The gully to pond project

[jinman]

Baby birds go, "Peep! Peep! Peep!," and baby ponds go, "Seep! Seep! Seep!.":confused2:

As Ron Hall and I discovered while he was here, my little pond is still seeping very slowly through the sand layer in the native soil. My wife calls it a "sand pipe." I'd be golden if the 1' layer of sand was not between the clay and hard caliche. Unfortunately, I've slowed the seep speed by putting clay down next to the dam, but it hasn't stopped. Over 1 week, my pond level has dropped about 3" due to the seep. If I had known the sand layer would be a problem, I would have put a key trench down past the sand level when I was building the rest of the dam, but all is not lost. I can still put in a core trench of sorts. Yesterday, I decided to dig a 2' wide trench down below the level of the sand pipe and then fill and compact with clay using the backhoe.

The first photo shows the completed trench. On the right, you can see all the clay I added to the edge of the water to slow the seep. That slowed the seep tremendously, but not completely. I started my trench in the solid clay dam and continued until I got to the clay at the overflow pipe. As I was digging (down about 5-1/2') I could see the water seeping into the trench. The funny thing is the first seep started on the side of the trench away from the pond. That's because the water was seeping into the sand layer and then spreading out like pancake batter on a grill. I kept digging until the water could clearly be seen coming into the trench from the pond side. I continued digging until it quit and also about 1' below the level of the sand.

The second photo shows the trench by the backhoe for size/depth reference. You can see water pooling into the trench.

The final picture is a closeup of the trench. Because the sand is essentially the same gray color as the clay and caliche, you can't easily see the layer. However, when looking into the trench, I could see water running in and the sand sloughing off into the trench.

I didn't get a finished picture, but I put in clay and compacted it in 1' layers. I think I got a nice tight pack and only time will tell if I've slowed the seep or if I need to make a bigger wide trench down the middle of the dam. One way or the other, I'm gonna get 'er done. Bentonite may be in my future if I have to dig another trench. I'll line the bottom of the trench with it before backfill if I have to dig another blocking trench.

BTW: pacerron, I haven't found my round tuit, but I also haven't forgotten about measuring the length of the dam. Perhaps, this weekend with my grandson. . . .

 

[beppington]

Jim, I would say 'hopefully you got it now', but I think you're just havin' fun :laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

They had all the usual and a small bag of Scott's Starter Fertilizer. I looked at the composition and it was 24-24-4. Good enough!:thumbsup: I fertilized my pond today.

How many bags did you use and how did you calculate what you needed? I've never fertilized either of my ponds, and I'm really impressed with your results.

Did you toss it out from the shore? I've read that spreading it behind a boat and letting the prop mix it up works the best, but I only have a row boat, which is that I'm thinking I'll use.

Congrats on the leak. I did the exact same thing when I hit sand while digging my pond. I dug out the sand and brought in clay to fill in that area, then compacted it with my front tires and a bucket full of dirt for more weight!!!

Eddie

 

[pacerron]

Baby birds go, "Peep! Peep! Peep!," and baby ponds go, "Seep! Seep! Seep!.":confused2:.

Do you have the bore sample report for the well over at your house?
It would be interesting to compare levels and thickness of the sand layer there with the one at the dam, since you have a transit and perhaps a long makeshift pole.

 

[jinman]

Do you have the bore sample report for the well over at your house?
It would be interesting to compare levels and thickness of the sand layer there with the one at the dam, since you have a transit and perhaps a long makeshift pole.

No, but I have a stool sample. Does that count?:laughing:

All kidding aside, the well driller didn't do a bore sample and made no record, but from working on many locations around my property, I can tell you that this is a common strata where undisturbed soil is present. Sometimes it's thicker or thinner, but is pretty widespread like the thick red and gray-blue clay layers.

Eddie: I only used one 15 lb bag. I put out half by broadcasting it and then read that you are NOT supposed to broadcast dry fertilizer. If it sinks down and touches the mud at the bottom, the mud absorbs most of the phosphorus and ties it up. They say the best way is to open the bag and sit it into shallow water. The water will dissolve the fertilizer and carry it away. I did that with the 2nd half bag. So I put in 7-1/2 lb the wrong way and another 7-1/2 lb the right way, but probably got a bit too much. One of these days I'll learn to read and know what I'm doing before I do something.:ashamed:

Beppington: I don't know how much "fun" I'm having, but I'm pretty tired of having 20/20 hindsight. I let the weather rush me into finishing this pond and now I'm getting to do rework to cover my mistakes. Never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.:confused2:

 

[EddieWalker]

You sure got some great results for such a small amount of fertilizer. I'm gonna have to think about how much I want to buy. I'm thinking 20 sacks and see what that does.

