FAQ
Common Questions
Do you design-build lakes and large ponds, or just dig?
We design-build. That means we lay the water body out to the site — pool elevation, basin shape and depth, dam embankment, and the spillways — not just dig a hole and hope it holds. We shape the basin with GPS grade control, build the dam in compacted lifts, and set the inlet and outlet structures so the finished lake or pond holds water and sheds a storm the way it's supposed to.
What makes a dam hold water — clay core or liner?
Most central Illinois ponds are built on native clay, so a clay-core / clay-seal dam is the workhorse: the right clay soils keyed into a cutoff trench and compacted in lifts so the embankment doesn't leak. Where the soils won't seal we can build to a liner or bentonite spec instead. The point is matching the seal to the ground — that's what separates a pond that holds from one that's always low.
What is a principal and emergency spillway, and why do I need both?
The principal spillway (usually a pipe through the dam) carries the everyday flow and sets the normal pool. The emergency spillway is a wide, armored channel that safely passes the big storm around the dam instead of over it. A dam without a working emergency spillway is a dam that fails in the flood it was built for — so a real lake gets both, sized to the watershed.
Do I need a permit to build a lake or large pond in Illinois?
Often, yes — and getting it wrong gets the job red-tagged. Work in a stream or wetland can trigger a USACE Section 404 permit (dredge or fill in waters of the U.S.) and an IEPA Section 401 water-quality certification. A larger dam falls under the IDNR Office of Water Resources dam-safety rules, which sort dams into three hazard classes — the top two essentially always need a state permit. Illinois bundles much of this into a Joint Application. We build to that process so the regulators sign off.
How big a water body can you build?
From a serious farm or recreational pond up through multi-acre lakes and the dams and large embankments that hold them. That regulated, five-figure-and-up tier — real dam embankments, sized spillways, and permit work — is exactly the lane this page is about. It's what separates a contractor from a backyard-pond landscaper.
Will you work with my engineer or the NRCS / SWCD?
Yes. We build to a design engineer's or NRCS technician's staked plan and cross-section — pool elevation, embankment, spillway, and grades — and turn the job over for inspection. We also build NRCS / SWCD cost-share water structures to spec; see our NRCS Conservation Practices page for the 378 pond and 410/638 work.
What equipment do you use for a lake or large-pond build?
A Cat D6N dozer for basin shaping, dam embankment lifts, and grading to the design; a Komatsu PC150LC excavator for the cutoff trench, spillway, inlet and outlet structures, and detail work; and dump trucks to move clay, spoil, and rock. Owner-operated — the man on the machine is the man you talked to.
What areas do you serve?
60-mile radius from Mattoon, IL — Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Shelby, Moultrie, Effingham, Edgar, Clark, Champaign, and Macon counties, plus over the line into Vigo County, Indiana. Decatur, Champaign, Effingham, Charleston, Urbana, Sullivan, Tuscola, Shelbyville, Pana, and Terre Haute. A lake is worth the drive — ask even if you're a bit outside the line.
