm touring tomorrow, I'll get a better chance to look at the layout of things, make some phone calls Monday!

How does a person go about knowing whether a pond they dig will actually have-and hold-water?

soil type(s), topographic location..

You dig and observe test holes for a year or so.

that place was in tough shape...gotta love realtors ..old 80 acrer farm, google earth showed me about 30 in the back was woods, well..it is now cut off thin enough that I could shoot the whole way across, couple junk cars scattered around and a few hundred tires.. I'm not totally convinced to not buy it, but I might keep looking

Realtors are a special breed.

You got that right.

I will confess to having to do wetland mitigation in Wisconsin. The county agriculture guy said it was prior converted wetland to agriculture land so I could add dirt. The Dept. of Natural Resources guy said they trump the ag guys, local warden went past, saw my dozer on it and called it in. He was decent enough about it, said he would not get the Army Corp involved even though it was within 500 yards of a drainage ditch that he said would be called navigable. He told me pull half the dirt out and pile it in a berm on what was the highest part of the site. I sloped it to the lowest part, all I wanted was a level spot to park equipment, I live in the adjacent subdivision that went in when I was in high school. Yes I am a home boy, live across the street from where I grew up, bought the 30 from farmer I worked for as a kid, it is agriculture land but in the city limits.