# Duck Ponds That Hold Birds: Soil, Water, and Plants with Gabe Goodson

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-national-land-podcast-5511204/duck-ponds-that-hold-birds-soil-water-and-plants-with-gabe-goodson
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-national-land-podcast-5511204/duck-ponds-that-hold-birds-soil-water-and-plants-with-gabe-goodson.md
Podcast: [The National Land Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-national-land-podcast-5511204)
Published: 2025-12-02T23:21:44+00:00
Episode link: https://nationalland.podbean.com/e/duck-ponds-that-hold-birds-soil-water-and-plants-with-gabe-goodson/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/6yd9hbdj9frppa6j/GabeGoodson-Impoundments.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-national-land-podcast-5511204/episodes/duck-ponds-that-hold-birds-soil-water-and-plants-with-gabe-goodson
Duration seconds: 2317

## Resource

Gabe Goodson, a National Land Realty agent in Alabama, breaks down exactly how to design, build, and manage small duck impoundments that actually hold birds. We cover ideal water body size (start around 2 acres), target depths (12–16"), clay-based soils (plus when bentonite makes sense), drawdown timing, pump/ice strategies, and moist-soil management that feeds ducks all season. Gabe also outlines realistic acreage needs (often 10–15 acres to support ~2 acres of water), common permitting paths (NRCS, local water-rights holders), and current land costs in his part of Alabama ($8k–$11k/acre) to help buyers budget the full project, not just the dirt. If you’re a landowner, buyer, or waterfowl hunter looking to add dependable duck habitat, this is a step-by-step playbook from soil test to first flights. Episode takeaways: Start with soils & water: Target clay subsoil to hold water; avoid sand. Bentonite is a Plan B, not the plan. Right-sized water: About 2 acres of water at 12–16 inches depth shows well from the air and is ideal for dabblers. Acreage math: Plan on 10–15 total acres to comfortably support a ~2-acre impoundment and buffers/blinds. Moist-soil > monoculture: Staggered drawdowns (e.g., pull boards every couple weeks) promote diverse natural feed; rotate light disking every ~3 years. Plant strategy: Use natural seedbank where possible; supplement with Japanese/browntop millet when needed. Don’t mirror neighbors, be different if they all flood corn. Budget with eyes open: In Gabe’s market, raw land often runs $8k–$11k/acre; clay on-site saves real money on levees and sealing. Permits & neighbors: Start with NRCS and local water-rights owners; place blinds/shot angles to avoid 6:15 a.m. neighbor conflicts. Timeline: A well-planned impoundment can be bui…

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