Opening up a spring with a track-hoe

[bindian]

Brandi,
Just Ohio grass hay a little clover and maybe timothy as well back then.
The hay grass you see growing around our pond in the pictures I have posted, probably in Texas Heat or Jim's Silt to pond post; I forget which at the moment. Our horses live the life of luxury with not much work so Alfalfa would be too hot for them; meaning they would have to be very limited in amount compared to grass.
The hay in the pond was something I had heard about but was really an accident when it happened. I discharged a roll from the baler on the hill above the pond and it took off rolling ending up in the pond.
Ron

Goodness no, don't dunk Alfalfa. Our horses got a little Coastal Bermuda each day with their feed ration. My show sheep got a little Alfalfa each day with their ration on Hen Scratch and Corn.
hugs, Brandi

 

[txdon]

Pacerron, the water in the bucket of rock was perfectly clear after 3 hours and the PH changed slightly from 7.6 to 8 after 12 hours.

My additional stack of culverts is ready to go.

I'll take some pics when I put on the BH.

In the picture with the stake the orange ribbon is 6" above the level of the spill way (according to my laser level) and will be the height of the small (30"X6') culvert.

As you can tell the water is still rising at a good rate, I'm feeling a sense of urgency to complete this.

Monday will be pea gravel day and Tuesday will be installation day.

Any last minute advice is still welcomed.

 

[pacerron]

In the picture with the stake the orange ribbon is 6" above the level of the spill way (according to my laser level) and will be the height of the small (30"X6') culvert.
Monday will be pea gravel day and Tuesday will be installation day.
Any last minute advice is still welcomed.

Don
Looks like your ready to dig. Where are you going to pile your spoil as you dig? Who knows, you might hit a big layer of water sand.
Can you tell from your water well log at the house what type of strata you may be getting into? It won't be horizontal but the layers may match and you know what has been cut through already.
Whoever bulldozed your pond shape and field water barrier wall did a good job.
Last minute advice: Big drinking water jug, tall barn boots, and have somebody up there while your digging the pit. The dog doesn't count.
I'm sure we will all see some great pictures soon.
Ron

 

[jinman]

Don, your rock looks fine to me for your purposes. That washed handful and the bucket show that it is not flat chips, but various sizes that will allow water to pass just fine. I don't think you'll have any problem with it packing and sealing.

The small pea gravel my well driller used was tiny because it had to fall down on the outside of the casing in the space between the hole wall and the PVC casing. Keeping small pea sized gravel ensured there were no dams forming and stopping the gravel from going all the way to the bottom. In your case, you'll have no worry with anything like that.

Edit: Don, isn't it odd in the middle of a drought to be talking about water rising too quickly?:confused2: You obviously have one heck of a good spring. Elevations considered, isn't the spring's elevation above the creek bed where we built the bridge?

 

[txdon]

When they did soil testing on the hill for the house foundation they did hit a layer of coarse sand after the red clay. I just don't remember at what depth it was.

The spoils will go on the bank (to the left of the picture below) and I can take them further up after setting the culverts.

The cave-in shows the virgin soil red clay with streaks of water laden sand. It looks like two areas of springs in front of the culvert also.

The culvert filled with water last night. I'll dig a small hole on the down side to drain it before digging.

It's good to know that that rock will work.

Jim, the bridge in the back is a lower elevation but is on the up-side of the fault line. Looking at the attached map at Lee county, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer outcropings follow the fault lines through Lee County right through the middle of our place.

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publica...rts/R345 Aquifers of Texas/Majors/carrizo.pdf

Like the bridge, I hope to fix this up to be a focal point on the land.
Can't wait to plant grasses and lay stone up the embankment.

 

[jinman]

Jim, the bridge in the back is a lower elevation but is on the up-side of the fault line. Looking at the attached map at Lee county, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer outcropings follow the fault lines through Lee County right through the middle of our place.

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publica...rts/R345 Aquifers of Texas/Majors/carrizo.pdf

I think Lucy and Harvey think there's a spring in your meadow just before the creek.:laughing:

That's a really interesting point about the outcroppings and the line right across your property. Did you know that before buying it?

 

[txdon]

That's a really interesting point about the outcroppings and the line right across your property. Did you know that before buying it?

When I first got the plat of the land, when we were was looking at it, it had the word spring on it about where it is at. It took 5 months to close on the property because of certain tittle liens. I did extensive research in Rice University library on everything I could find. That's where I found out about the fault line. I was thinking about California and was very concerned, I even spoke to a geologist and he assured me it was not an active fault line. He also told me that there might be rock outcroppings and springs near the fault line. I found out later about the Aquifer.

After we bought the land I dug down by hand 2' with a post hole digger, (in front of where the culvert is now) and started hearing a hissing sound and it filled with water in about 10 minutes. I put a (6" diameter) PVC pipe with small holes in the bottom half and water flowed out for several years (1 foot above ground level) till the PVC filled with sand.

I figure I will be digging down about 6' further than that 2' hole to an unknown area.

The springs come out higher in wet years, so I did not know if it was a seep or a spring, now with the little rainfall for the last 3 years I am convinced it is a spring.

 

[pacerron]

Jim, the bridge in the back is a lower elevation but is on the up-side of the fault line. Like the bridge, I hope to fix this up to be a focal point on the land.
QUOTE]

Excuse the ignorance of a newcomer, but what is the "Bridge"
Ron

 

[bindian]

Don,
I have numerous "wet weather" springs around the house and barn. When I had my Ford 3055, I added a lean to on the shop for tractor cover. I didn't know a wet weather spring was there. One day after a hard rain when the ground was saturated, I tried to back out and down I went. I had to jack up the tires and block her up to get out.
hugs, Brandi

 

[txdon]

Jim, the bridge in the back is a lower elevation but is on the up-side of the fault line. Like the bridge, I hope to fix this up to be a focal point on the land.
QUOTE]

Excuse the ignorance of a newcomer, but what is the "Bridge"
Ron

In 2004 A group of TBNers in Texas and one Okie got together near Dallas at Harvey's shop and built a bridge out of metal. We got to use a forge, wagon wheel maker, MIG, Cutting torch, stick welder, plasma cutter, metal benders, etc..... Whole families came out and we had a big BBQ. It was the best of times! Here is the 900+ post thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/south/42887-norte-tejas-north-texas-project.html

After it was done we unbolted it and took it to Lee County to my creek. We had another big party as we attached the rock facing a couple of months later. That's when harvey got stuck and my cousin was called for the rescue to pull him out with his dozer. I remember it all every time I cross the bridge and see everyones TBN name on the Large Texas shape on the side of the bridge.