Catfish country know-how, home pond size
Commercial catfish ponds in the Delta are levee ponds. MSU Extension describes them as built on flat land by removing soil from the pond bottom and piling it into levees around it, with an average depth of 5 to 6 feet recommended. A home pond near Indianola works the same way at a smaller scale. Dig the bottom, use the dirt for the banks or elsewhere, and plan for rainfall and runoff, plus a well if needed.
For fish ponds, MSU Extension recommends about 5 to 6 feet average depth and no more than 10 to 12 feet, with roughly 20 percent of the bottom at least 6 feet deep. Banks should drop quickly to about 3 feet, and waterside slopes should be no steeper than 3 to 1.
Clay, bayous and the dirt
MSU Extension says a pond site needs at least 20 percent clay. Most Sunflower County clay is well past that. Ground along Indian Bayou, the Sunflower River and other old channels can be siltier, and soil borings or a test hole help there. Clay that holds water also holds it in the spoil, so wet dirt is heavy and slow to move. Dry weather makes a big difference.
Dirt pits are the other half of this work. If you need fill for a house pad, a shop or low spots in the yard, digging a pond on the same property can supply it. We keep a dump truck on site to move it. Tell us both needs up front and we will plan the dig and the fill together.
Permits and planning
MDEQ requires written authorization for a dam unless it is 8 feet high or less, holds 25 acre-feet or less, or does not dam a watercourse with continuous flow. Exempt projects still must notify MDEQ before construction, and a surface water impoundment permit may be needed. An acre or more of disturbed ground brings construction stormwater permit conditions.
If the site has wetlands or a stream, check with the Corps of Engineers about a Section 404 permit. NRCS Practice Standard 378 covers both excavated and embankment ponds, and the local NRCS office can help with site and soil questions. Inside Indianola, check with the city. Mississippi law requires an 811 locate request at least two working days before digging.
