B&M Land Management, LLCStraight Line Services, Ruleville MS
662-719-7737Free estimate
Drone view of a yellow excavator loading a dump truck at a pond dig

Leflore County ponds and dirt pits

Pond Digging in Greenwood, MS

Fishing ponds, duck holes and dirt pits dug around Greenwood, with an excavator and dump truck on the job.

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Greenwood sits at the eastern edge of the Delta, where the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha come together to form the Yazoo. Most of Leflore County is flat river-built land, so ponds here are usually dug out rather than built behind a dam. Low spots, old sloughs and wet corners are often where landowners want water, whether for fishing, livestock or ducks.

B&M Land Management is based in Ruleville, just west in Sunflower County. We dig ponds and dirt pits with an excavator and keep a dump truck on site, so spoil can go into banks, pads or off the property. We talk the job through, come look when needed, and give you a free estimate before any work starts.

How the job goes

  1. Call or text 662-719-7737 or use the form
  2. Talk through the pond's use, size and water source
  3. We look at the site and the soil
  4. Free estimate before any work
  5. 811 locate, then digging with the excavator
  6. Dirt moved to banks, pads or hauled off
Our photos
Dump truck and excavator on a graded dirt pad
New gravel drive running up to a brick house

On the job

Ponds & Dirt Pits

From B&M Land Management jobs. No stock pictures.

See all recent work
Skid steer in an open field after the brush was cleared off
Skid steer in an open field after the brush was cleared off
Drone view of the same site cleared and graded clean around the slab
Drone view of the same site cleared and graded clean around the slab
Wide dirt lane freshly cut through hardwood timber, brush piled at the edges
Wide dirt lane freshly cut through hardwood timber, brush piled at the edges
Drone view of fallen trees and a torn-up yard beside a slab, ready to be cleared
Drone view of fallen trees and a torn-up yard beside a slab, ready to be cleared
Cleared and graded ground with the big trees left standing around the edges
Cleared and graded ground with the big trees left standing around the edges
Open yard cleared and smoothed beside a metal shop building
Open yard cleared and smoothed beside a metal shop building
View from the cab: the mulching head headed into a wall of brush
View from the cab: the mulching head headed into a wall of brush
Thick growth on a town lot from above, before the machines came in
Thick growth on a town lot from above, before the machines came in
Drone view at night of a freshly dragged ballfield infield under the lights
Drone view at night of a freshly dragged ballfield infield under the lights
Drone view of a cleared rectangle in dense woods beside a thinned tract with trees left standing
Drone view of a cleared rectangle in dense woods beside a thinned tract with trees left standing

Ponds in river country

Around Greenwood, a pond is mostly a dug hole or a levee pond built by moving soil from the bottom into banks around the edge. That is how Delta catfish ponds are built, according to MSU Extension. Water comes from rainfall, runoff routed to it, and sometimes a well. Old sloughs and low areas can make good spots because they already gather water, but they can also be wetlands with federal rules.

MSU Extension recommends Mississippi ponds average about 5 to 6 feet deep and stay under 10 to 12 feet at the deepest, with about 20 percent of the bottom at least 6 feet deep. Banks should drop fast to about 3 feet to slow weed growth. Waterside slopes should be no steeper than 3 to 1.

Dump truck spreading gravel over a muddy lot
Dump truck spreading gravel over a muddy lot.

Soil near the rivers

MSU Extension says a pond needs at least 20 percent clay to hold water. The heavy clay flats of Leflore County easily clear that. Ground right along the rivers is a different story. MSU notes that soils near running water tend to be coarser, with more silt and sand. A pond dug in a sandy natural levee may leak. A test hole or soil borings before the full dig answers that question cheaply.

Digging also makes dirt, and that dirt has value. It can build up banks, raise a pad for a camp or shop, fill washes or low spots, or be hauled away in the dump truck. Wet clay is heavy and hard to spread, so we plan around the weather and decide where every load goes before we start.

Permits, flood ground and planning

MDEQ requires written authorization for a dam unless it is 8 feet high or less, impounds 25 acre-feet or less, or does not dam a watercourse with continuous flow. Exempt projects still need to notify MDEQ before construction, and a surface water impoundment permit may apply. Disturbing an acre or more brings construction stormwater permit conditions.

Low land near the rivers may be in a mapped flood zone or hold wetlands. Check with the Corps of Engineers about Section 404 permits before digging in a slough or wet area. NRCS Practice Standard 378 covers excavated and embankment ponds, and the local NRCS office can help with site questions. Mississippi law requires an 811 locate request at least two working days before digging.

Questions

Common questions

Can you dig a duck hole or shallow pond?

Yes. Tell us how you want to hunt it and how deep you want the water. Shallow areas are good for ducks but grow weeds in fishing ponds, so the design depends on the use. Check wetland rules if the spot is already wet.

Will a pond near the river hold water?

It depends on the soil. Heavy clay holds well. Sandier ground along the rivers can leak. We suggest a test hole or soil borings when we are unsure, before you pay for a full dig.

Where does the water come from on flat land?

Mostly rainfall and runoff you route to the pond. Some landowners add a well to keep it up in dry summers. Plan the water supply before you settle on the pond size.

Can the pond dirt build a camp pad?

Yes. That is one of the best uses for it. We can stack the spoil where the pad goes and shape it. Ask your builder what fill and compaction the building needs first.

More nearby

More in Greenwood

Top-down drone view of a freshly cleared lot in the woods, timber windrowed along the edgesAlso in GreenwoodLand Clearing in Greenwood, MSOvergrown lots, tree lines and river-bottom timber cleared around Greenwood, where the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha meet to form the Yazoo.DetailsTracked skid steer with a full bucket beside a freshly graded dirt pad, fence and barns behindAlso in GreenwoodHouse Pads in Greenwood, MSRaised house pads, shop pads and building sites built with hauled-in fill around Greenwood and Leflore County.DetailsDrone view of a yellow excavator loading a dump truck at a pond digThe full servicePonds & Dirt PitsExcavator and dump truck on site to dig it out and haul the dirt.Details

Ponds & Dirt Pits in other towns

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