How To Find How Many Gallons In A Pond

Many times, we are required to know the water volume of our pond for various applications. This includes size of fountains, fish carrying chapters, water treatments, and more.

Proper pond maintenance ofttimes requires knowing the volume of water that is in the swimming. All package directions for whatsoever pond treatment, whether it is dye for decision-making algae, chemicals to maintain pH balance, herbicides for managing weeds, determining the size of aerator to purchase, or determining how many fish you tin stock, requires knowing the volume of water your pond contains. This information is critical for safe treatment of the water to ensure environmental prophylactic and protect the wellness of the pond surround for the animals living in that location.

Determining this number is easy if your pond is ane that you built yourself since that information may nevertheless be at hand. Unfortunately, or fortunately if you dearest math, you may accept purchased your belongings with an existing pond where that information may not take been provided. Then you will need to calculate information technology yourself. It is not besides hard to do, but you lot will take to do some math. It is challenging to get exact measurements because it is difficult to measure every function of most waterbodies. Taking an average gets you shut enough for well-nigh applications and mixtures needed.

To start, first measure your pond across several places so average the measurements based on the average shape of the body of h2o. Do this for the width and the length of your pond. These measurements will assist you obtain the average surface surface area of the pond. Adjacent, you will demand to make up one's mind the average depth of your pond.

To establish the average depth of your pond you will need to take depth measurements along two perpendicular transects. Mensurate the depth in several places based on size and then average those numbers. Measure out at least four different places in each direction; taking more than measurements if the swimming is large. Mark a rope with 1-foot increments and adding a weight to the cease is a helpful tool for depth measurements. Making more depth measurements will improve the accuracy of your concluding average value.

measurement transect image by beth clawson

Next use following formulas to calculate the size of your pond:

Square/ Rectangular (Gallons):

Assume the swimming averages are 8 anxiety by iv feet and averages 2 feet deep.

Multiply average length (feet) x average width (feet) ten average water depth (anxiety) x 7.48 gallons per cubic foot.

Example: 8′ ten 4′ x 2′ x 7.48 gallons = 479 gallons (rounded)

measurement rectangle image by beth clawson

Round (Gallons):

Assume the diameter is 10 anxiety and the boilerplate depth is 4 feet.

Divide the bore (in anxiety) by ii to become the radius. (Radius = ½ Diameter).

So multiply the radius 10 itself x three.14 (Pi) x the average water depth (feet) x 7.48 gallons per cubic foot. (The math hither may exist less intimidating if broken into smaller steps as in the example below.)

Case: 10 feet/2 anxiety =5 feet

(5 feet x 5 anxiety) 10 3.fourteen = 78.5 square

(78.5 square feet x 4 feet) ten 7.48 gallons per cubic foot =2350 gallons (rounded)

measurement image round by beth clawson

Acres

There are 43,560 square anxiety in one acre of water that is1 pes deep. Information technology is equal to 325,851 gallons. For a square pond, one acre is approximately 208 feet x 208 feet. It is important to note here that because of the increased size we are carrying our acre size calculations to iii decimal points for more than accurate results.

Square/Rectangular (Acres):

Assume the pond is 80 feet by 140 anxiety and is an average of 6 feet deep.

Multiply length ten width, then dissever by 43,560 (foursquare feet per acre).

So multiply this by the average depth in anxiety (acres x depth).

Example: 80′ x 140′ =eleven,200 square feet

xi,200 foursquare feet / 43,560 square feet per acre = .2571 acre (approximately ¼ of an acre)

.2571 acres ten half-dozen feet = 1.543 acre-feet.

1.543 acre feet 10 325,851 gallons/acre-foot = 502,788 gallons (rounded)

Circular (Acres):

Presume the swimming is 320 feet in diameter and averages 8 feet deep.

Carve up the diameter (in feet) by 2 to become the radius. (Radius = ½ Diameter).

And so multiply the radius ten itself x three.14 (Pi) then carve up past 43,560 (square feet per acre).

Then multiply this the boilerplate water depth (anxiety) x 325,851 gallons/acre foot.

Then multiply this by the foot depth, acres x depth.

Example: 320 feet/2 = 160 feet

160 feet x 160 feet x 3.14 = 80,384 square anxiety

80,384 square anxiety /43,560 square feet per acre =1.845 acres

1.845 acre 10 8 feet ten 325,851 gallons per acre/foot = 4,810,506 gallons

Resources

Penn Land Swimming Measurements: Expanse, Volume and Residence Time

Cornell Calculating Water Book in Ponds

An example of available online book calculator applications and is installable on your smart device or Windows 10.

For more than data about the Michigan Septic Arrangement Educational activity, contact Beth Clawson, MSU Extension Educator. To acquire more than about this and other water quality programs, contact Michigan Land University Extension Natural Resources educators who are working beyond Michigan to provide natural resource and h2o quality educational programming and assistance. You can contact an educator through MSU Extension's "Detect an Expert" search tool using the keywords "Natural Resources" or "Water Quality."