First Big Project

   / First Big Project #1  

EdKing

Platinum Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2002
Messages
856
Location
South West Pa/Greene county
Tractor
Long/Landtrac360DTC
Well I just finished my first big project yesterday. I "piped in" a creek running next to my house. I used 15 inch I.D. corrigated plastic pipe, 4 1/2 20 foot sections. I started by widening the creek with the backhoe, to make the pipe sit flat in the channel. I then used the FEL to dump loose dirt on either side of the pipe, which I then packed in to fill any spaces. I then found out I had used up all the loose dirt and still needed more to finish filling up so as to level it with the rest of the yard. I started out using the FEL with toothbar to dig up more fill from another area on my property, but didn't like the large clumps I was getting, so I ended up using the box blade to skim the top to get nice loose dirt. Just drug in the same direction and raised the box to dump the dirt at the end of the drag. I then scooped the dirt up with the FEL and used it to finish filling the area around the pipe. I then ran a set of discs over it to break up any large clumps, back dragged it with the FEL, spread fresh topsoil over the area, rolled and sedded it. Now I just have to wait for the grass to fill in. I had thought of doing this project when we first purchased the place, but I figured it would take to much time doing it by hand. Now that I have my tractor, these type of projects can be completed rather quickly. Best of all, my wife won't be complaining about triming the creek banks with the weedeater anymore.

Sorry I can't post any pics, my wife is out of town with the camara, but I will post pics of the finished project as soon as she gets back.
 
   / First Big Project #3  
Sounds like you had the perfect setup for a nice pond and you done filled it in!!
 
   / First Big Project
  • Thread Starter
#4  
The creek is too close to the house, maybe 20 ft, for me to want a pond there. My next project will be filling in a pond the previous occupants put in behind the house. They didn't do a very good job and it washed out after the first heavy rain, and once again it is too close to the house, maybe 15 ft. There is a pond on the hill behind and down the valley from the house, I will be cleaning it out and fixing the dam later on, so I can use it for watering livestock at a later date. I may put a recreational pond in further down the creek from the house at a later date, but I have other projects pending first, including putting several culverts in to make areas of my property more easily accessible with the tractor.
 
   / First Big Project #5  
I envy you - I'd love to have that many "water" options!! We keep koi, ducks, and have a rottweiler that loves to swim so anytime I think of moving water I mentally design it into a pond!! (Maybe I have some beaver genes somewhere in my lineage.............hmmmmmmmmm
 
   / First Big Project
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I almost have too much water on my place. I have already put in several drainage ditches trying to dry areas up. I have found five springs other than the one that supplies my house water, I am thinking of devoloping a few of them to supply water for outside use. The creek I piped in is a smaller "feeder creek" that flows in to the main creek that originates on my place.
 
   / First Big Project #7  
Ed,

I bet all those springs and the creek have been really roaring due to all the rain lately. It is amazing how much easier and quicker those big projects go with your own tractor. Get some pictures up.
 
   / First Big Project
  • Thread Starter
#8  
My wife is due in tonight, so I should be able to take some pictures tommorow. The only thing that scares me about having the tractor now is my wifes comment when I was showing her how to operate it. As we were driving along moving some stuff, she said "Wow, we could do really big things with this"
 
   / First Big Project
  • Thread Starter
#9  
My wife got back early fron her trip, so I went out and took some pics.

Here is the whole area
 

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   / First Big Project
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Here is the bottom where it flows into the other creek.
 

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