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Service · Mattoon, IL

Ponds, Waterways & Retention

New pond digs, pond restoration, retention basins, creek and waterway work, swales and levees — across the 60-mile radius from Mattoon.

(217) 809-0779 📞 Free Estimate

Water-Related Earthwork, Done Right

A pond, a swale, a retention basin, and a creek-bank fix all start the same way — moving the right amount of earth to the right shape with the right slope. That's our job. We read the water on the land, we shape it so it goes where you want it to go, and we leave the dirt locked in so the next big rain doesn't undo the work.

If your job is pond cleanout or sediment removal specifically, head over to our pond dredging page — that's the focused dredging scope. This page is for new pond construction, restoration, retention, and waterway work.

What People Hire Us For

New Farm & Rec Ponds

Dig a new pond from scratch — for livestock, fish, swimming, or just because the land has the right spot for one. We size, shape, and build the dam to last.

Pond Restoration

Bring back a pond that's silted in, weedy, or losing volume. Pull sediment, restore depth, fix the dam, rework inlet and outlet. Old pond, new life.

Retention & Detention Basins

Stormwater retention for residential, commercial, ag sites. We work to engineered plans where there are some, and to clear specs where there aren't.

Creeks & Waterways

Bank stabilization, channel reshaping, debris and blockage removal, minor riprap. We help identify what needs a permit before we cut.

Swales & Surface Drainage

Pitched swales to move runoff away from buildings, fields, and pasture. Tied into the rest of the surface-water plan so nothing dead-ends in a low spot.

Levees & Berms

Earthen levees, pond embankments, flood-protection berms. Lifts, compaction, and shaping that holds when the water rises.

From Walk To Water

  1. Walk the spot. We look at the lay of the land, the watershed feeding it, the soil, the access. We rough-size what's reasonable and what isn't.
  2. Layout. Stake the perimeter and the dam. Set elevations for the dam top, the spillway, and the deepest pool. Confirm overflow goes somewhere safe.
  3. Strip the area. Topsoil and any organic material gets pulled off and stockpiled — it goes back on the slopes at the end.
  4. Dig. Excavator works the basin. Material that's good clay goes into the dam. Bad material gets hauled or stockpiled out of the way.
  5. Build the dam. Lifts of compacted clay, properly keyed in, with a built-in or pipe-tied spillway. This is the load-bearing part — we don't shortcut it.
  6. Shape and dress. Smooth the basin, shape the shoreline, set the spillway height, place riprap where erosion is a risk, return the topsoil to the slopes.
  7. Seed and walk away. Slopes get seed and mulch. Inlet and outlet get a final check. Then it's between you and the next rain.

Common Questions

How much does it cost to build a pond in central Illinois?

It depends on size, depth, soil type, water source, and access. A small farm pond is a totally different scope than a multi-acre recreational pond. The most accurate way is a 30-minute walk on your spot — call (217) 809-0779.

What's the right size for a farm pond?

Depends on what you want it for — livestock water, recreation, fish, irrigation, retention. Most owners want at least 8 feet of water at the deepest point so it doesn't winterkill or grow over with weeds. We'll size it to your land and goal.

Can you restore an old pond that's filled in?

Yes. Pull silt out of the basin, restore the original depth, fix or rebuild the dam if needed, address inlet and outlet. See pond dredging for the dredging-only scope.

Do you build retention basins?

Yes. Retention and detention for residential, commercial, and ag sites. We work to engineered plans when one's been spec'd, or rough-shape based on watershed and outlet.

Do you do creek and waterway work?

Yes — bank stabilization, channel reshaping, blockage and debris cleanout, riprap. We help identify what needs a permit before any cutting starts.

What about swales and levees?

Yep. Pitched swales for runoff control, earthen levees and berms for flood protection or pond embankments — regular work for the dozer and excavator.

What areas do you serve?

60-mile radius from Mattoon, IL — Decatur, Champaign, Effingham, Charleston, Urbana, Sullivan, Tuscola, Shelbyville, Pana, and Terre Haute.

Ready For Water On The Land?

Walk it with us. We'll tell you what's reasonable for the spot and what it'll take.

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