Trophy Pond in Mississippi
Lake and pond construction in Mississippi
New lakes and ponds across Mississippi, built by a licensed general contractor with a heavy excavation endorsement who is also a fisheries biologist, with Mississippi's dam rules checked before work begins.
1Building in Mississippi
Mississippi dam and stormwater rules
Mississippi requires written authorization from the Department of Environmental Quality before a dam is built, changed or repaired, unless the dam is under eight feet high, holds less than 25 acre-feet, or does not hold back a continuously flowing stream and could not threaten anyone downstream (MSU Extension). A surface water impoundment permit can be needed even when the dam is exempt, and clearing an acre or more brings construction stormwater rules.
We add what most builders cannot: depth and bottom contours drawn for the fish you want, and every step needed to minimize the chance of a leak.
2Lake design
A lake drawn for the fish it will hold
Depth and bottom contours drawn for the fish you want, and every step needed to keep the water in, planned before the first tree comes down. Walt Foreman knows things about both that other contractors do not.
3Permits
Mississippi approvals to check
| Where | What can apply |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | The Department of Environmental Quality must give written authorization before a dam is built, changed or repaired, unless it is under 8 feet high, holds less than 25 acre-feet, or does not hold back a continuously flowing stream and could not threaten public safety downstream. A surface water impoundment permit can apply even then, and clearing an acre or more brings construction stormwater rules. |
| Every state | Section 404 of the Clean Water Act covers filling streams and wetlands. Farm and stock ponds are on the EPA exemption list, with exceptions, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decides whether a site is a regulated water. Nobody should tell you your lake is exempt before that check. |
Questions
Building in Mississippi: questions
Does my Mississippi dam need state approval?
Usually, unless the dam is under eight feet high, holds less than 25 acre-feet, or does not hold back a continuously flowing stream and could not threaten anyone downstream. The Department of Environmental Quality gives written authorization before work starts.
Do I need a stormwater permit to build a pond in Mississippi?
Clearing one to five acres, the dam and borrow area included, brings small construction permit conditions, and more than five acres needs a large construction permit, according to Mississippi State University Extension.
Planning a lake or pond in Mississippi?
Tell us the acreage and what you want to catch in five years.
Or call (931) 374-0536