Creating a Lake

NCDeere · Jan 12, 2006

( This guy has got a big problem. )

I got a pic for you. My brohter-in-law and I were working with his bulldozer on a road that had to cross a little spring that feeds his pond. He "accidently" got beside the spring instead of 90 degrees to it. Needless to say he has been stuck before and knew what it felt like. So he stopped right away so as to not sink to deep. Well I can't say that for the method we tried to get it out. He wasn't stuck as bad as the pic you posted but it has to be some sort of record to get two pieces of machinery stuck in 15 minutes of each other.

I think I fixed the pic. I made it an attachment.

Nat · Jan 12, 2006

Hey Bryan, I can't get the Dab Day pic to come up. Later, Nat

EddieWalker · Jan 12, 2006

Thanks for the warnings and advice on the spring. Belive me, I'm terrified of bottomless mud and what it will take to get my dozer out of it!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The main spring is on the other side of my peninsula. I've been avoiding that area until everythign else is done. Once I start to mess with it, who knows what will happen or what type of mess I create.

This is a new spring that appeared after removing tons and tons of dirt that was over it. This was a total suprise to me when water started coming out of the ground during the second dryest year on record!!!!

I eased around the edge of it with the backhoe and took out some dirt to see what would happen. After a few hours of moving mud, all I had a was a dry hole in the middle of muddy dirt. No water.

To finish off my experiment, I dug down as far as I could. My hoe is 14 feet long and can dig a flat bottom 12 feet down. I went as deep as I could. At the bottom I started puling up loads of loose gravel. Small stuff smaller than marbles.

The gravel was wet, and when I was done, the bottom had just a small puddle of water on the bottom.

This morning, the deep hole was full, but the rest of what I dug was still dry.

I'm having doubts about my spring and wonder if I just hit table water. Is there a diference?????

Eddie

KentT · Jan 12, 2006

Eddie,

I'm guessing you've hit what we used to call a "wet weather spring." It would only flow a real stream of water out of the ground during wet weather, and even then it just might seep out. Otherwise, it is just a wet, kinda swampy spot most of the year.

If so, this one will still help feed your lake during all but the dryest of weather...

NCDeere · Jan 12, 2006

I guess I have kind of blown the moment, but HOW CAN I ATTACH A PICTURE TO A POST!!!

I am going to try it again. If it doesn't work can someone help a guy out?

Thanks.

Bryan

Tim_in_IA · Jan 12, 2006

EddieWalker,

I'm with ya on the curiosity about the spring. I was hoping you were hitting a spring and not a drain! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

this might help

Just looking at it quick it sounds like a running spring would be a source of water above a water table. If you are digging down and see level water that isn't rising, chances are you just hit a water table of sorts.

jinman · Jan 13, 2006

Eddie, if you are hitting gravel, that seems to indicate to me that sometime in the past there was probably a stream running through that area. It might still be an underground natural "french drain" of sorts. THe water could be caught in an underground bowl shape that is fed through the gravel layer and remains sealed by clay below the gravel.

This is just a very non-technical guess from a guy who doesn't have a clue. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Louisiana_John · Jan 13, 2006

I know that water in the ground is in gravel or sand. My concern would be Drain. If the spring is not running I would cap with clay. Dig out like you have done and walk in some of that red sandy clay. Put a small crown and cut around. My father had some over on his place in Gary, TX. There was one big one a 40' x 60 ' area near were his dam was going the contractor moved the dam forward. He was worried about a leak. He came back a few years later and cut drains and tried to work that area. It became a real bog.
You might want to find a old local contractor and talk to them. When I was building mine I would have to unstop my drainpipe in the spring and drain then pump the soup bowl. I took SCUBA gear and a 2"running pump discharge. My two 4" drainpipes would be loaded and covered in clay and silt. When I would get them free it was amazing how much presser was on them with just 6' of water above. You could go on the backside of the dam and it would just be shooting out of the pipes. A gravel shoot like that might go to China. If water with presser was not coming out you might push in. Good luck and have fun.
John

kc5dlo · Jan 13, 2006

My thinking is that you would be better off putting a nice laver of clay over the wet area and pack it down real good. The spring or water table might be a source of some water but its at the bottom of the lake. It also becomes a source for a leak. The level of the lake would then seek the level of the water table.

KentT · Jan 13, 2006

( My thinking is that you would be better off putting a nice laver of clay over the wet area and pack it down real good. The spring or water table might be a source of some water but its at the bottom of the lake. It also becomes a source for a leak. The level of the lake would then seek the level of the water table. )

I hadn't thought of the hydraulic pressure of the standing water on top of this... I was just thinking seasonal flow above the level of the lake.

I agree with this recommendation to try to plug it back up, if possible... Otherwise it might turn into a drain.