Stock tanks, Bandera County
Stock tanks dug deepfor Bandera County.
Earthen stock tanks and dirt ponds for Bandera County ranches and ranchettes, dug deep enough for the dry years and checked for soil before the dig, because rocky plateau ground can leak.
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Stock tanks, Bandera County
Water in a dry county
Bandera County has seen just how dry it gets. Medina Lake, on the county's edge at Lakehills, fell to 2.3 percent of capacity in March 2025 (Wikipedia). A stock tank that holds your own runoff, deep enough to carry through, is worth a lot here.
Our Facebook work shows tanks from a raw basin through to a pond with grass on the banks, including a new tank with its spoil berm and an oak kept in front.
Highlander Construction serves Bandera County from Helotes. Call and tell us about your land.
Local detail
Tank building in Bandera County
Depth for drought
NRCS says ponds should be deeper where seepage is more than 3 inches a month or where a year-round supply is essential (NRCS Handbook 590). The Texas Farm Ponds guide aims for 12 to 16 feet of deep water in part of the pond in South and West Texas (Texas Farm Ponds).
Plateau ground
The NRCS handbook warns that "limestone areas are hazardous" because hidden crevices or sinks can drain a pond, and asks for at least 3 feet of tight soil under the reservoir (NRCS). On Edwards Plateau ground, test holes come before the dig.
No Edwards plan, but other rules
Bandera County is not covered by TCEQ's Edwards Aquifer rules (TCEQ RG-11). Under Water Code 11.142, a domestic and livestock reservoir of up to 200 acre-feet on your own land needs no water-rights permit (Tex. Water Code).
Questions
Stock tanks questions: Bandera County
How deep should a tank be in Bandera County?
Deep enough to carry through dry years. The Texas Farm Ponds guide aims for 12 to 16 feet of deep water in part of the pond. Your depth depends on the soil and the catchment.
Will a tank hold on rocky ground?
Sometimes not without help. NRCS calls limestone areas hazardous. We check with test holes before digging.
Do I need a permit?
Up to 200 acre-feet for domestic and livestock use on your own land, no water-rights permit is needed. TCEQ's Edwards rules do not cover Bandera County.
On the job
Photos from our work
Real photos from Highlander Construction jobs. Captions say what each shows. More in recent work.
Keep reading
Stock Tanks & Ponds
Earthen stock tanks and dirt ponds dug and shaped, with the spoil pushed up into a berm, ready to catch and hold water.
The full service AreaAll our work in Bandera
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Guides
Building a stock tank that holds water.
Siting, soil tests, clay, sizing for the herd, depth for drought and the 200 acre-foot rule.
Read the guide
Leaky stock tank? Causes and fixes.
Why tanks leak, from limestone and sand lenses to a weak dam, and the published fixes.
Read the guideWhat a stock tank costs depends on.
Dirt moved, soil, rock, access, spoil and design: the things that set the price of a dirt tank.
Read the guide
Free estimates
Stock tanks in
Bandera County?
Call (830) 328-3684 or send a few details. Estimates are free.