BX25 for Creating Large Pond

[dave1949]

As some others said, you need to evaluate the spring first of all. Is it a true spring, high ground water, water trapped above ledge rock, or ??? That's what you need to know first.

Pics would help, but if the lay of the land is fairly flat, you could dig out a small frog pond about 20-30 feet away from the wet spot. Just pile the dirt up because you may be filling the hole back in eventually. Have an idea for where an overflow outlet could be and where that water would go. Then dig a small trench from the wet area to your hole.

If the spring continually supplies water to the small pond, enough that it overflows, and does that for most of an average year, then you have some water to work with and an idea of how much. It doesn't take a lot of water to keep a small pond full. Chances are you will get some ground water too.

 

[Cherokee140]

Just start digging....that is part of the fun of having a machine like this. Short of having someone from the state come out and do a real check you are not going to know for sure....and even after that you don't know for sure you just have a better idea.

My issue I think is ground water, but it sure is filling up fast, I would love to get a little more done before I go in under the knife...but we will just see how fast things move. After that I am down for 6 weeks minimum....I will not even be able to mow, or move snow.....then if everything is taken care of on the top half they can start to look at the bottom half, they can't do both at the same time...drat. But we are moving forward in both digging and getting my body fixed.

So very good news yesterday (I am sure that will upset some people) and looks like I can stay in my home and not lose everything I have worked for. Trying to get all the cars sorted out, selling some classics so "just incase" the wife will not have too much to deal with. But this is not the best time of year to be selling vintage sports cars.

 

[murphy1244]

I could really care less anymore.

Ahh come on Roger, Where is your sense of adventure?

 

[94BULLITT]

Ahh come on Roger, Where is your sense of adventure?

It is not worth the effort.

 

[Sodo]

Just start digging....that is part of the fun of having a machine like this.

I'd dig a hole at the spring first. Then you will know what you have in terms of water flow. If you can get a deep hole dug then you can pump it out and determine the flow, and then maybe lower the water table and have better digging. If you cant find a bigger digger it would be good to have some big heavy machine around to pull the BX out or at least to tie off to.

One thing about having the BX, you can dig a little every day. Other BX owners DREAM about having to dig a pond and one drops right in your lap. Dig away, what the heck else are you going to do?

 

[dragoneggs]

I'd dig a hole at the spring first. Then you will know what you have in terms of water flow. If you can get a deep hole dug then you can pump it out and determine the flow, and then maybe lower the water table and have better digging. If you cant find a bigger digger it would be good to have some big heavy machine around to pull the BX out or at least to tie off to.

One thing about having the BX, you can dig a little every day. Other BX owners DREAM about having to dig a pond and one drops right in your lap. Dig away, what the heck else are you going to do?

I agree about just going for it... but I am not sure about starting at the water source. I think I would prefer to dig it all and then 'break the dam' to fill it. Otherwise, likely you will be working in slop and getting stuck. Just my ignorant thinking. I have a few springs on my hillside and am thinking of creating a pond at the lower end. I already had a natural swamp/pond about 25ft to 30ft in diameter but it got filled and 15ft high with clearing debris when I had a big excavator come in. It just happened to be the right spot. Eventually I want to clear that debris and dig it out a bit and see if I can't create something a little more aesthetically pleasing by routing water to it.

 

[Cherokee140]

I agree about just going for it... but I am not sure about starting at the water source. I think I would prefer to dig it all and then 'break the dam' to fill it. Otherwise, likely you will be working in slop and getting stuck. Just my ignorant thinking. I have a few springs on my hillside and am thinking of creating a pond at the lower end. I already had a natural swamp/pond about 25ft to 30ft in diameter but it got filled and 15ft high with clearing debris when I had a big excavator come in. It just happened to be the right spot. Eventually I want to clear that debris and dig it out a bit and see if I can't create something a little more aesthetically pleasing by routing water to it.

Working in slop and getting stuck....that does not happen

Don't forget half of this stuff is to be fun, too much real issues in life......just start digging and see what happens...what is the worst that can happen

And it is always worth the effort, unless you are a coward and take your ball and go home.

 

[john25mm]

Just start digging....that is part of the fun of having a machine like this. Short of having someone from the state come out and do a real check you are not going to know for sure....and even after that you don't know for sure you just have a better idea.

My issue I think is ground water, but it sure is filling up fast, I would love to get a little more done before I go in under the knife...but we will just see how fast things move. After that I am down for 6 weeks minimum....I will not even be able to mow, or move snow.....then if everything is taken care of on the top half they can start to look at the bottom half, they can't do both at the same time...drat. But we are moving forward in both digging and getting my body fixed.

So very good news yesterday (I am sure that will upset some people) and looks like I can stay in my home and not lose everything I have worked for. Trying to get all the cars sorted out, selling some classics so "just incase" the wife will not have too much to deal with. But this is not the best time of year to be selling vintage sports cars.

Cherokee I don't know you from Adam but I wish you well and strength for the up coming ordeals. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

As to the pond my attitude is like some others "go for it" I have a bit bigger tractor being a L5450 but i have gotten it stuck and put my Komatsu D20 in some mud to the belly pan but it was an adventure as to what I can and cannot do. I like the learning and the experiance of the whole thing. I have put a road in where not too many work hours before you couln't get a four wheeler through and two weekends ago I had a cement mixer come in with 8 yards of concrete. 98% of that road was done with the 5450 and a box blade. It took time and was a learning effort but it is mine and I have pride of doing it. This is not to say I didn't make mistakes but I had fun and I learned and the next road I made went in much faster and easier. Enjoy the fun times and laugh at the "well ****" times.

 

[Sodo]

Point is,,,,see if you can,,,,,,,

lower the water table and have better digging

Sorry if not clear. Suggestion is to dig a well at the spring source, so you can pump out of it (maybe electric) , or if a long grade, siphon out of it. If not too far, put a pipe in & drain it as low as you can. Then it will be better digging, less mud.

Sounds like fun to me, something to goof around with after work. Get a couple hundred hours of experience running your eqpt, then if you rent a bigger digger you will be more effective. Or sell the BX and buy a bigger tractor if it becomes necessary, you will now have a good reason. So what if it's too small and too slow, you'll know yourself when/if you hit that point.

 

[oldpilgrim]

the worst that can happen is that you either find a rock you can't move, and don't want to pay to have moved, or you strike water and have to quit. Either way you get to fill the hole and entertain yourself at the same time.

Spending 4-5 dollars per hour doing something you like to do is worth it.

You might (probably will) even succeed and meet your goal.