Pond Building & Pond Construction in Dixon, Illinois
Lee County landowners call about ponds for fishing, for wildlife, for stock water and for the view. Every one of them starts with the same question: will it hold water.
- Free estimates
- Owner-run by James
- Illinois Valley to the Quad Cities
Pond Building around Dixon
We dig new ponds and renovate old ones across Lee County. That includes recreation ponds on hunting ground, farm ponds, and ponds next to a new home on acreage.
James handles each job from the first site walk to the last pass on the banks. You are not passed between a salesman, a crew lead and an office.
Dixon is the Lee County seat. The Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District works out of Amboy, south of town, and is a good place to start on soils and siting.
See our pond building service for the full picture, or call (815) 240-9065 to talk about your ground. For timber and brush work on the same property, see land clearing in Dixon.
What the job covers
- Pond siting and a look at where the water comes from
- Excavating and shaping new ponds
- Dam and berm construction
- Overflow and spillway work
- Dredging out silt from older ponds
- Clearing brush and trees from the pond site
Pond Building in Dixon: what to know
Recreation and wildlife ponds around Dixon
A pond for fishing or wildlife wants variety. Some deep water, some shallow edge, and banks you can walk down to. A clean rectangle is easy to dig and dull to own.
We shape the basin around how you will use it. If you plan to stock fish, the Illinois DNR has fisheries biologists who can advise on stocking once the pond is built.
Who to call before digging in Lee County
Ask the City of Dixon if you are inside city limits, or Lee County if you are not. Talk to the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District in Amboy about soils.
If there is a dam, the Illinois DNR Office of Water Resources runs the state dam safety program. If the pond touches a stream or wetland, check with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Confirm what applies before work starts. The pond permit guide has more.
Old ponds that need work
A pond that was deep when it was dug can be knee deep a generation later. Silt washes in, weeds take over, and the overflow quits working right.
Renovation pulls that silt back out, reshapes the banks and fixes the outlet. It often costs less than a new pond because the basin is already there. Our renovation versus new pond guide helps you weigh it.
Getting machines to the site
Lee County ponds are often tucked into timber or at the back of a long field. Before any digging, we look at how the equipment gets in without tearing up a lawn, a lane or a crop.
Sometimes that means cutting an access path through brush first. Sometimes it means waiting for dry ground. Either way, we plan the route in and the spot for the dug soil at the first visit, so there are no surprises on the day the work starts.
Pond Building on real jobs
Every photo here is from a real OPS job. See more recent work. Or read about our full pond building service.
Dixon pond building questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (815) 240-9065 and ask James, or read the common questions.
Do you build ponds on hunting ground near Dixon?
Yes. Recreation and wildlife ponds on timber and hunting ground are common in Lee County. If the site needs clearing first, we handle that too.
Where is the Lee County soil and water office?
The Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District is in Amboy. They can help with soils and siting questions for a pond in the Dixon area.
Is it worth renovating an old pond in Lee County?
Often it is. The basin and dam already exist, so the work is cleaning out silt and fixing banks and the outlet. We look at it and tell you straight.
How do I get a price on a pond near Dixon?
Call (815) 240-9065 or send photos and a location through the form. Size, depth, haul distance and clearing all move the price, so we look before we quote.
Dixon & Lee County
We cover Dixon and the communities around it, including:
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (815) 240-9065.
Driveway Installation in Dixon
New rock drives cut in, washed-out ones regraded and re-stoned.
See the Dixon pageTown pageAll services in Dixon
Land clearing, mulching and dirt work around Dixon and Lee County.
Dixon overviewServicePond Building
New ponds dug and shaped, silted-in old ones cleaned back out.
The full servicePond Building in other towns
Towns near Dixon
What people say after
Word for word from the OPS Google Business Profile. Recent jobs are on Facebook.
“James has done a wonderful job for us. He is timely, efficient and willing to travel where needed. You will not be disappointed.”
“OPS does what they say they’ll do, and do it efficiently and at a fair price. You’ll be glad you hired them.”
“James is a good communicator… he has some super equipment and for sure endeavors to do a great job. He recently rototilled some property for me… then planted it with oats and grass seed. Now it can rain all it wants!!”
“OPS did an amazing job on our property. We hired them to install a drainage system for our pool area, level the ground…”
From First Call to Usable Ground
Call or Text
Call or text (815) 240-9065 or send the form. Roughly how many acres, what is growing and whether a truck and trailer can get in.
We Look at the Ground
James looks at the ground before he gives you a number, so the estimate fits the job in front of him.
The Work Gets Done
We agree on what comes out and what stays. Then the machines go to work, with James running them.
Ground You Can Use
You are left with ground you can walk, mow, build on or farm, and the topsoil stays where it belongs.
Need pond building in Dixon?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.
Straight to James. No call center.
Got a piece of ground?
Tell us roughly how many acres, how thick it is, and whether a truck and trailer can get to it. That’s usually enough for a real number.