Build A Pond?
- Thread starter ctpres
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Project status: Topsoil removal done, lots of dirt ready to be moved, waiting for trailer, east side ready for grass, stream diverted to east side. Pic one shows east side of pond ready for buffalo grass planting and maybe a few landscape plants. Also can see temporay new stream bed. I diverted water flow to a narrow channel on the east side. If we don't get a lot of rain the rest of the pond should dry up so I can start working on the bottom. Pic two is just finished west side. Bit hard to see depth untill you see the drive out ramp on the far end. Pic three is whole project viewed from upstream side. Pic four is view from house. Not much to see from house but a lot of dirt. So far this is still fun.
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Looks like you're coming right along. I like how nice the shoreline is looking and can see where it's going to look very natural with the shape you are making it.
Eddie
Eddie
One more thing to learn and I wasn't expecting this one. Spread dirt and plant grass. Well not that easy. The biggest problem is moisture content while working the dirt. Digging resulted in many large clumps, some one third bucket size even after moving to new location. Day one and more, can't pack dirt as it is still to moist, it just squishes out around tires making a bigger mess and if I wait to long the clumps get hard as rocks making the packing process a multi pucker operation trying to drive over the bigger clumps. Once packed another wait and test daily cycle looking for a good day to box blade and even things up, if I pack to much and then wait to long, everything is hard as a concrete and the box blade just skips over the surface.
After box blade yet another wait and test cycle looking for a good day to disc. And all this with no rain to complicate maters.
Since this is such a big project, every day I end up with four or five areas to work with dirt in totally different moistue conditions and three implements on the back end and each implement needs to be adjusted at least once.
Summary-digging is easy, moving is easy, for me this is the hard part.
After box blade yet another wait and test cycle looking for a good day to disc. And all this with no rain to complicate maters.
Since this is such a big project, every day I end up with four or five areas to work with dirt in totally different moistue conditions and three implements on the back end and each implement needs to be adjusted at least once.
Summary-digging is easy, moving is easy, for me this is the hard part.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
It sounds like you are discovering those things that you never think about, and nobody remembers to talk about. Dirt is a funny thing, and it sure does behave differently depending on how much water it has. I try to spread it out with every load to the best of my ability, but to also keep on moving as quickly as possible. The inital loads will all become covered quickly enough, so it's the in final finish that I'm thinking about. When I start getting close to that,I really slow down and spend more time on it.
If the dirt is too hard to mess with after it dries out, I'd probably leave it alone for now. Rain will come again and soften it up for you. It's just a matter of timing when you can get back at it and how quickly it hardens up on you again.
I've also found that there is a crust on clay when it hardens, but once you break it, the soil below that crust is soft and very managable. I've had issues with breaking the crust or shell on clay with my 40,000 pound dozer!!!
Keep at it, we're enjoying your progress.
Eddie
If the dirt is too hard to mess with after it dries out, I'd probably leave it alone for now. Rain will come again and soften it up for you. It's just a matter of timing when you can get back at it and how quickly it hardens up on you again.
I've also found that there is a crust on clay when it hardens, but once you break it, the soil below that crust is soft and very managable. I've had issues with breaking the crust or shell on clay with my 40,000 pound dozer!!!
Keep at it, we're enjoying your progress.
Eddie
radioman
Super Member
perhaps this is the reason why most pond diggers just pile dirt near edge of pond. Lets the soil drain. Once its been sitting there for a week, Digging back into the pile will still show moist soil under the outer layer allowing you to pack it down where you move it to final location but not too wet wher eit squishes and makes a big mess. I admire you to work in those muddy conditions though. :thumbsup:
This a really big problem for a small tractor. My best solution breaking the crust has been to work from the top rather than trying to work from the hole. I approach the edge of hole at an angle with about half of bucket in hole and half on top crust. With bucket at 45 degrees or so I get front wheels off ground for max weight on tooth bar teeth, wiggle bucket, then angle buckt less than 45 degree and some forward pressure with rear wheels and repeat process. Each time the teeth go a little deeper and there is some forward travel, front wheel still off ground. Usually breaks off a big chunk on second or third try. Resulting sawtooth edge of hole is finished with same process but bucket parallel to edge. Once desired edge of pond is reached, all I have to do is clean up last sawtooth edge with bucket at angle of desired slope. As Eddie said, once thru clay/gumbo crust the rest is easy.
PS: Put as much weight on rear as you have, I have 400/500 pound block.
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This pretty much sums up my problem.
"Soils that are predominantly clay also contain small amounts of silt and sand. Clay soils that
crack excessively while drying are often called "adobe soils." If they are very low in organic
matter, clay soils lose their structure and become cloddy and compact if plowed, stirred, walked
on, or otherwise manipulated when they are too wet. Once a clay soil is badly puddled, it may
take years of careful handling to restore good structure"
Lesson learned and advise for others: KNOW YOUR DIRT before you start a big project.
"Soils that are predominantly clay also contain small amounts of silt and sand. Clay soils that
crack excessively while drying are often called "adobe soils." If they are very low in organic
matter, clay soils lose their structure and become cloddy and compact if plowed, stirred, walked
on, or otherwise manipulated when they are too wet. Once a clay soil is badly puddled, it may
take years of careful handling to restore good structure"
Lesson learned and advise for others: KNOW YOUR DIRT before you start a big project.
Dirt piles are going away ever so slowly. Neighbors that originally wanted some found out how much work it is and have all but stopped. Today or tomorrow a friend with lots of heavy equipment seat time is dropping by to give me some technical help on how to handle the spredding, leveling and seedbed prepration. Must get a lot done before the end on this month as we are leaving for a one month plus RV trip west. Can see some of moved dirt at bottom of picture. So far only spreading around house to smooth out the original pad built up to raise building site. Trying to make it look more natural as opposed to the original pad shaped like house.
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