re: How much to fill in an acre with dirt?

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It's not considered wetlands at this time

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Are you sure? Do you have a JD?

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So I don't see the difference in digging a pond from above ground, to make a very shallow pond a little deeper?

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Dredging (digging) isn't regulated, but filling is. There is a difference.

When you are talking about filling 2 acres of a hole by hauling it in, you are talking about a lot of material. Let's assume the hole is only 2 feet deep, and you are going to fill an additional 2 feet. 4 feet of fill needed. With a conservative compaction factor of lets say 25%, you'll need to haul in 5 feet. Over 2 acres that is 435,600 cubic feet, or 16,133 cu yds, or 1,152 14-yard trucks. Dirt prices will differ depending on where you are, but lets say you get it at $100/load (for mathematical purposes), that's over $100k in dirt to the site. Now you'd have to dewater, add in several lifts, and hire an operator to do the dirt work over a few months process. Let's say you have him on-site working for 2-3 months, that's another $20-30k.

Let's also pretend those 2 acres are wetland. Aside from the permitting cost (you can file your own permit application, no need for a consultant for something simple like this), you'll have to purchase compensatory mitigation credits for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. The value differs across watersheds, but it's likely $20-75k per acre. Tack on another $50-100k, plus 6-18 months permitting time to your estimate.

So to answer your original question, if you haul it in you could easily be $200k "in the hole" (pun intended) 18 months down the road before you put a for sale sign on the lot. If you push the dirt up from on-site, you'll save a bunch on the dirt, but waiting for it to de-water, equipment rental, and still the possibility of USACE permits being required could keep your cost high.

Call a local contractor around there that does excavation. Ask if he has a Long stick excavator, and how much he'd charge per week. Explain to him what you're wanting to do (deepen pond and stockpile the spoil next to it). From all the information you've provided so far, and assuming you won't have to go through a big wetland permit process, one operator and machine can do what you need in a week. Let him spread the spoil, let it dry, and in about 6 months you can hire a dozer to grade and compact it, while hauling in the needed fill to get where you want to be once you see the results.

I'd think you should be able to get that done for about 1K/day. It may only take him 3 days if you monitor and direct the job.

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I'd think you should be able to get that done for about 1K/day. It may only take him 3 days if you monitor and direct the job.

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Good deal, thank you. If the land is wetlands and I'm told unofficially it's not and according to what I can find online it is not then I wouldn't mess with it. I agree that's a PITA and not worth it.

I knew hauling in dirt would be pricey I just wasn't sure what a ball park figure would be over escavating it. As said the dirt was sold to the DOT so the 10 acres is not all under water. There's a road frontage and it looks shallow. I'm not in a hurry so if it had to sit awhile to dry out and then I had to drop say $10k on dirt brought in from elsewhere that would not be a deterrent.

How often is dry land in which the dirt was sold privately get changed officially into 'wetlands'?

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I'm told unofficially it's not and according to what I can find online

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Send me a shapefile/google earth KMZ/ or plat of the parcel. I'll do a desktop on it . tenfoetenfoe@gmail.com

How often is dry land in which the dirt was sold privately get changed officially into 'wetlands'?

all the time.

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Can’t believe the price has gone up that much.

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It all depends on where you are. Lake Pontchartrain Basin is about $36k/acre right now, with a 2:1 multiplier pretty common, so $72/impact acre.

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I’m sure the flood zone classification plays a factor as well.

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It does not.