No it is not a deal breaker. It is an issue that must be dealt with. A natural pond can be an effective way to deal with excess rainwater. It just has to have a proper way for any overflow to drain away. How to address the issue will depend on what kind of pond you are wanting. Placing it in an existing low spot might even be best.

I was thinking about these issues yesterday while researching ponds. Let me start off by saying I would rather have a "natural" pond without pumps and filters, and a ton of plants and a few fish to take care of the water quality, so thats what I was looking into. I came across a decent summary here of all places: https://www.chewy.com/petcentral/building-a-pond-without-a-pond-liner

The issue of seasonal ground water rising up and turning the pond into a boat is another issue you might have to deal with, you might need some kind of check valve system in that case that lets water flow from the bottom up but not the other way. You would need a spillway type thing in the event the pond overflows.

Whatever you do, look up vernal ponds and don't turn it into that. Otherwise you will not be able to do anything within 100 feet of the vernal pond. It's protected by the environmental and conservation department. I have one of those and wish I didn't.

Ponds fed by drainage corridors are collection points for everything that is in the water coming out of them as well as the water itself. For instance awhile back friends with a longtime pond of some depth were having problems with it filling with mud during rainy periods.

Because of an overgrazed property with horses on it and little ground vegetation shedding soil into the stream uphill from them.

Problems as in having to rent a back hoe and dig the mud out, place it elsewhere. As I remember it the mud may have filled the pond all the way to the surface near where the stream emptied into it.

It's not a large pond, but still...

Do you have a picture of the space you have in mind? Often times a proper solution can't be reached unless all on-site factors are considered. You don't want to be redoing a pond once it's in place. If you do hire a contractor for your pond, make sure he puts a drain tile underneath the pond liner to alleviate hydrostatic pressure. Other things you can do is to have a landscaper install drain tiles/French drain system to catch the water before it enters into your desire pond location.

Much depends on the nature of your "flood" and the water shed that feeds it. Rain catchment off the house in particular run through a fish pond can be quite good for water quality. I tend two rubber lined ponds with falls that are spring fed. I also have very good gravity to work with in the mountains of NC.

Seems I took this picture when the Almighty Falls were turned off.

That is beautiful Christoper! Thank you for sharing :)

Here is a picture of the area I'm thinking.

Our property is over 100 years old and the properties around us have been "built up" so that when the newer houses were built, added onto, or had a pool added to the backyard, they just "moved" the dirt around the yard instead of removing it. So today most of our neighbors land is higher than ours.

The spot to the right of the shed, in front of the bushes, is one of the common places to "flood". This is just rain water that has no where else to go. It's not dirty from a river or lake or anything and no fish. The worst thing I can say about it is that the mulch I put by the shed will wash away into the yard. I can limit the mulch I use though, so in the event of flooding it doesn't wash into a pond. I had originally thought to put in a planted rain garden but after much thought I feel like a large planting will look weird out there all alone and in front of the bushes. I've been dreaming of a pond and wondered if I could put one here. Sure, it may get covered over when this happens but I wonder if that's really so bad. I honestly don't know... My goal with a pond is to attract wildlife like frogs, garter snakes, etc. but not sure about fish. I would love fish but would be concerned that when rain like this happened they might swim out of the pond and get stuck in the grass :(

Just wondering if a pond is feasible or not. Thanks!

A big puddle of rain water with no where to go, that is a unique problem to solve. Still, where there is a will and the right budget, there is a way. I think it is possible to build a pond there. How it is constructed will depend on what is happening with your soil and if your spring rain water "flood" has any possibility at all of turning into an ice skating rink. The construction options are endless so I won't go there.

I do believe it is possible with some creative thinking specific to your site conditions to build a pond that will collect this rain water flood while limiting any debris from flowing in. The solution to the problem is a sump pump set in a second skimmer on the pond edge set at a higher, overflow water level than the regular filter skimmer and pump for normal operation and the normal operating water level.

The sump pump is connected to a pipe that can discharge the water, like to the street, where it can drain away. This will actually eliminate your spring flood problem.

You say you opted out of a rain garden here because it might look odd. A pond is very much a water garden, and a high maintenance one at that. Any pond must be built and maintained with the right pumps, filters and circulation to keep the water from turning into a vat of mosquito breeding pond scum. You really need to enjoy the hobby of water gardens to invest in the time and expense of building one.

