Any of you guys have experience siphoning down your ponds. I've read a lot about it and watched several you tube videos. If you have enough downhill elevation outside the pond (at least 3-4' below the level your desired water level) you should be able to build an inexpensive siphon.

My pond only has 1-2' and I got it to work today. But to reach the water I had to have 20' of uphill and then 10' of flat ground so I was really stretching the conditions of the vacuum and it ended up dying when I just juggled the pipe the slightest amount (air sucked in the outflow). I ran out of time but I want to guve it another try. I may have to add another leg on the downhill side and see if I can get down to only 15' of uphill to help it out.

Hauling 5 gal buckets up a dam like that (to pour in the to and prime the siphon) really got old and by noon I was done.

Here's the inflow end. I used that cap while we primed it and then pulled it off to start it.



This is the top of the dam where you prime it. Once full of water you cap this off and crank it down tight.





And here is the down hill side and action shot once we got it going.




Sorry guys I can't figure out why some of those pics are coming out sideways. I'm doing this whole post from my iPhone and it's not easy!

You need to neck the pipe down on the exit side. The exit water needs to have more lressure than an an air bubble trying to get in. I am.not trying to be an [censored] but why not just put a drain?

if you go buy some black poly pipe that is 2", you can simply string it out, and get your trash pump going, get in the water with it, and hold the discharge over the end of the black poly pipe forcing water out of the other end. when you get a good flow coming out of the backside you should be able to pull the discharge back and it flow on its own. may take a couple tries, but it will work