How difficult is it to dig a ditch

[Bailey Guns]

Just about everyone with an acreage has a pond on their property down here. Catching rainwater is a thing, too. OK isn't much of a nanny state.

[Seamonkey]

Just about everyone with an acreage has a pond on their property down here. Catching rainwater is a thing, too. OK isn't much of a nanny state.

I was trying to come up with a witty quip about taking from those with water and give to those in a drought but its still too early.

Anywho.... to the OP... would it make a difference if you capture the water coming off the roof of the shed? Great spot for some willows (but too close to structures) or a gold fish pond

[fitz19d]

Some people make ponds to aid in firefighting. Colorado has strange laws on water rights and landowners holding water. Is it yours to hold?
In a decades old drought i'm curious where the water is coming from?

This is my pending property in eastern Oklahoma

[fitz19d]

I was trying to come up with a witty quip about taking from those with water and give to those in a drought but its still too early.

Anywho.... to the OP... would it make a difference if you capture the water coming off the roof of the shed? Great spot for some willows (but too close to structures) or a gold fish pond

There's a pond in back I wanted to maybe expand. A lot will depend on the lay of the land where I get there. The post about trash can resevoir seemed neat. I'd love to put more tree's in front of the property, most are out back. Not sure if it'd be too soggy for fruit tree's which I want to put in those and nuts and just have a bounty for feeding to chickens and goats. Could french drain it though I believe everything slopes to back not front so would have to run around shop.

Here's a video my realtor made of the swampy bits out front.

https://youtu.be/0MaLHvRGpKg

[Jamnanc]

Get a laser or eye level and “shoot to find out where it could drain to. I don’t think a pond would improve drainage or usability. If you do a pond, stack dirt to build a coffer dam to hold back the other water while you dig one side then drain it to the side you dig if that makes sense. It would be way easier to have a small ditch drain water downstream than to make a pond.

[Oscar77]

Just looking at the video...... it seems the soggy area will drain towards the road (there seems to be a water trail going that way).
Increase the road ditch and run it east? along the road.

The low spot to the left as you look at the house, by the pole, is it dry?

[fitz19d]

Just looking at the video...... it seems the soggy area will drain towards the road (there seems to be a water trail going that way).
Increase the road ditch and run it east? along the road.

The low spot to the left as you look at the house, by the pole, is it dry?

Will find out Saturday when i see it in person for first time

[TRnCO]

this is a job for a real track hoe. Like this....80' reach on the boom and check out the teeth on the bucket..

IMG_0256 by Tim Richard, on Flickr

Sorry of no real help on the issue, sometimes too much water is worse then not enough. Good luck OP...

[fitz19d]

Just got back. Property is a bit higher on a dead end hillside than i thought. Owner says he never waters just gets enough ground moisture seeping down from the higher hills.

Pond full of a billion big tadpoles and some trees and brush at the edge. Think id like to maybe enlarge it to a useful size, so leaning on French draining the front to back.

The farthest back area is pretty much flattened kinda marshy pantlife already. The front ditch is kinda useless as you can see the slant towards back of house. However i didn't find the water to be as bad as it appeared in photos. And inspectors found no recent structure shifting. But I'll still want to do something as the shop is newer and probably vulnerable