Creating a Lake

[twabscs]

Ken, Darren is right. It's a bit different down here in the Midwestern states. I had the NRCS come out to my place just a few weeks ago. They said I could build a dam/lake anywhere I wanted, no permits needed. I asked if they would help engineer it, but they indicated that the private engineering companies are upset that they provide these "free" services and so aren't doing it anymore unless its for a very large structure - over 160 acres of water shed, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[twabscs]

Oh, and several areas of my place could be considered "wetlands", especially at this time of year. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MarkV]

Eddie, I saw the photo’s from the Texas gathering and forgot that both you and Fishman were there. Sounds like you have done your research and I am sure John has some great sources of information you can tap if needed. Wish I could come down to help for a while. Sounds like lots of dozer time which is one of my favorite fantasies. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Keep us updated with photos.

MarkV

 

[curt1]

Thanks for the picture's Eddie. You have to be one of the happiest people on the planet. Lots of nice land, plenty of toys, nice looking girlfriend and man's best friend...a dog. What else would a man need? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Looks like a good sized project you have going. In a few years you will have some good fishing there. Keep up the good work!

Curt

 

[Dozernut]

Here is a simple, non powered pump, you can build to pump out of the creek. It is called a Ram Pump and they have been in use for quite some time. The site has instructions on how to build and a parts list.
Thanks for sharing, a lot of work but it sure is fun building your own. I built an over four acre pond/lake and now have some big catfish and bass. I feel a fish fry coming on as soon as the weather warms up. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Ram Pump

 

[EddieWalker]

Dozernut,

Thanks for the link for the Ram Pump.

I've never heard of these before. It's almost too good to be true. I've been reading the link and printing out everything they have, but so far I'm still completely lost.

It's a great site, and thank goodness it has pictures and diagrams.

Do you have one?

Did you build it yourself?

How well does it work?

Thanks again,
Eddie

 

[Dozernut]

No, I don't have one. I knew of them and looked into building one for my pond, but my creek is in a deep ravine and a ram pump would have to pump and push water over 50 foot in elevation ( which it won't do). You might have to partially dam the creek to create volume and pressure to get a ram to work if you don't have enough flow. Sorry I can't give you some experience and practical advice. Looks like you might have the ideal situation to use one, good luck!

 

[MMM]

I builtt one for watering my orchard from my pond. It uses 9' fall (or depth) to pump about 40' uphill to trees. The water doesn't actually fall on mine. The 2" drive pipe is off a special 8" X 8" X2" tee on bottom of the riser, so the spring fed pond doesn't have to overflow (dry summers) to supply pump. I'm converting to solar this summer due to the water wasted with hyd ram. Quite a noisy contraption also. Good luck with pond, they can be tricky sometimes.

 

[willfick]

Hey Eddie,
Good work. I do love floppng around in the mud with machinery.
About the compacting of the dam - I think you're right about the wheeled stuff taking care of it. When I built mine ( which has only a foot or two of dam, mostly dug just out) I made one mistake. The second winter, when it was too wet to dig, I went ahead and built the wood and concrete parts of the spillway. Then when I piled up the fill for the dam the section close to both sides of the spillway didn't get any driving back and forth on it. Sure enough that's the part where I'm having an ongoing leak problem. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I should have finished the dam, then gone back and dug out for the spillway. Oh well, next time I'll know.
Wm /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

The first job I had after the Marine Corps was driving a water truck. I'd go to jobsites and keep the dust down, jet the pipes and add water to dirt for compaction.

It was explained to me that you always get compaction first, then go back later and put in what you have to.

The spillway is my biggest mystery right now. I've read too much information on them and I'm have brain overlaod. There's just so many options that I'm having trouble deciding on the one I like the best.

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> It was explained to me that you always get compaction first, then go back later and put in what you have to.
</font>

Not sure why that's done. When they excavated my pond they compacted all the soil from the bottom of the core trench right up to the top of the finished dam. After it was all finished they came back and dug in the overflow. It seemed kinda backward to me but then I don't dig ponds for a living either. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Dozernut]

Go with the KISS theory on the spillway. A long, level, grass spillway will do everthing you need done and will save you money. Don't put the spillway on the dam and plant it heavy with grass and keep it mowed. I went this route with mine and have not regretted it.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The spillway is my biggest mystery right now. )</font>

Eddie,

Know what ya mean. Unless you have a huge catchment area, I would avoid a spilway altogether. A 3' or 4' stand pipe will take care of 3-4 acres quite nicely, and avoid all the pitfalls of a spillway.