How long does the water sit there each time? Are you seeing any damage to the shed?

The temporary water level is not going to be lowered by digging a hole where the puddling occurs. However if there is a lower place on your property, where a pond could be made you could then install a section of ADS pipe that drains the area shown into the pond in this more convenient location. Instead of having it accumulate and linger near the shed.

At it's worst, it sat for 5 days. We've been making small changes every year to try to alleviate the problem. We've strategically planted trees and plants to help with drainage and to "soak up" the water.

I've thought about location a lot and that's really the best spot :( I just need to figure out the best way to build it. I've even thought about a retention wall kind of thing...

If you're adamant in a waterfall/pond in that stop I'd recommend to build it up a little bit higher than the surrounding grade. If you do that and it'd most likely force the water closer into your yard. If you have a slope anywhere on your yard then you can get a french drain installed in front of the pond that will collect most of the water before it thinks about getting to the pond. But you have a unique situation that really should have a contractor's say in the matter. Most contractors give free estimate, give one a call. I don't think there's anything to lose.

5 days to percolate down and you're at the low point in the neighborhood, so there's really nowhere to send the water? That would be a hard pass from me if I was called out to look at it. I don't think a pond would be successful in that location.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! It seems like a pond in this location is challenging at best and being a first time pond owner it may be too much to manage on my 1st try. I really appreciate all of the thoughtful feedback :) I'll look into the french drains (don't know what that is) and will try to get more info on those. I've been reading a lot about rain gardens but not swales so I'll look into that too and try to figure out the difference. I really appreciate all the help! Thanks so much :)

Kday, I would suggest a location closer to your house or patio. You'll get so much more enjoyment out of it being closer to where you are.

It seems to me the determining factor is fish - you cant be having them get washed away by a rainstorm. Both because you get attached to your pet fish, AND you dont want invasive asian species of carp getting loose in the environent.

Unless these were to be native species - then maybe not such an issue.

Yeah I wuold suggest starting with a SMALL pond near your house - could be 100 gal stock tank w/ rosy red minnows, a short lived but colorful little fish, or 200-300 gals with no more than 4-5 goldfish which when well cared for grow to 10-12 inches and can live 20yrs. NO KOI, and avoid overcrowding.

Or you might want to go into a more naturalistic, water garden direction.

Get to know the basics - nitrification cycle, maintaining good water quality, etc.,,,,, and then you can take some time to research and design your "forever" pond. (the equipment you buy for the small pond can then be kept in storage for an emergency or hospital tank, always good to have for your fish).

I am coming way late to this discussion, but here are my two cents. You can certainly build a pond there. I did the exact same thing. However, it can definitely be an engineering challenge. Since your pond is at a low spot, water will flow into and under the pond, which can lead to the dreaded "floating liner" problem. The solution is a sump pit that is even deeper than the bottom of the pond, with a sump pump within it. But you still need an even lower spot somewhere close by where you can discharge the water from the sump pit. And, even then, if you get a lot of water, it will exceed the capacity of even the most powerful and most expensive sump pumps to handle. So you may be left with putting rocks on top of your liner. But I wouldn't put any rocks in your pond without also putting in a bottom drain, and even then the rocks dramatically increase the need for routine maintenance. If you're not interested in super clear water and koi, then it's less of a concern, though.

will it flood in the backyard only if u have a pond in the backyard

I just purchased a home in TN and it is in a flood zone. There is a creek that runs yr round around the back and side of the property. I bought the house w/o even walking it. Once I went to the property I noticed part of the property by the creek is wet and your shoes/boots can get buried in the mud. I'd like to build a large pond less then 1acre probably closer to 1/2 acre. But I'm totally new to this other then watching many youtube videos about building ponds. I'd like to have fish. One thing I really want to do is protect the back of the property from water entering from the creek which would send it toward the home. Possibily building a Dam (or embankment) at the back of the property to keep water away from the home and acreage and keeping it in the creek where it belongs. Dam probably isnt the best word as it isnt to retain water but to keep it away from the property and keep in the creek. At the top right, it seems all the little streams and creeks lead into a bottleneck right at the back of the property. I know soil is a big factor too.

Any help would be appreciated, not sure if this is for sure "no go" or just a pipe dream.