Farm Ponds Tool

There has been recent interest in farm ponds due to the flexibility in design for diverse uses based on landowner management interests, including aquaculture, livestock feed, water quantity management and sediment detention. In some regions, farm ponds can be used to detain water from rainfall and springtime tile-drainage water for reuse as irrigation throughout the growing season.

Drainage areas above farm ponds are smaller than those for nutrient removal wetlands and overlap with drainage areas for water and sediment control basins (WASCOBs). They range from 5 to 100 acres. Farm ponds, however, will typically be found along drainage ways that are steeper than identified for wetland impoundments or WASCOBs.