If you have a large catchment area, you better have a wide spillway, and a well made one at that!

 

[stevenf]

Eddie, My advice coming from lots of $$$$ experience is have the Texas Natural Resource guy for your area come out if your in AG they'll do it for free he was a great help after I lost my dam in the flood of July 2002 down here in Boerne. What he came up with was a spillway channel that is 200' long 10' wide and 8' deep that takes the water away from the dam site and then turns and puts it back in the creek and a 2' flow pipe. He gave me drawings and the Farm bureau helped me put it back they paid 60% and as it was a $10,000+ project I didn't refuse. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif The problem I've had is I still didn't make the spillway deep or wide enough currently at 10' wide and 8' deep the most recent rains still had water flowing a llittle over the dam. And also make sure you put the collars on your flow pipe I used a 40' long 2' wide corrugated pipe and thought this would be fine without the collars "wrong" if you do some pond searches there is a site that explains why and has some progressive pictures of what happens if you skip this step and it looks like they were taking pictures of the back of my dam so now as soon as we get a dry spell I'm going to have to dig my flow pipe back out and put the collars on. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Anyway good luck on your dam it can be frustrating.
Steve

 

[Dozernut]

have_blue has some valid points about sizing the spillway to the amount of run off you have. However I must respectfully disagree with him about not putting in a spillway. As far as a spillway being problematic and a stand pipe not, I have found just the opposite. When Momma nature decides to drop one of those freak storms on your pond, a stand pipe will not handle the overflow. A good grass spillway is the least expensive way to handle overflow. They must be flat and wide to create a smooth flow so not to create rapids, which will erode. I have put grass spillways on all of the ponds I have built and have yet to have a failure. I sure have seen a lot of problems with stand pipes. If you use a metal pipe it will eventually have to be replaced or if becomes plugged during the rainy season, you had better have an emergency overflow.

 

[EddieWalker]

I like the grass spillway idea allto. I'm gonna have to do some thinking on how to get it in and away from the dam. The dam is going in between my hill and the creek and will be shaped kind of like a "C"

That means that if I was to build a grass spillway, then it would have to be a fair distance off he side of the hill before the dam. It's possible if I can fit it in.

The large pipe with a sleeve is something I'm really trying to avoid. Even with the sleeve, I've heard of seepage.

My current favorite idea is to build a concrete spillway on the dam. This seems to be fairly common on the government dams, or the ones that aren't paid for out of the owners pockets.

I like the siphon allot, but realize it wont handle the heavy rains. A year and a half ago, we got over 12 inches of rain in a week. After the first inch, everything else just runs off.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

One trick to help prevent seepage around the stand pipe is to attach plastic around the pipe (like a sheet of plastic). When you set the pipe you let the plastic lay out flat and bury it. You can either glue the plasic to the pipe or tape it but what it does is make any water that wants to try and seep along the pipe go around it and the water does not usually stand a chance getting around it. Water wants to take the path of least resistance so give it resistance and don't worry.

 

[EddieWalker]

My next goal is to mark the shoreline and figure out where the dike will end. I've been calling it a dam, and that's not correct.

I'm runnning my laser level at 6 feet above the water level in the swamp. Current depth is around six inches but there are numerous spots with the water much higher then that.

This hole is from a root ball. It filled up overnight and is at the shoreline.

I'm unsure if it's a good thing having such a high water table, or will it be an issue.

 

[EddieWalker]

Blue (in front) is next to a flag marking the shoreline.

Just a few feet back is the hole that I created when I got my backhoe stuck a few weeks ago. The water is overflowing from that hole.

Behind that is another hole that is still a foot higher then the main swamp in the background.

Either I have numerous springs or the ground is totally saturated.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I decided to explore the area I wanted to build the lake, all I knew was what I'd seen on a topo map.

This is my first pass into the area. The orange paint marks the shoreline.

I got really lucky the way it's all fitting together.