Today was a long day but I was able to get everything done that I needed to. We are supposed to get 1 to 2 inches of rain tonight. The deepest part of the pond is complete so now if the water gets above that I can just drain back to where I left off today and not have to completely empty it and wait for it to dry. Should be very manageable now to finish up. The rest of my week is full but I'm hoping to wrap it up next week. Compacted everything with several passes today. I spread bentonite over the lowest portion of the pond, covered with a few more inches of clay, then compacted again. I will probably blanket the rest of it as well. I need to cut a walk path around the hill I'm pulling from so there will be a lot of clay that get's removed that I can use. I added a 45 to the pond inlet and got the screen secured to it.
My bentonite is in 3000lb sacks at my shop so I wasn't quite sure until today how I was going to get them here without a lot of extra work moving my loader to and from. My Kuboto
L6060 will lift about 2,200lbs on a pallet. I ended up backing my tilt trailer to the door and using the Kubota tractor to push them up onto the trailer. Shop is only 5 min from home so I think this will be the method for the rest of them as well.
Here's a 360 view from center of the pond after compacting
Bentonite spread. This was a pain. Supersacks are supposed to be 3,000 lbs and several of them seem to be every bit of that or more. Straps broke while spreading on 2 of the 3. I ended up going back to get my tractor and using the rake to spread it more evenly after this pic.
Covered up and re-compacted
Elbo and drain cover added.
View from above - Yellow line is the where I will need to cut in a walking path. I'll use that dirt to cover the bentonite.