Clay cannot be worked...

[blacknblue]

I hope this is the place to post this question.
I am in the process of making a small fish pond on my acreage(50'x 50' avg. 7 foot depth). Fortunately, I struck a large layer of clay and have since transported the majority to another place on the property. But, alas, the west bank of said pond has a clay layer on top which is NOT drying out with the current Northeast weather patterns...my dilemma is that I am not able to plant grass and weed binder to stop my soil erosion because the ground is constantly puddled and NOT drying from daily rains and tstorms...is there any quick way to get this soil workable for just one day( without saturating with lime)?

 

[spruce Deere]

Geo-Jute. It is a woven net of natural fibers I think it is made of sisal. I have used the stuff in ditches and clay hill sides to abate erosion and it will let seeds establish because it holds the seed and material there. I buy it from a local building supply store. The jute I get comes in a 4 foot wide role and 250 foot in length if I remember right. I have high clay soil with hills, and the clean cultivation required for growing high quality B and B nursery stock erosion is a constant thing But, the jute cloth has very much slowed erosion for me. Just be sure when you lay it down it has to have FULL contact with the soil. Any suspended section of jute over the soil, erosion continues.

 

[20 20]

I hope this is the place to post this question.
I am in the process of making a small fish pond on my acreage(50'x 50' avg. 7 foot depth). Fortunately, I struck a large layer of clay and have since transported the majority to another place on the property. But, alas, the west bank of said pond has a clay layer on top which is NOT drying out with the current Northeast weather patterns...my dilemma is that I am not able to plant grass and weed binder to stop my soil erosion because the ground is constantly puddled and NOT drying from daily rains and tstorms...is there any quick way to get this soil workable for just one day( without saturating with lime)?

Going through the same deal, today the sun is out I'm getting nervous though, waiting for rain. It just wouldn't be normal for us to not have rain everyday{atleast this year}. Drained well over 200,000 gals of water out of my pond last week filled right back up on sunday. Now I have to do it all over again{trying to dredge out the banks}. Figured by the time I'm done with pumping I'll move well over a million gals of water.

 

[The Dougster]

As far as I am concerned, you guys are braggin... lol
I had a dozer build/dig a huge stock tank/pond in January of this year and it's still just as dry as the day it was completed... we'll take any leftover rainfall you can send this way... <sigh>

 

[blacknblue]

1. spruce Deere...thanks for the info, I could not locate a distributor near me...it seems like the website was having a problem with it's search link...about how much did your 4 x 250 roll cost?? I still have a problem in that I can not work the rough contours into the banks well enough to lay the jute with good ground contact. I am still making 12" deep ruts with my tires if I so much as look at this area...But I will definitely search out your suggestion further for future projects. Thanks...
2. 20/20...aint it the truth... if it's not steady rain, its t-storms w/ hail. gotta love it...at least the trees i planted this spring are loving it. 200k gallons in less than a week? are you spring fed also? what is your pond size? and why do you have a pond?
3.Dougster...I feel for you bro...i lived in texas for a short time(lake texoma in Pottsboro/Denison area)...dealt with the heat/chiggers/scorpions and the infamous red clay...when it rains it pours, but when it doesn't it doesn't...and doesn't...and doesn't. Are you relying on runoff entirely to fill your pond, or is it partially spring fed...mine is totally spring fed@ 20 gallons per minute...not bragging...

 

[spruce Deere]

A role of geo-jute was in the $70-80 range. We put the jute down buy hand early in the fall. I worked out the "stream channels" cut buy run-off water buy tilling. This provided good, soft bedding for the jute. A lawn roller would have been of some help for this or some sort of packer to impress jute into soil but, we just used the long staples on the edges and lightly covered the jute with soil in other places.

 

[warhammer]

No joke. Both my stock ponds are bone dry.

As far as I am concerned, you guys are braggin... lol
I had a dozer build/dig a huge stock tank/pond in January of this year and it's still just as dry as the day it was completed... we'll take any leftover rainfall you can send this way... <sigh>

 

[20 20]

As far as I am concerned, you guys are braggin... lol
I had a dozer build/dig a huge stock tank/pond in January of this year and it's still just as dry as the day it was completed... we'll take any leftover rainfall you can send this way... <sigh>

I hear ya, have some kin that live down in TX near temple, dry as can be.

 

[20 20]

12. 20/20...aint it the truth... if it's not steady rain, its t-storms w/ hail. gotta love it...at least the trees i planted this spring are loving it. 200k gallons in less than a week? are you spring fed also? what is your pond size? and why do you have a pond?

The pond I'm working now is the run off for most of my 5 acre's plus it has other ponds running into it{their over flow}. This pond does have springs and is good sized. I'm just trying to drain it enough to cut the banks back. I have the pond/s for fish and swimming. I started digging them with an old case tractor with a trip bucket{50's}. Then I traded that for a 48 oliver dozer and dug more. The only problem with the old dozer was the float style carb, to much of an incline and she'd cut off, Now I have newer equipment. The ponds have been a great addition to our way of life. We've had otters beaver deer bear craines{blue harring{sp}} king fisher ducks bob cat etc... all come and check it out. The only critter that I don't want to return are the geese, I do enjoy them just not on my land, walking porta johns. I also did a lot of digging in 06{rented a 312 cat excavator} rain screwed me up that year too.





I planted a bunch of apples and am glad they're getting plenty of water but at the same time think they may be getting too much???

 

[cowboy357]

The pond I'm working now is the run off for most of my 5 acre's plus it has other ponds running into it{their over flow}. This pond does have springs and is good sized. I'm just trying to drain it enough to cut the banks back. I have the pond/s for fish and swimming. I started digging them with an old case tractor with a trip bucket{50's}. Then I traded that for a 48 oliver dozer and dug more. The only problem with the old dozer was the float style carb, to much of an incline and she'd cut off, Now I have newer equipment. The ponds have been a great addition to our way of life. We've had otters beaver deer bear craines{blue harring{sp}} king fisher ducks bob cat etc... all come and check it out. The only critter that I don't want to return are the geese, I do enjoy them just not on my land, walking porta johns. I also did a lot of digging in 06{rented a 312 cat excavator} rain screwed me up that year too.





I planted a bunch of apples and am glad they're getting plenty of water but at the same time think they may be getting too much???

Sure sounds nice , 20 20 , Got any pics yet ? . Bob