Thanks!!!!

Eddie

 

[jinman]

Eddie, here is a link to one of the best written articles on pond fertilization I have found. They explain all the right things and wrong things based on pond use and environments. They also have charts showing the different rates of fertilizer applications. In the section on application, they say that powdered fertilers must not be broadcast and allowed to sink and contact the bottom mud. Only liquid fertilizer should be broadcasted and that should be spread widely with a sprayer over the surface.

What I use is a plastic lid off a poly storage container that's about 18" x 24" and has a 1-1/2" lip. I put it in the water's edge with the lip turned up and sit the bag of fertilizer on it so that the water can enter the bag. The bag was open at the top and I poked holes in the sides to allow the fertilzer to dissolve. I put it there and left it for 24 hours. I suppose you could carefully put the fertilizer into the container top and slide it into the water. You could pre-dissolve the fertilizer and spread it by spraying too, but I figured a clogged sprayer would be the result. If I need to re-fertilize, I'll only add about 2 lb of fertilizer at a time and put it into the lid without the bag. I need to make a Secchi Disc to check my plankton concentration. I have lots of old paint can lids I can use as they showed in the TAMU article.

 

[jinman]

You sure got some great results for such a small amount of fertilizer. I'm gonna have to think about how much I want to buy. I'm thinking 20 sacks and see what that does.

Thanks!!!!

Eddie

I don't think you'll need anywhere near the 20 sacks. 10 sacks would probably do both your ponds with some left over for re-application. I think I went way too much and only hope I can dodge the bullet of oxygen loss. I'm hoping that since my pond was new, it can withstand the sudden plankton explosion.

 

[bindian]

Baby birds go, "Peep! Peep! Peep!," and baby ponds go, "Seep! Seep! Seep!.":confused2:

As Ron Hall and I discovered while he was here, my little pond is still seeping very slowly through the sand layer in the native soil. My wife calls it a "sand pipe." I'd be golden if the 1' layer of sand was not between the clay and hard caliche. Unfortunately, I've slowed the seep speed by putting clay down next to the dam, but it hasn't stopped. Over 1 week, my pond level has dropped about 3" due to the seep. If I had known the sand layer would be a problem, I would have put a key trench down past the sand level when I was building the rest of the dam, but all is not lost. I can still put in a core trench of sorts. Yesterday, I decided to dig a 2' wide trench down below the level of the sand pipe and then fill and compact with clay using the backhoe.

The first photo shows the completed trench. On the right, you can see all the clay I added to the edge of the water to slow the seep. That slowed the seep tremendously, but not completely. I started my trench in the solid clay dam and continued until I got to the clay at the overflow pipe. As I was digging (down about 5-1/2') I could see the water seeping into the trench. The funny thing is the first seep started on the side of the trench away from the pond. That's because the water was seeping into the sand layer and then spreading out like pancake batter on a grill. I kept digging until the water could clearly be seen coming into the trench from the pond side. I continued digging until it quit and also about 1' below the level of the sand.

The second photo shows the trench by the backhoe for size/depth reference. You can see water pooling into the trench.

The final picture is a closeup of the trench. Because the sand is essentially the same gray color as the clay and caliche, you can't easily see the layer. However, when looking into the trench, I could see water running in and the sand sloughing off into the trench.

I didn't get a finished picture, but I put in clay and compacted it in 1' layers. I think I got a nice tight pack and only time will tell if I've slowed the seep or if I need to make a bigger wide trench down the middle of the dam. One way or the other, I'm gonna get 'er done. Bentonite may be in my future if I have to dig another trench. I'll line the bottom of the trench with it before backfill if I have to dig another blocking trench.

BTW: pacerron, I haven't found my round tuit, but I also haven't forgotten about measuring the length of the dam. Perhaps, this weekend with my grandson. . . .

Jim,
I would think this should stop your seeps. If not.......I have 23 forty pound bags of Bentonite. But I would think Comanche is closer than I.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bikerdib]

You sure got some great results for such a small amount of fertilizer. I'm gonna have to think about how much I want to buy. I'm thinking 20 sacks and see what that does.

Thanks!!!!

Eddie

You want to be real careful adding fertilizer, this is one area where too much of a good thing turns real bad. You want a fertilizer that is high in phosphors, has some nitrogen but little to no potassium. It is very seldom that a pond needs potassium. I don't know if they stop in your area or not but I buy a lot of my pond needs from Dunn's Fish Farm in Oklahoma. They have 18 wheeler trucks that make scheduled stops supplying fingerling stock. They also have both liquid and granular pond fertilizer:

GRANULAR FERTILIZER

LIQUID FERTILIZER