Creating a Lake

[EddieWalker]

Here's a few more pictures of the progress on my lake.

The small mound in the middle of the picture is a submerged island. To control my lily's, I'm only going to plant them on these submerged islands that will be about 4 feet deep. The drop off is another three feet and should be deep enough to stop them from spreading from this area.

They are also great for fishing. I have some stumps piled around the sides and will add some more debri to the top plust the water lily's to profide cover for the forage fish. The steep drop off is also a favorite for game fish.

This should be a great spot to fish at.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This is my shoreline road. The lake is to the left.

I'm building this up from the clay that's coming out of the lake. The land has a nice natural slope to about this area, then it takes a steep drop. This is what made me decide to make the lake here.

My first thought was to put the road on the edge of my good land with the gently slope, but with all the dirt I'm getting out of the lake, I thought it would work good for a road and increase the number of RV site's I'll be able to build.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This picture is from the shoreline road looking out into the lake. On the right is the peninsula. In time there will be a gazebo at the end surrounded by water on three sides.

The pile of dirt on the bottom of my lake is really a mud pit that I almost got stuck in. It's about six feet down and super squishy. The ground feels like walking on a water bed, or jello.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Here is a close up of the muddy spot. Water us oozing up from it, which must mean it's a spring.

Once the blade of the dozer hit this spot, the whole front end took a nose dive. The mud is so soft the blade instantly filled up and started cutting even deeper!!! Very scary.

I'll get back to this area with the backhoe and see what happens when I dig it out.

Eddie

 

[radair]

That looks like a lot of fun, Eddie. I'm anxious to see that lake full of water.

I enjoy watching the progress of your projects - good stuff!

 

[bmac]

Lookin' good! When will it be ready for water?

 

[Louisiana_John]

Looks good. I bet is kind of fun pushing dirt after clearing land and looking for bees all summer. That pic of the small sping I think you showed us that same one when you were clearing. Was there not one on the slope of the bank? That BIG rain we had last night did not slow you down? Ha Ha. We got a .10" across the border.
I got on my dozer sunday and did a little work in some of my bottems on Sunday. It is hard to belive it is this dry in January. I should have 1' of water were I was this time of year.
Keep up the good work.
John

 

[txdon]

Eddie, be careful with that "spring". When I talk to my uncle about my "spring" he said that the previous owner wanted him to use his bulldozer to clean it out and dig it deeper. He said he got a rod and suck it in the mud and it did not hit solid ground so he did not mess with it. That was 40 years ago. The level of the small pond never varies more than a foot. During a drought, the second year I bought the land, I dug a hole by hand about 10 feet from the pond. Three feet down I thought I hit what sounded like a gas line and then water filled the hole. Water has been dripping out of that hole for 10 years now.

Good luck with you pond! It is looking good.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Once the blade of the dozer hit this spot, the whole front end took a nose dive. The mud is so soft the blade instantly filled up and started cutting even deeper!!! Very scary. )</font>

Eddie, dozers and springs don't mix, but springs have been know to absorb dozers. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I'm with txdon, I think I'd mark that spring location and make sure I stayed far away from it with the dozer. Sometimes these things run laterally underground and you can get caught even when you are not near the surface water. I think your idea of using the backhoe is best. You might even open the spring and have it feed your lake.

Did it ever occur to you that we are pushing dirt while most of the other TBNers are pushing snow? My tractor is no longer blue. It's definitely a shade of brown from all the dust. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Louisiana_John]

Here is a pic I found on a forest service page. I think it was in Canada. This guy has got a big problem. I also have one of a small Deere that all you can see is the blade.
John

Dozer Pic

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