Instant Pond

[bindian]

Brandi, if you can find some type of material to make those long "spaghetti" looking sand bags the DOT uses to control silt, that may be cheaper than hay bales, not easier though

Dennis,
That would work, but I think those bags are filled by a machine.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Brandi,
Hay or straw probably wouldn't work anyway with fast runoff water. I did that on a shallow swale I dug a few years ago to protect new grass seed. After 4 hours work of putting a nice layer of hay down a heavy thunderstorm 2 days later swept the hay away in a few minutes
and lodged most of it in a 2 foot culvert pipe under my lane. That created another 4 hours work cleaning out the culvert.
I guess that's where the expression, " Your just making more work for yourself" came from.

The swale did divert the water just as planned though.

I think your idea of a few small pine trees might help. Did you have to clear some trees for the new pond?
I am still a little confused after looking at a lot of your pictures as to where your new pond is located? It must be NW of your old pond and close to the white fence poles. The picture of the neighbor's house in the background in some pictures confuses me.
Could you take a picture of the new pond from the front of your barn sometime with your lens zoom set at 50 mm equivalent and post it?
That will give a more realistic depth distance.
Lot's of luck on the wash out.
Ron

Ron,
The pond is west-south-west of my first pond. My driveway starts at the end of the street and curves around the dam of my first pond. This pond is just outside of the driveway curve about 50-60 feet. The "house" you see is most lickely the horse barn and sheds on the 3 acres behind me. No house there. I took a few photos after the rains stopped earlier. I'll post them in a few minutes. I need to take a trip to the Hill Country and bring home a load of rocks.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Brandi get some straw or hay bales, leave them whole and place them in your runoff channel. Pin them in place with some metal rod or wood stakes. This will slow down the water flow and cut down your errosion.

RB,
I can do that. A few bales here and there would work in the eroded inlet areas. But be too expensive to line the all high side of the pond. Thanks.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Here's the pond after the 1.5 inch downpour.


This is the view of my first pond, my driveway, and past the driveway and trees is the new pond.


Here is a photo from the dam, looking up towards the street and mailbox. The erosion centered in the photo is directly from street runoff.


Here Booger is right in the inlet erosion from the neighbor's (with white fence about 15 feet away) land and wooded watershed.






Here Booger is right above the erosion from the street runoff. This water is from the ditch on the far side of the street from my first pond. My nearside road ditch channels via berm into the first pond.


Here is a photo (without Booger!) where the Bermuda Grass is taking hold right at the inlet from the neighbor's land. My method of planting the seed is spread it, then drag a layer of topsoil over it. Not the most effective way to plant Bermuda seed.


..........and of course Booger with his 3rd favorite past time. His 2nd favorite is chasing squirrels. The first is unmentionable here. lol

hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Ron,
Here a couple of more pond photos that will help get your bearing, I hope.
hugs, Brandi

 

[jinman]

Brandi, that new pond is sure looking good.:thumbsup: What I try to do for erosion is to rim the pond with a small berm of dirt into a small terrace that will direct runoff to a single point where I put rocks down to control erosion. Since you don't have rocks, the hay bales may be able to direct flow sideways instead of letting it dig a trench down the middle. If it is disrupted and goes sideways, it often dumps its silt in the process. You'll always have some minor erosion no matter what you do.

 

[jenkinsph]

Nice work Brandi, persistence pays off.

 

[pacerron]

View attachment 278233View attachment 278233Brandi,
Thanks for the explanation of the neighbor's horse barn. I blew up one of the pics and could see horses next to the building.
I had done a Bing fly over and could see the white fence posts were only along your northern property line so your pictures
along the fence toward the neighbor barn had to be looking west. The Bing image is 2012 but not current. It does not show a barn in that area; must be hidden by the trees, so that is why I was confused.
The checkerboard door on your red barn shows up very good. It will be interesting in a few months when you get grass growing and they take a new image.
You are doing a great job.

 

[bindian]

Thanks Guys. Gotta find some old smelly discounted hay bales this week.

Ron,
Yep, that is my neighbor's horse barn.
hugs, Brandi

 

[PAGUY]

Brandi, Are there any fish in the first pond now-a-days?

PA Guy