What makes a pond hold water
Central Indiana's clay is a gift for pond builders — if it's worked right. A pond that holds is about finding the clay, keying and compacting the dam and core, cutting slopes that won't slough, and building an overflow that handles the hundred-year storm without eating the dam. A pond that leaks is usually one of those steps skipped.
Hooper's Excavation and Demolition builds recreation ponds, fishing ponds, and farm ponds from a half acre up — and rehabilitates old ponds that have silted in, grown shallow, or started leaking.
Pond services
- New pond construction — siting, design, excavation, dam construction, and compaction.
- Overflow and outlet structures — primary risers and emergency spillways sized to the watershed.
- Pond cleanouts — dredging silted ponds back to depth (best done in dry years or drawn down).
- Dam repairs — fixing leaks, muskrat and erosion damage, and failing overflows.
- Shoreline shaping — beach areas, fishing points, and safe slopes.
Thinking about fish?
Depth and structure decide what a pond can support. For a healthy Indiana fishing pond you want a good share of the pond at 8 feet or deeper (10 to 12 feet is better) so fish overwinter well, with shallow shelves and structure for spawning. We shape all of that in the dig — it's nearly free during construction and expensive to add later.