Pond Digging & Farm Pond Construction in Campbellsville, KY
New farm ponds dug, dams built and old ponds cleaned out around Campbellsville, by a pond builder based right here in Finley with 30 years of experience on this clay and limestone.
A Pond Builder Based in Taylor County
Taylor County ground can fool you. A draw that looks made for a pond can sit on limestone a foot or two under the grass, and a pond dug over a rock seam or an old sink will lose water no matter how well the dam is built. Around Campbellsville you see it both ways: ponds that have held for fifty years, and ponds that never did fill.
Pistol Ridge Land Services is based in Finley, between Campbellsville and Lebanon, so this is home ground. Trey walks the site with you first. He looks at how much water the draw catches, checks where the clay is and how deep it runs, and asks what the pond is for. Then he digs it with a full-size John Deere excavator, builds the dam and shapes the banks. A dam should be keyed into solid clay and built up in packed layers.
What you are left with is a pond sized to the water your ground sends it, a dam with a spillway that can pass a hard storm, and banks smooth enough to mow or seed. The dirt that comes out gets spread and graded on your place, not left in a pile. If the spot you picked will not hold, you hear that before a bucket goes in the ground, not after. Other dirt work is on our Campbellsville excavation page.
Pond work we do around Campbellsville
- New stock ponds and fishing ponds
- Dams built for stock and fishing ponds
- Spillways shaped to carry storm water
- Silted-in ponds cleaned out and deepened
- Banks reshaped so they can be mowed
- Spoil dirt spread and graded on site
Ponds on Taylor County Ground: What to Know
Clay over limestone, and rock close on the ridges
Most of this county is clay over limestone, with the rock closest to the top on the ridges. Limestone ground can hide sinkholes and cracks in the rock that carry water underground. A pond needs deep clay under it and a draw that feeds it. We stay off sinks, away from rock ledges and out of gravelly creek bottoms, and we tell you plainly when a spot is a gamble.
Stock water, fishing and places near the lake
On the cattle farms toward Saloma, Mannsville and Elk Horn, most ponds are for stock water, and a lot of the trouble is old ponds that have silted in until they go dry in August. Closer to Campbellsville and out toward Green River Lake, people on a few acres want a pond to fish and to look at. Those get gentler banks and more thought about the view from the house. If yours is already there and filling in, see pond cleanout.
Permits, siting help and the dry season
A state dam safety permit applies when a dam is 25 feet high or more, or holds 50 acre-feet or more. Most farm ponds are well under that, but work in or along a stream can need a stream construction permit from the Kentucky Division of Water, so confirm before you build. The Taylor County Conservation District and the NRCS office that serves the county can advise on siting. Late summer into fall is the usual building window. Our pond permit guide has more.
Ponds Jobs We've Done
Real photos from Pistol Ridge job sites. See more work or read about our full pond digging service.
Campbellsville & Taylor County
We cover Campbellsville and the communities around it, including:
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (270) 272-8739.
Campbellsville Ponds FAQ
Who digs farm ponds near Campbellsville, KY?
Pistol Ridge Land Services does. We're based in Finley in Taylor County, and Trey runs every pond job himself with 30 years of experience. Call (270) 272-8739 or send the form. He'll come look at the ground, and you'll get a straight quote before any work starts.
Will a pond hold water on Taylor County limestone ground?
Often, if the site has deep clay and no sinkhole or rock seam under it. That is the first thing Trey checks. Some spots that look right from the road sit on shallow rock, and he will tell you so before digging. Nobody can promise a pond will hold, but a careful look at the ground beats guessing.
When is the best time to dig a pond in Taylor County?
Late summer into fall. University of Kentucky guidance is to plan in August, build in September's dry weather and finish before the wet winter weather sets in. The clay packs right when it is dry and the ground will carry the machines. Call earlier in the summer so the site is picked before the dry stretch gets here.
How long does it take to dig a pond around Campbellsville?
It depends on the size, how the site lays and the weather. A small pond in a good draw can be dug in a few days of dry weather, while a larger one, or one that runs into rock, takes longer. Rain is what stretches a pond job out, which is why we like to build in the dry part of the year.
More reading: What Does It Cost to Dig a Pond in Kentucky? · Do You Need a Permit to Build a Pond in Kentucky?
From First Call to Final Pass
Reach Out
Call or send the form and tell us where the job is and what needs doing.
Walk the Site
We look at the ground, the access and the scope so there are no surprises.
Get a Quote
You get a straight quote and a plan for the work.
We Dig In
The machines roll in and the job gets done right.
Other Work We Do in Campbellsville
Demolition in Campbellsville
Houses, barns, outbuildings and fire-damaged structures taken down safely and cleaned up to a clear slab or bare dirt.
See the Campbellsville page →Land Clearing in Campbellsville
Brush, trees and overgrowth cleared to open up usable land.
See the Campbellsville page →Gravel Driveways in Campbellsville
New gravel drives, approaches and farm lanes built, and washed-out drives reshaped.
See the Campbellsville page →All Services in Campbellsville
Everything we do in Campbellsville and Taylor County.
Campbellsville overview →Pond Digging in other towns
Need Ponds in Campbellsville?
Call Trey or send the details. You'll get a straight answer on what the job takes.