Introduction to Small Ponds
Small Ponds
This short course introduces the importance of small ponds for homestead and small-scale farming. Small ponds capture and store surface runoff, providing a reliable water source for irrigation and livestock during dry seasons. By learning how to plan, construct, and maintain these ponds, farmers can strengthen their resilience to drought and improve food and water security.
Example of a homestead pond, supplementing for irrigation during the dry season.
Small-scale storage ponds are used to catch and store surface run-off. Water used for watering (irrigating) crops or livestock. These ponds are usually used during a time of drought. It is important to construct these ponds before the high rainfall season. These ponds help and assist us with irrigation during the dry periods.
Steps to help you construct Small Ponds
Site Selection
The first practice is to identify the piece of land where you will place your small pond. Ponds should be constructed in low lying areas so that water can easily flow into the pond. It is important to know the basic …
… geographical knowledge about the topography in your area, weather patterns and usual rainfall direction. It is also important to have basic knowledge and understanding of your soil type.
Clearing of Land
You need to clear all weeds and vegetation on the selected site. You will do this by using shovels …
… shovels and fork spades to remove all vegetation. This is a physically intensive process.
Putting in pegs to mark the corners
There are different levels of knowledge when to comes to measurements. For example, all the team members will share some local knowledge that relates to marking the pond to know the volume …
… or the capacity of the pond will be. You will need to mark the corners of your plot in order to measure the length and width of pond, all sides must be equal. You can use a tape measure to measure.
Digging the Pond
Using a shovel, you will dig out the soil from the delineated area. You will dig until the required depth is reached. Soil that has that has been dug out can be …
… used for other purposes. This requires a lot of physical work and may take a few hours to complete depending on the number of people digging the pond.
Digging Trenches on the Slope
Since the small pond is at a low-lying area, trenches are dug out so that water can easily flow into the pond. The trenches can be a 20 cm wide and 20 cm deep …
… One should know that this step requires some physical work. It would take some time to complete depending on the length of the trenches.
Putting Plastic lining
After you put in the lining plastic you will trim it to fit the hole. When you trim your plastic make sure if fits …
… the pond and overlaps the sides of your pond. Before trimming make sure you measure your plastic lining.