Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/605475
If a pond or feeder stream has to be used for direct watering, both should be fenced to limit cattle access to small areas. Contact NRCS personnel about available buffer and cost-share programs regarding buffer establishment, fencing, and auxiliary watering. Keep in mind that prescribed grazing can be used to manage upland and wetland vegetation. Contact Commission wildlife staff for prescribed grazing information. Fishing and irrigation are usually not compatible uses, especially if the pond is used as a return catch basin for irrigation runoff water. Using a pond as a source of irrigation water normally results in widely fluctuating water levels that will hinder fish reproduction and growth, and can cause fish kills. A pond can be used as a water source for small irrigation projects, such as gardens or lawns, provided inflows are sufficient to replace the water used and lost to leakage and evaporation. A permit is needed from the DNR before any water can be withdrawn from a pond. Ponds can provide water for fire fighting, provided precautions are taken to prevent fish and vegetation from plugging up the water intake system. Flood control ponds designed to retain sediment and high volumes of runoff water generally do not make good fishing ponds. The water normally remains turbid for extended periods of time after runoff events and deposited sediment gradually fills in the pond. Although sight-feeding fish like bass and bluegill will do poorly under turbid conditions, channel catfish can produce a viable fishery. Catfish success will depend upon food availability, pond depth, and population density if natural recruitment (spawned fish survive to adult size) occurs. Ponds less than 5 acres can provide many hours of fishing, swimming, boating, and other recreational activities. Power boating and skiing are not recommended due to the small size of these ponds. Wave action will cause shoreline erosion and resuspension of sediment, resulting in turbid water and reduced productivity. If the pond will be used for a variety of recreational activities, some safety precautions should be taken. Swimming areas should be marked and all obstacles removed. Have life saving devices, such as ring buoys, rope, and long poles, nearby to facilitate rescue operations during winter and summer activities. Pond owners should contact their attorneys and insurance agents about protection against a lawsuit if an accident should occur at their pond. Permit Requirements and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Whether you are building a new pond or restoring an old one, no permits are required if the finished structure has a low hazard dam less than 25 feet high, a storage capacity of less than 15-acre feet of water at the spillway crest or overflow, less than 50 acre-feet of total flood storage capacity at the top of the dam, and no diversion or withdrawal of water. It is always best to ask if you are unsure about whether or not you need a permit. Any questions on permitting should be directed to the DNR office in Lincoln. NRCS personnel can also answer questions about permit requirements. If a permit is required, it must be obtained before construction can begin; otherwise, the pond is subject to removal, or impounded water may have to be released for downstream water-right holders. Regardless of whether a DNR permit is required, there are places where ponds should not be built. Construction should be avoided 24 • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Livestock access to the pond and/or feeder stream has to be restricted to prevent environmental damages. There are places where ponds should not be built and some places may require special permits.