Pond Digging & Pond Cleanout in Danville, KY
Horse farm, cattle farm or home place, Boyle County ponds have to be dug in the clay and kept off the rock. We dig new ponds, clean out old ones and reshape dams and banks around Danville.
Pond Contractor Serving Boyle County Farms
Limestone is what makes Boyle County pasture so good, and it is also what makes pond building here a careful job. Around Danville the rock is often close under the grass, and limestone ground can hide seams and sinks that will take the water out of a pond. South of town the land changes to knobs, with shale and steep hollows. A pond contractor who digs every site the same way is going to leave somebody with a dry hole.
Pistol Ridge Land Services travels to Danville from Taylor County for pond work. Trey has 30 years of experience and runs the machine himself, and the first visit is all looking: where the water comes from, how deep the clay runs, and whether the spot is in the limestone or the knobs. From there he digs the pond, builds the dam, cuts the spillway and dresses the banks. Old ponds get the silt taken out and the banks pulled back to a clean line.
What you are left with depends on what you asked for. A horse farm may want a neat pond with gentle banks and no steep drop near the fence. A cattle farm wants depth and a solid dam. A home place wants water worth looking at. All three get the spoil spread and graded and the work area cleaned up. If the pond is part of a bigger project, see our Danville excavation page.
Pond work we take on near Danville
- New ponds sited in deep clay
- Hollow dams on the knob side
- Gentle banks for horse pastures
- Willows and brush taken off old dams
- Silted ponds dug back to depth
- Spoil spread and work area cleaned up
Boyle County Ground: Limestone and Knobs
Two kinds of ground in one county
West of Danville, toward Perryville, the land is rolling Bluegrass over limestone, and the job is finding clay deep enough to hold water above the rock. Along the south edge of the county, around Junction City, Parksville and Forkland, you are in knob country, where a dam across a hollow is the usual pond and shale shows in the cuts. We plan the pond around whichever ground you have, and we tell you if the spot is a poor bet.
Horse farms, cattle and older ponds
Farms around Danville run horses as well as cattle, and that changes the pond. Horse owners often want flatter banks and a tidy edge, and many want an old pond cleaned out more than they want a new one. Ponds that have been there for generations fill with silt and grow up in willows and cattails. Taking the trees off a dam and the muck out of the basin is covered on our pond cleanout page.
Permits and people to ask
A dam 25 feet high or more, or one storing 50 acre-feet or more, needs a state dam safety permit. Most farm ponds are far smaller. Building in or along a stream, including the Chaplin River near Perryville or the creeks running to Herrington Lake, can need a stream construction permit from the Kentucky Division of Water. For siting advice, the Boyle County Conservation District and the NRCS office that serves the county are the ones to ask. Dry weather from late summer into fall is the building season. Our permit guide covers the rules.
Ponds Jobs We've Done
Real photos from Pistol Ridge job sites. See more work or read about our full pond digging service.
Danville & Boyle County
We cover Danville and the communities around it, including:
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (270) 272-8739.
Danville Ponds FAQ
Who builds farm ponds in Boyle County, KY?
Pistol Ridge Land Services builds and reworks ponds in Boyle County. We're based in Taylor County and travel to Danville, Junction City, Perryville, Parksville, Mitchellsburg and Forkland. Trey runs the excavator on every job. Call (270) 272-8739 and he will come look at the site and give you a straight quote.
Can a pond be built on the limestone ground around Danville?
Yes, in the right place. The pond needs deep clay between the water and the rock, and no seam or sink underneath. Some Boyle County fields have that and some do not. Trey checks the ground first and will steer you to a different spot, or tell you not to build, if the rock is too close.
Can you shape a pond with horses in mind on a Danville farm?
Yes. We can build flatter banks, leave no sharp drop at the edge and make a firm place to drink. We can't promise an animal will never get in trouble around water, and fencing a pond off is a job for your fence builder. Tell Trey how the pasture is used and he will shape the banks to suit.
Should the trees come off my pond dam in Boyle County?
Usually, yes. Tree roots work through a dam, and when a tree dies or blows over, the roots leave a path for water. Brush also hides animal burrows and seeps. We clear trees and brush off dams and banks with the excavator and skid steer. On a big old tree Trey looks first, since pulling a large stump out of a dam can do harm too.
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 Danville
Demolition in Danville
Houses, barns, outbuildings and fire-damaged structures taken down safely and cleaned up to a clear slab or bare dirt.
See the Danville page →All Services in Danville
Everything we do in Danville and Boyle County.
Danville overview →Pond Digging in other towns
Need Ponds in Danville?
Call Trey or send the details. You'll get a straight answer on what the job takes.