5000 SF Pond Renovation (Muck Removal Via Gold Dredge)

[bcp]

Looks like the same operating system as a gold dredge, but designed for mud.

Mini Dredges | Piranha Pumps & Dredges | Piranha Pumps & Dredges

Bruce

 

[JPRambo]

I have used a 2 inch gold dredge in sandy bottom rivers and i doubt you will get more than 1/4 to a 1/3 yard moved each hour. You should use a larger dredge if there is a lot of muck to remove. plus a trash pump dose not create the pressure needed with the volume to move the spoils very far though a long length of hose .

 

[Industrial Toys]

Did I read that correctly? You hav no respect for Turtles and Frogs? I would call every agency I could if you were near me.

 

[3Ts]

Did I read that correctly? You hav no respect for Turtles and Frogs? I would call every agency I could if you were near me.

He's trying to clean out the pond so the turtles and frogs have a clean pond to live in, instead of the mucky overgrown one. Once he gets it cleaned out he can stock it with fish so the turtles have a varied diet to include fish instead of just frogs. Then it will be more welcoming to the ducks, otters, deer, and all the other critters in the area. Besides, if the EPA knew he had a mucky pond they'd require him to clean it up and issue fines as well. He's just trying to be a good citizen and steward of his land and be pro-active and that's all the buzz-words I can think of at the moment. ( I couldn't find an emoticon for "tongue-in-cheek and I'm assuming your post was intended to be humorous. If not, I apologize for this post.)

 

[IHDiesel73L]

Based on the feedback I got here and some investigation I've done I'm backing off of the gold dredge idea and/or any real excavation at this point. I pulled the Fathers' Day card and got a bunch of time back at the pond yesterday and I ended up learning a lot. I don't think my muck/silt problem is as bad as I had originally suspected. Last year I had gone around in my canoe to try to get a sense of the depth and used a tape measure which wasn't all that effective. This time I used a 1" x 8' steel pipe which penetrated the muck layer and allowed me to find the true bottom. I'm still not sure how much muck and loose silt is there, but the pipe did allow me to determine that the pond has a very hard and rocky bottom. Utilizing a combination of the pipe and a tape measure I was able to measure depths of about 4' which are about 6-8' out from the banks and as much as 5'-6" to 6' in the middle. Using my old Sears fiberglass canoe as a work boat, I pulled a bunch of brush from the pond that seemed like it had started on land, drooped into the water and sprouted roots everywhere:

This photo is looking toward the more silted in end of the pond where runoff from the neighboring fields tends to sheet flow and/or follow a channel into the pond. I removed a bunch of the stuff that was growing IN the water but as you can see on the right and left sides there is still drooping vegetation. I plan on really aggressively working both sides with a chainsaw to get rid of a bunch of that stuff and clean up the banks.

The far side I'm going to leave alone for now because it is basically a wetland that probably serves to trap silt at that end rather than allowing it to flow into the rest of the pond. I figure one day when I have the $$$ I could rent a machine and scoop it out in a couple of buckets full and enlarge the pond another 10-20'. I just ordered these and a thermometer which will be here this week:

Muck Remover Pellets 1 lbs - Digest Pond Muck Fast

I plan on using the 1/4 acre dose which is double what I need at about an 1/8 of an acre, but the directions recommend that for older ponds. I'll try to distribute them as evenly as possible which shouldn't be too hard given the size of the pond. I'm also looking at aeration options, but the pond is about 225-250' from the nearest outlet. I figure the best option is a septic aerator pump and a long airline. Hopefully I can make a lot of progress this summer and into the fall. Of course if we have another winter like the last one I'll pretty much be able to work down there year round.

 

[big bubba]

Dredge with a long reach Excavator.

i'd favor this idea, w/ dump truck to haul off. going to be a lot of material. much quicker too. is this a run off or spring fed pond? spring will be a lot more favorable for marine life
best of luck

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sorry, I misunderstood. I cherish my frogs and turtles. Made half-log ramps for the turtles to sunbathe this spring. Our daily ritual is to sneak up on them in the Electric Gator and observe them.

 

[big bubba]

on that tangent: my redneck "game & fish management" neighbors do the following to ensure plenty of fish & game for them:
1) shoot turtles on sight because they eat & deplete fish
2) shoot blue herons for the same reason
3) ride county dirt roads @ night drunk on whiskey & cigarettes shooting all the copperheads they can find
4) trap, snare, poison, shoot coyotes just for sport
5) shoot scores of does in & out of season because they feel the woods are overpopulated endangering their venison harvest
the list goes on & on. i always respect whatever business my neighbors do as i don't intend to make theirs my own. but their actions have consequences beyond their boundaries.
guess they feel they are god's gift of game management to mankind.... but i hold my tongue & get along outwardly as i don't have cabin fire insurance.
live & let live i guess, except for the turtles & wildlife

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah. Why I have little respect or admiration for humans.

Belief systems! It's all they are, theirs and mine alike.

Saw a SNAKE eating a FROG a few years back. Which do I SAVE?

 

[IHDiesel73L]

on that tangent: my redneck "game & fish management" neighbors do the following to ensure plenty of fish & game for them:
1) shoot turtles on sight because they eat & deplete fish
2) shoot blue herons for the same reason
3) ride county dirt roads @ night drunk on whiskey & cigarettes shooting all the copperheads they can find
4) trap, snare, poison, shoot coyotes just for sport
5) shoot scores of does in & out of season because they feel the woods are overpopulated endangering their venison harvest
the list goes on & on. i always respect whatever business my neighbors do as i don't intend to make theirs my own. but their actions have consequences beyond their boundaries.
guess they feel they are god's gift of game management to mankind.... but i hold my tongue & get along outwardly as i don't have cabin fire insurance.
live & let live i guess, except for the turtles & wildlife

Yeah. Why I have little respect or admiration for humans. Belief systems! It's all they are, theirs and mine alike. Saw a SNAKE eating a FROG a few years back. Which do I SAVE?

I can't say I really understand what is going on here or what this has to do with the thread? Right now I have a mucky, buggy and not very healthy pond that ONLY supports frogs, turtles and leeches. What I'd like to have is a clearer, healthier and not so buggy pond that supports frogs, turtles AND fish that is as leech free as possible. I don't recall ever expressing that I wanted to get rid of the frogs and turtles