I built a small wildlife pond on my farm. There was no water source on my property...I had dug a couple pot hole with a friend's tractor bucket. And decided I wanted to go bigger. I had a friend come over with a track hoe and about 5 hours later a nice wildlife pond. We took my friend 4x4 Kubota with bucket & box blade ( my tractor is 2 wheel drive and would have never come out of the pond) and spend about 4 hours "dressing" it up. It is about 1/4 acre and 7 foot deep at the dam. I was surprised how quick it filled up with natural run off. But that being said ~~I located it where 2 small ditches came from my farm to the bottom. I planted rye grass around it. And last Dec. I bought 100 5"to 7' catfish to put in it. Last week I bought a pound of fathead minnows for it. * to be used as a food source for the catfish
Also--I took a deer feeder and converted it to put pellets and floating food in there. As I do not live on my farm. In all I spent around $700 for the pond and well worth ~~ the deer/wild turkey and small game and birds use it for a water source now.
