Build A Pond?

[mlitt12345]

Looks like a good start......How you gonna keep it dry enough to remove the dirt? It is going to be challenging after every new rain.

 

[ctpres]

Looks like a good start......How you gonna keep it dry enough to remove the dirt? It is going to be challenging after every new rain.[/QUOTE
Ten years of history says it will be dry all summer. There is a much larger pond about 1,000' upstream. During rainy weather it overflows constantly. During dry season it takes a lot of rain to fill it before it overflows. Also I have room to build a temporary dam in front of pond for low flow conditions. In six months or so we willl know if my plans and ideas are any good. All I need now is relatively dry ground so I can work the sides for topsoil removal.

 

[ctpres]

Decided so many TBN'ers can't be wrong about improved digging with toothbar and ordered Markham toothbar several days ago. Found out it ships today. Got confused when I went to website for phone #. Markham is no more, they sold out in Jan and are now Gator Attachments. Hope quality and service don't change. To wet for digging right now so I am working on my test dirt dump trailer.

 

[jinman]

It figures you'd start this project when we've had record rainfall. That's my luck too, most of the time. However, when I cleaned out my pond, we were in the middle of a drought that lasted most of 8 months and I got very used to taking my time and not worrying about rain. All of a sudden, it started raining and my pond went from a crater to full within three days. It hasn't been down more than 4' from full ever since.

Since your pond is just starting and not holding much water, I think you'll easily be able to finish it this summer. The only problem you will have is patience. Waiting to be able to dig will give you planning time aplenty.

 

[ctpres]

A local TBN'er frequently stops by to check progress and offer ideas. Best one lately is for my budget dump trailer. I was planning to dump by lifting front of trailer with FEL, but that method wasted time turning tractor around twice. New improved idea-use boom pole to lift and dump. Wow that's easy. All I need to do is fab a pole that will mount on top of quick hitch. Or better yet, he said, if it is long enough just use pole off of PHD. Tow trailer with the bottom of quick hitch and dump with the top. Yet another great use for the quick hitch.

 

[ctpres]

With all the rain I'm running out of chances for dirt work and having to resort to less fun projects. Size of pond keeps getting bigger which means more tree removal. I had such good luck with flooding that big one and winching it down I decided to try it again. First I raised the water level and left it alone for a week or so. In short order (about one hour total work on each) three trees on the ground. No stumps to mess with and major roots gone. Once things dry up Bota and new toothbar should have much easier time getting top soil out. Tools used: water, 5 ton hand/cable winch, some rope and about 30 ft of chain. Proceedure: Chain 15-20 high on tree to be removed to winch attached low on nearby tree. Crank till tight and go do something else. In hour or two crank it tight again and continue crank/wait proceedure till all cable in on winch. Use rope to secure chain while cable unrolled and secured to new point on chain and then continue crank and wait. Piece of cake. Wish I'd tried this sooner.
Since mud will be around for awhile I'm thinking a bridge will be next. Looking at cutting arch on bottom of treated 16' 2x12's and using piece cut from bottom to complete arch on top. Gluing and screwing two together for each side and deck boards on top. Handrail and done. Now just need to figure easiest and fastest way to cut arch.

 

[MarkV]

Sounds like a nice way to make a walking bridge, I wouldn't try to take any weight across it though. By the time you arch a 2x12 there will not be enough meat to support much more.

MarkV

 

[Topstrap]

I wonder if you do make that arch from the 2x12's and used the cut out section from the bottom to the top and then laminate/screw/glue heavy marine plywood to each side of both 2x12's and trim to fit and that would strengthen up the arch considerably.

I've got the items here for something similiar but am going to span the narrower end of my pond with it which will be 43' but won't go into details yet till weather clears and I get some preliminary fabrication together first.

Good luck on the pond, I kept mine pumped down till the bottom was all done and it sure made it easier to make a nice clean bottom area. I then let it rise to my lower drain while I worked around the edges placing the big stones.

They are quite a big project and with rainy weather it makes it that much more difficult.

Topstrap

 

[ctpres]

Does a toothbar really help? WOW! YES. I couldn't wait to try it out and finally figured out how to dig with so much water, I was using FEL to slice off chunks at waters edge. Problem with that was muddy spoils and in genaral a big mess. It worked BUT. New method-drop back a few feet and dig behind man made dam. What a difference, damp ground and new toothbar makes for fast work. Pictures represent about two hours work-a lot of which was spent learning how. Axe in middle is for scale. Top of handle is actually below water level behind dam. Also another question answered. Will soil hold water? Pictures answer that.
Do you need a toothbar? If you are digging or moving dirt-YES.

 

[radioman]

I gotta say- I admire you to keep working in muddy conditions. I can understand you really want to get it started and you have.

I have no doubt about the dirt bridge being able to hold up. My father and I built his dirt bridge when I was 14 and worked until I was 16 to get it done and still holding up fine after 22 years. All we used was a ATV and dump cart by hand. The bridge we built was similar to what you did, but has one 3 inch pipe on bottom with plug and several more above that 2 feet higher for overflow. The plug on bottom is for those real heavy flooding conditions in spring from snow melt. every 10 years the plug needs to be removed. I have been meaning to build a 12volt watermill for bottom pipe for light but never got around to it.

Have you ever gotten stuck yet? I assume you have due to those kinds of muddy conditions. You must be using your head to get that much work done. In the last picture, I see h poles coming out of the ground. what are those? some sort of a kids play area or something ?

