Cleaning a Muck Filled Pond Before its Dry

[TripleR]

Very good job, I wish we could have found a bottom on ours and made it look as nice as yours.

 

[rekees4300]

I have just completed my Pond Muck removal project.

That's a seriously big project for such a little tractor. My advice would have been don't even think about it without a dozer. Congrats on a job well done :thumbsup:

 

[shack0711]

You are right about a big project for a little tractor. However, it is the best stress relief I can do is to get on the tractor and lose myself in the fun!
I would not suggest it for someone who has little time and or is doing valuable farm work.
Just play for me.

 

[jinman]

You are right about a big project for a little tractor.

What did you do with all the silt? Did you put it somewhere that will not wash back into the pond? If you have big storms and flowing water, controlling silt is a major job. That finished pond sure looks good. It's good that Mother Nature held off on rain and let you finish.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

As followup on Jinman's post, is the silt good for anything? Top dressing? I know as far as soil goes, silt is probably sterile, which is not a good thing.

 

[Ken]

As followup on Jinman's post, is the silt good for anything? Top dressing? I know as far as soil goes, silt is probably sterile, which is not a good thing.

Silt is washed in soil and grass seed. My problem is the cattle getting in and messing up the water so manure also.I replace it to areas where grass slow to grow and next years good top soil.
Old hay left when feeding the cattle I put in a holding area and add the silt of pond to retain the heat while decaying. good for the garden next year also.
ken

 

[shack0711]

I dumped 95+% of it over the back of the pond dam. I was concerned about it washing back in.
I used some of it to build up the spillway area to make the pond hold more water.
I used the dryer clay and gravel for that and packed it down good with the tractor as I was building it up.
I hope it holds!
If the muck ever dries out, I may use it in other areas that might need some topsoil buildup.

Shack

 

[charlz]

I would think it is pretty high in organic material from all the stuff the ends up in the pond. Aren't river deltas etc historically very fertile because of the annual loads of silt they (used to) get?

 

[SantasForest]

Your a tougher man than most...I'd take one look at it and just said "muck that"...

 

[techwrtr2]

I would think it is pretty high in organic material from all the stuff the ends up in the pond. Aren't river deltas etc historically very fertile because of the annual loads of silt they (used to) get?

I would think it dependent on what the supply brings in. I have a small pond that is fed via a small surface spring that also takes in runoff. During the flooding last September, the channel feeding it was eroded about 18" deeper into red clay. The pond now has a lot of muck in it that doesn't contain a lot of organic matter.

A few years ago I cleaned that pond out and removed muck that did contain a lot of organics via decomposed leaves, critters and some from the runoff. Other than the rocks and some clay in it, that ground isn't bad for growing grass or even flowers.