Small and Large Pond Removal in Tampa
While it's never our first choice, we do have the capabilities and access to heavy machinery to fill in any size pond in Central Florida. Living on a large plot of land where an old farm pond has become a mess? Getting ready to sell a house that has an messy, deserted koi pond in the backyard? Whether you're looking to replace your pond with dirt and sod, expand a deck or patio, or put down pavers or rocks in its place, we can take care of this daunting project for you in very little time. We have connections with a group that can remove large trees if this is in your plans. For smaller landscaped elements like plants and shrubs, we're able to push them into the pond and have it all buried. In Tampa and surrounding areas, we've filled in and replaced private ponds to help our customers move forward with the next phase of their property goals.
Before and After Photos of a Pond
We Filled In Clearwater
Pond Removal and Pond Replacement
We've heard many stories from clients who inherit ponds but aren't able to take care of the new fish, or a predator has made a meal of the fish and the owner loses interest in the pond as years past. Whatever the reason may be, if you reach a point where you no longer enjoy the pond in your backyard, we can put it into the ground and restore your backyard.
The process often starts by removing all mechanical equipment, tubing, pipes, lights, cords, oversized spillways, or anything else we need to dispose of off site. Then we'll drain the majority of your water. While this isn't always a requirement, we find it makes the latter processes more manageable.
If you have a concrete pond, we recommend demolition so that the earth underneath and above the previous basin can breath and drain. We have capabilities to crush and remove any amount of concrete that exists. If you have a traditional rubber liner, we will puncture or cut the membrane so water can drain further and it isn't trapped within the liner underground. Then we'll typically roll the liner and any unwanted rocks into the pond to be buried.
Finally, we'll fill in the hole with dirt and make sure to thoroughly compress it, getting rid of any voids. We'll grade the land to match the rest of your property and finish with any kind of ground cover you've requested. We can lay sod or mulch, put down gravel or decorative rock, place flagstone, or install pavers if you're looking to use the area as a patio. Once we're done, the space will look entirely different and shouldn't have any remaining traces of your previous pond.
Huge Outdoor Pond in South Tampa, FL
ButtonThings To Consider
Please make sure that any pets have been moved or planned for before it's time to fill in your pond. While getting rid of a pond, and even handling fish are routine responsibilities we shoulder, we are unable to disperse fish in local waterways. While we can help remove your fish from a pond for you, we cannot dispose of any living creatures. When cleaning ponds, we temporarily relocate fish to a holding tank, but this is always done with the intention of putting the fish back into the clean pond. It's not legal for us to deposit fish into a public waterway like a creek, river, or lake because of issues around invasive and non-native species. Please make sure any fish are properly planned for and have a new safe home before we begin draining the pond.
Depending upon the footprint of you pond and what you'd like done with it, there is a chance that a permit may be needed. If you're simply wanting dirt leveled at the existing grade around your pond, that is no issue. The permitting situations arise when you install a lot of hardscape (like turf or pavers) that don't allow for any water absorption. Or if you wanted more land added than was there originally. By raising the level of land on your property, you could be changing the way water drains from that area which could have adverse affects to a neighboring property so the city and county want to approve those changes beforehand. Making sure drainage patterns don't create issues or lead to floating is always a concern, which is why sticking with the same grade your land currently has and using dirt to fill in the space won't disrupt anything.
When we're hired to delete a pond, one thing we make sure to check out is the access to the space. Do we have a wide open yard with no fences? Do we need to enter through a small gate or can we enter through a space as wide as a driveway? With medium to large ponds, the fill-in process is much easier and quicker if we can use heavy equipment. This speeds up the process, especially when moving many cubic yards of fill dirt. The larger the pond, the better off we are to use a bobcat with a bucket to get the job done more efficiently. This machinery also makes it easier to compact the material and level it as well.
Manual Labor
When dealing with a tight space, limited access or restrictions like a yard with a septic field or other element that will prevent heavy machinery from driving across the yard. In these situations, we move the dirt with wheelbarrows and shovels. Both instances will require dump trucks to deliver the soil, but how we move the dirt from the drop off location to the pond will depend on access, terrain, and the amount of dirt. While the use of manual labor may be cheaper to start, when it extends the hours or days a job takes, the costs may grow quickly compared to a fill in that can be accomplished mechanically more rapidly.
Transforming Your Unwanted Pond
Depending on your intended use for the area that currently houses your pond, there are plenty of options to consider. Once filled in with dirt, we can lay sod to expand your yard. We can install lights and cover the area in rock or shell to create a patio-like setting, or we can lay mulch for you to come behind and establish a new garden area with your favorite Florida plant species. Remember that some settling may occur over time but we do our best to compact the dirt to help avoid this. From Hillsborough County to Pinellas and Polk Counties, we aim to serve the greater Bay Area with all kinds of pond and water services.
