Arrowhead Pond Restoration expands focus on pond construction in East Texas

Arrowhead Pond Restoration is sharpening its work on new pond construction, pond rebuilding and water-retention fixes across East Texas. The Tyler-based contractor says the shift is meant to address leaking, shallow and oxygen-poor ponds with excavation, sealing and aeration services under one roof.

Why it matters: - Poorly built or sediment-filled ponds can lose water, warm faster, grow excess vegetation and struggle to support fish. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration is targeting the structural causes behind those problems with excavation, sealing and aeration work. - The approach can help landowners restore usable water depth, improve water quality and reduce long-term maintenance.

What happened: - Arrowhead Pond Restoration, based in Tyler, Texas, is putting new emphasis on pond construction and water-retention projects across East Texas. - The company is focusing crews and equipment on digging new ponds, deepening silted-in ponds, leak detection, polymer sealing, fountain systems, aeration systems, golf course and community ponds, and large decorative koi ponds. - Owner Jefferson West said the company wants to spend more time “digging ponds right, sealing the ones that leak, and getting oxygen into the water.”

The details: - Each project starts with a site evaluation of depth, sediment, soil, bank and dam condition, water movement and the owner’s intended use. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration handles excavation, sealing and aeration as one project sequence, rather than sending landowners to separate contractors. - New pond construction depends on clay content, dam compaction, drainage area, basin depth and spillway design. - Sandy seams and porous soil zones common in parts of East Texas can let water escape through the bottom or embankment. - For suspect soil areas, the company can apply Seek Leak, a two-part polymer-based sealer, during construction before the pond is filled. - The company says Seek Leak is applied to the problem area, mixed into the soil, capped with clay and activated by rainfall and natural hydration. - Texas Water Code Section 11.142 allows some landowners to build a dam or reservoir without a state permit when normal storage does not exceed 200 acre-feet and the water is used for domestic and livestock purposes. - Property owners with permitting questions should contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality before construction. - For older ponds, Arrowhead Pond Restoration digs out sediment to restore depth and storage capacity. - Dredging and deepening can be paired with bank regrading, basin reshaping and dam or overflow repairs. - The company emphasizes mechanical and structural repairs over chemical treatments for sediment buildup and poor circulation. - The company provides leak detection and polymer sealing for soil-based ponds and small lakes. - Common leak areas include dam embankments, pond bottoms, poorly compacted clay, sandy seams, porous soil zones, pipe and overflow areas, and burrowing-animal damage. - Owners are advised to confirm water loss with a multi-day vertical water-loss test before sealing work begins. - The test uses a stake or T-post, a marked waterline and daily measurements over several days. - Once a leak is identified, the company applies a polymer sealing product to the affected area, often without draining the pond. - The company says many customers see reduced water loss within about seven days, with an expected service life of 10 to 12 years depending on conditions. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration designs, installs and maintains fountain and aeration systems sized to each pond’s depth, surface area and biological load. - Options include bottom-diffused aeration, surface fountains or both. - The company is an authorized installer for Airmax, Scott Aerator, Aquascape and Anjon. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration also works on golf course, HOA, municipal and commercial ponds. - The company builds large decorative koi ponds, waterfalls, streams and residential water features as an authorized Aquascape dealer. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration serves Tyler and nearby East Texas communities including Lindale, Whitehouse, Bullard, Flint, Noonday, Troup, Arp, Chandler, Athens, Canton, Van, Mineola, Big Sandy and Gilmer. - The company also offers vegetation removal and other pond maintenance services. - More information is available on the company's website and Facebook page.

Between the lines: - The service mix suggests Arrowhead Pond Restoration is positioning itself as a full-scope pond contractor, not just a maintenance provider. - Bundling excavation, sealing and aeration can shorten project timelines and reduce coordination problems for landowners. - The emphasis on construction quality points to a recurring theme: many pond problems start before the pond is ever filled.

What's next: - Landowners planning new ponds will likely need to evaluate soil, runoff, overflow and permitting before construction begins. - Existing pond owners with shallow water, persistent leaks or fish stress may need a structural fix before adding aesthetic upgrades. - Arrowhead Pond Restoration is expected to continue pursuing residential, rural, golf course and commercial pond work across East Texas.

The bottom line: - Arrowhead Pond Restoration is betting that the best way to fix many pond problems is to rebuild the pond system itself, not just treat the symptoms.