 

[ctpres]

Pic of Bota below water level. Nope not stuck and actually havn't been stuck yet. So far most work not in mud. Bota setting in hole for 2nd day of digging with toothbar. Battery died on picture showing hole. Will try again. Rain forcast for tomorrow, may be test trailer work day.

 

[ctpres]

This picture shows results of two days of toothbar digging on East side of pond. At this rate I only have 3 or 4 more days of top soil removal. Then smooth out banks, plant some quick ground cover and figure out how to get piles moved to low spots around the ranch. That's the Bar BOB Ranch Head Honcho surveying days work.

 

[ctpres]

In the last picture, I see h poles coming out of the ground. what are those? some sort of a kids play area or something ?

Took me a bit to see what you were talking about. Original plan used pasture cross fence as South boundry. Pond grew and it didn't make sense to keep fence up and limit pond size. So fence down, pond bigger and poles you see are for gate that still needs to be removed.

 

[bindian]

Ctpres,
I am glad to see you are doing it yourself. I dug my 40x80 pond with my 65hp 4WD Mahindra and backhoe. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/135413-i-finally-started-my-pond-28.html
I didn't dig my topsoil, but dozed it to the edge of the pond (my driveway), then just lifted it over the driveway. After putting in a dam keyway, I dozed clay out of the basin up on the dam to a depth of about 4 feet.
At that depth, I had to switch to the backhoe as it was a little narrow to turn hard in the basin with a 7 foot wide bucket full of clay. Done slowly, you can doze dirt or clay into the bucket, then haul it off. I did all this without a tooth bar at the start of the 2009 dry spell. After 4 feet, I just dug with the backhoe.
I also, dozed in standing water at a depth of 6 inches only one day. It was real muddy, but that was dozed out of the way quickly. I left a small underwater island like Meadowlarkponds mentioned. It was a fun project, but hauling the dirt, like others mentioned, was the time consumer. I had piled it up across the driveway and I am still trying to find the best place to put the clay spoils. I worked my Big RED Beast hard in this project.
If you go swallow ends for ducks and such, let me know if you want some Mosquito fish to eat mosquito larvae. I got a source now that will give me all I want, as they breed fast.
hugs, Brandi

 

[davygp38]

I am glad to see you started the pond. after reading the first few pages of your post, I thought you might be talked out of it. I almost was. Because of you, and the other members who went forward anyway, I am going to try to build a small pond at my hunting club. I bought the tooth bar for my Kubota L4400, and I also bought Logging chains. I am in NE Pennsylvania. I figured the chains would help to compact the soil as well as the extra traction. I will be dealing with lots of rocks, and trees, and very little top soil. Keep up the good work.

 

[bindian]

I learned from reading Eddie's...Creating a Lake post that to pact the pond dam you need to do it with your front bucket loaded, if using your tractor to pack it down.
hugs, Brandi

 

[ctpres]

I am glad to see you started the pond. after reading the first few pages of your post, I thought you might be talked out of it.

If I could change title I would get rid of ?. I decided there was so much great pro and con info in the beginning that I could help others by keeping everything for this project in one place. Finally decided on dirt moving trailer and ordered CMI ATV version 7550 with dump kit. I decided not to go bigger as our ground is so soft that I would spend more time fixing ruts than moving dirt. Also when this job is done it will be more usefull behind our zero turn mower and golf cart. Three trailer mods planned already: add std. 2" hitch coupler for hands free hook-up, add hand crank jack with sand foot and put linoleum on bed for easier dumping. I modified an old 4x5 trailer for dirt hauling and tested dumping with boom pole. Works great, and with the new trailer I will be able to load, haul and dump without leaving seat. Just needed more capacity per trip and less destructive tires. Top soil removal, grading and spoils moved on east side is done almost ready for planting. Decided on buffalo grass for pond banks (dosn't need to be mowed!,) seed ordered this AM. Picture of east side later today.

 

[ctpres]

I learned from reading Eddie's...Creating a Lake post that to pact the pond dam you need to do it with your front bucket loaded, if using your tractor to pack it down.
hugs, Brandi

No dam here. This is totally below grade digging project. Water level established by original streambed, can't go higher as that would flood upstream neighbors land. No complicated plumbing involved. All I need to plan for is water overflow during extreamly rainy times BTW your pond was one of the projects that helped me decide to go ahead.

 

[melonhawg]

Does a toothbar really help? WOW! YES. I couldn't wait to try it out and finally figured out how to dig with so much water, I was using FEL to slice off chunks at waters edge. Problem with that was muddy spoils and in genaral a big mess. It worked BUT. New method-drop back a few feet and dig behind man made dam. What a difference, damp ground and new toothbar makes for fast work. Pictures represent about two hours work-a lot of which was spent learning how. Axe in middle is for scale. Top of handle is actually below water level behind dam. Also another question answered. Will soil hold water? Pictures answer that.
Do you need a toothbar? If you are digging or moving dirt-YES.

Looking good! Off topic but I see you have your firewood logs stacked using trees, about How long do you leave them out in the weather before splitting?

 

[bindian]

No dam here. This is totally below grade digging project. Water level established by original streambed, can't go higher as that would flood upstream neighbors land. No complicated plumbing involved. All I need to plan for is water overflow during extreamly rainy times BTW your pond was one of the projects that helped me decide to go ahead.

Ctpres,
I was referring to Davygp38, as he mentioned......... I figured the chains would help to compact the soil. I am glad my efforts have been used to motivate others.:thumbsup:
hugs, Brandi