ratter
Silver Member
I've really enjoyed this thread - can't wait to see the progress continue. I can't even comprehend the a project that size. Fascinating stuff...
Creating a Lake
- Thread starter EddieWalker
- Start date
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bugstruck
Platinum Member
EddieWalker said:
Interesting? No, not at all. We are so tired of you posting these little, easy weekend jobs, we really wish you'd bite off some real work.
So I guess we'll just have to keep pushing this thread to the top of the list cause it's so boring
940' dam? Goodness, I don't recall your saying, how many acres is this thing flooding?
Nat
Platinum Member
I told you guys that Eddie doesn't think small. It looked to me like his lake would be 6-8 acres. He has done a tremendous amount of work already and has a lot more to do. I want to make the 1200 mile trip back out to see him when it is closer to done, it'll be impressive. Later, Nat
slaveToHorses
Gold Member
Great project Eddie! I take back everything I said about you!
One of these days I gotta git my arse down to N.Tx and visit all you great guys. Makes me want to relocate!
What's the latest? You can't leave us hanging without an Eddie's wonderland update.
Just to get ya going, here is a shot of my project, er home, taken from across the pond. Can't really see much cause of all the little trees, except for the horse barn and paddocks (which is all I ever see!). The pond is about 30+ deep. It was enlarged about 20 years ago, right when I moved in. Water is a bit low in the photo because of irregation use. A 300gal/min pump can drain water pretty fast
One of these days I gotta git my arse down to N.Tx and visit all you great guys. Makes me want to relocate!
What's the latest? You can't leave us hanging without an Eddie's wonderland update.
Just to get ya going, here is a shot of my project, er home, taken from across the pond. Can't really see much cause of all the little trees, except for the horse barn and paddocks (which is all I ever see!). The pond is about 30+ deep. It was enlarged about 20 years ago, right when I moved in. Water is a bit low in the photo because of irregation use. A 300gal/min pump can drain water pretty fast
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Thanks for the comments.
Before I started on the dam, or levy, or what ever it's called, I did some rough measurements. Basicaly measured out large squares in the area that will be covered in water. I added up the square footage and devided by an acre and came out at 5.13 acres.
Now that the dam is done I want to do some more measurements, but it's not a priority. It seems bigger to me now, but I know I can be off by half an acre and not see it.
Overall, the area has had good clay. My idea of good clay is how much moisture it holds and how well it binds to itself. I scrap off the topsoil and dry stuff until I get down to the moist stuff. This is wat I use for my layers as I build up the dam.
I started my calculations at the tree in this picture at the right. It's base is where my waterline is at when full. the dam height was based on this starting point. I don't really know why, but I've ended the dam here instead of starting here. hmmm???
Anyway, when I got to this area I hit a pocket of sand. It was four feet deep and goes out the side of the lake into the trees.
I pushed all the sand away until I hit clay, then dug down another foot to be sure it's all clay. It is.
Then I dug out the walls of the lake several more feet than I had planned on.
My spillway is in this area also. I dug it out several feet too.
Eddie
Before I started on the dam, or levy, or what ever it's called, I did some rough measurements. Basicaly measured out large squares in the area that will be covered in water. I added up the square footage and devided by an acre and came out at 5.13 acres.
Now that the dam is done I want to do some more measurements, but it's not a priority. It seems bigger to me now, but I know I can be off by half an acre and not see it.
Overall, the area has had good clay. My idea of good clay is how much moisture it holds and how well it binds to itself. I scrap off the topsoil and dry stuff until I get down to the moist stuff. This is wat I use for my layers as I build up the dam.
I started my calculations at the tree in this picture at the right. It's base is where my waterline is at when full. the dam height was based on this starting point. I don't really know why, but I've ended the dam here instead of starting here. hmmm???
Anyway, when I got to this area I hit a pocket of sand. It was four feet deep and goes out the side of the lake into the trees.
I pushed all the sand away until I hit clay, then dug down another foot to be sure it's all clay. It is.
