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!)Excavated Ponds <br />for <br />Waterfowl <br />Landowners frequently ask natural resource agencies <br />how they can improve theJr land for waterfowl. Specifi­ <br />cally, many people wonder if excavating ponds will help. <br />This brochure will outline when and where dug ponds, <br />or “dugouts”, can be beneficial, and provides construc­ <br />tion guidelines for optimum waterfowl benefit. Refer to <br />Ecology of Wedands ” brochure for more informa-our <br />Waterfowl use dugouts primarily for coumhip and <br />territorial sites, and must have other wetlands to <br />fulfill feeding and brood-rearing needs. Small dug- <br />outs (less than one-half acre) are used mostly in <br />spring or fall migration, less so in summer. Larger <br />dugouts will get more summer use, if they re the <br />right depth (1.5-3 feet). <br />tion. <br />SHOULD YOU CONSIDER A DUGOUT FOR <br />YOUR PROPERTY? <br />Dugouts should be considered only where other wedand <br />management opdons are not possible. Before you <br />decide to excavate a pond, you should survey the site to <br />■ ' determirie if other options, such as ditch plugs, tile <br />• breaks, or dikes.would work. Wedands restored by <br />> reducing drainage are always preferable to dugouts. <br />In general, dugouts should only be construaed if there <br />are other open-water wetlands within one-half mile. <br />You should not excavate a dugout in an existing <br />wedand, especially one with open water. This can <br />destroy the existing wedand by draining surface <br />water off. Excavations should be outside the edge of <br />the wetland, where the water table is sdll adequately <br />high. Cattail-choked wedands are an exception to <br />this rule, where vegeudon covers the entire surface <br />of the wedand, and surface water is rarely present. In <br />these cases, it may be acceptable to dig in the wedand <br />basin, but you should still stay close to the edge. For <br />these projects, you will need to observ'e permit <br />requirements described below and should talk to the <br />local DNR Wildlife Manager. <br />i