Then I dug out the walls of the lake several more feet than I had planned on.
My spillway is in this area also. I dug it out several feet too.
Eddie
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EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
This turned into a several day project. Getting the sand out of the way seemed to be never ending!! Then the clay I wanted to use was a little far off.
I used a massive amount of material here to make sure it wont leak. The walls are over four feet thick and the area above the waterline goes back about 14 to sixteen feet. My blade is 12 fooet wide, and it's several feet wider than that.
The spillway area is of great concern. It will be concreted in and a foot bridge will go across the top, but until then, it will remain as is. To cut down on erossion, I spread clay over the sand 25 to 30 feet back and 4 feet thick to about a foot thick where it ends. I also built up the dam extra thick here with clay to be sure to minimize erosion.
I'm planting bermuda grass here too.
The spillway is here because of the very slight slope. Just a few degrees as it leaves the lake. I like this because the water wont be rushing out of the lake, but just sort of flow. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
Eddie
I used a massive amount of material here to make sure it wont leak. The walls are over four feet thick and the area above the waterline goes back about 14 to sixteen feet. My blade is 12 fooet wide, and it's several feet wider than that.
The spillway area is of great concern. It will be concreted in and a foot bridge will go across the top, but until then, it will remain as is. To cut down on erossion, I spread clay over the sand 25 to 30 feet back and 4 feet thick to about a foot thick where it ends. I also built up the dam extra thick here with clay to be sure to minimize erosion.
I'm planting bermuda grass here too.
The spillway is here because of the very slight slope. Just a few degrees as it leaves the lake. I like this because the water wont be rushing out of the lake, but just sort of flow. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.
Eddie
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BillG_in_TX
Veteran Member
EddieWalker said:
Eddie,
If you don't already have one, this is a great excuse to go out and buy a GPS receiver! Most of the Garmin units have an area calculation feature that allows you to walk along the perimeter of a lake or field and then push a button to find out the exact acreage inside your path.
I have a Magellan unit that will accomplish the same thing, but requires an external software program (GPS Utility) to do the calculations. GPSr's are fun and handy for lots of other tasks, too.
Renze
Elite Member
Eddie, unfortunately the slopes and heights are very hard to tell from photos... Now if it would be full of water, it would be easier to tell because there is a reference point, but a view is not enough, you need more human senses to tell if there is a flat, hole or heap....
When do you think the lake will fill up ? Are you waiting for the autumn rains, or do you need to plug up a hole in the dam first ?
When do you think the lake will fill up ? Are you waiting for the autumn rains, or do you need to plug up a hole in the dam first ?
RobJ
Elite Member
EddieWalker said:
I remember when we put in the septic system at the weekend place, it's on a little hill. Fresh dirt, then dragged, looked perfect. The next day we got about 2" of rain, Eddie you know the kind...all in an hour.
Needless to say my yard wasn't perfect anymore.
I think some of those ruts are still there.
OP
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
The heat has been really bad lately, so I've only been able to get so much done until my brain starts to fade. Luckily my parents are here visiting and my Dad is giving me some help.
Now that the dam is done, the biggest obsticle left is cleaning up the burn pile. It was HUGE, but now it's just a bunch of stumps and some logs. What really makes it a challenge is the amount of dirt that's in there along with the way it's all tangled up.
This picture is after a week and a half of work.
The dozer is on the left, backhoe in the middle and dumptruck on the right to give some idea of the scale. Next to the dumptruck is a small burn pile that I'll deal with after the burn ban is lifted.
Eddie
Now that the dam is done, the biggest obsticle left is cleaning up the burn pile. It was HUGE, but now it's just a bunch of stumps and some logs. What really makes it a challenge is the amount of dirt that's in there along with the way it's all tangled up.
This picture is after a week and a half of work.
The dozer is on the left, backhoe in the middle and dumptruck on the right to give some idea of the scale. Next to the dumptruck is a small burn pile that I'll deal with after the burn ban is lifted.
Eddie
