Creating a Lake

[EddieWalker]

I'm at the worse spot to get my key way in. This is the lowest point, which is the wettest. The dozer is useless, so I'm using the backhoe and doing it a little at a time.

This is what it looks like before I start clearing.

 

[EddieWalker]

There was a stump that needed to come out which wasn't directly in line of the key way. That just means a little wider trench and more fill material.

Since this is the beginning of the deepest part of the lake, it will also be where the dam is it's tallest, which means it's also where the key way must be it largest.

I ended up digging down around eight feet to get to dry ground. I want the fill material to be on a solid base.

 

[EddieWalker]

The fill dirt goes in one yard at a time. One day soon I'm gonna have to get a dump truck, but for now I'm using my front bucket to haul it.

 

[EddieWalker]

You can see the differnt color of the dirt from what was there and what I just did. The darker material is the new stuff and has more surface moisture. Otherwise, it's exactly the same material.

This is as far as I got in one day. About 40 feet.

Once I get through this area, I'll have to come back and clean up the material on the sides. It' full of roots and could lead to leaking in time.

All the material that isn't clean will be used on the outside of the dike after I finish building it.

 

[Bird]

Carp have a bad reputation in this country, I think, because of the number of small bones (no more so than salmon) and especially the fact that they can live in a sewer pond. And I wouldn't want them either if they come from nasty water, but I've eaten plenty of carp that came from clean water and they're very good.

 

[Golfgar4]

I'm not a fisherman, so I might be wrong. But I think in Wisconsin if you catch a carp, by law you can't throw it back.

I guess it's a way to try to control the population.

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> ...the wife and I kinda like to visit the "Oriental King's Buffet" on Arlington St. which is in the same building where the famous "Big Boy" resided for many years. </font>

Mmmmm... King's Buffet! We haven't eaten there since we moved from Lakemore two years ago! Now I'm in the mood for Chinese food tonight. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Off to the Grand Buffet in Boardman... see you all later! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

King's Buffet? Sounds like a good location for an Akron/Canton TBN lunch! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Garry here in Ohio if you catch or snag a White Armor by law it has to go back in a public pond or lake. I'm sure the law isn't the same for private ponds since in that case the landowner purchased the fish himself. I think the state is just trying to prevent them from being harvested once they have paid the price to introduce them into the water to keep it cleaned up.

Andy King's is in my backyard. You set the date and we will be there for certain. I'm sure JASTN70D would be there and I think I could talk rswyan into making it as well. Or are you pulling my leg here? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[notamustang]

Really enjoying this thread /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
What about getting a sheepsfoot for your back hoe. I know that will not be the ideal situation but cheaper than a 120k+ for a tractor. I was doing a new school and our electrical trenches varied from 18" to well over 96". These where all compacted with the BH mounted sheepsfoot.

 

[jim_wilson]

You could also buy a decent quality lawn roller and weld on some sheeps feet to come up with decent quality unit. I ended up buying a lawn roller from General Welding and Fabricating - Lawn Roller - it is pretty heavy duty and with some welding could be made into a sheeps foot roller.

The other company that I ran across a while ago that makes a nice sheeps foot roller is Hoelscher - you can see their sheeps foot roller here .

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the advice on the sheepsfoot.

Before I started on this I was looking into either buying one or building one. Problem with pull behind ones is they lack the vibratory motion to work the ground together. Without that added movement, then your just mixing the material a little and adding an additional source of weight for compaction.

My dozer weighs 40,000 pounds, but with the tracks, its psi is quite low. My backhoe weighs 14,000 pounds. With a load of dirt, it's over 16,000 pounds, with the magority of the weight on the front tires. The psi on those small front tires is extremely high.

I spent two days pushing dirt on my key way with the dozer. It feels pretty solid to walk on and after all those passes, I figured I had pretty good compaction. Good enough for what I was trying to do.

Wrong.

One day driving over the same area with the backhoe, and the keyway sunk about four more inches. Now I have the compaction that I need.

No way a pull behind sheepsfoot will give me those same results. The backhoe sheepsfoot roller might do it, but it would be extremely time consuming and I don't have that kind of determination to do the job properly over the entire dike.

I've seen them used on trackhoes for small trench compaction, but usually they use whackers or compact sheepsfoot machines that have the vibratory ability.

 

[jinman]

Hey Mike, I got into your addition to this thread a little late, but your pond is really nice. It must be gratifying to plan a project like that and see it through to completion with such wonderful results. You have every reason to be proud of creationg such a beautiful place.

One of these days I'll get started on mine . . . /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Jim thanks for the kind words, we did have fun with the project. I was thinking in the back of my mind that you already had a rather large lake on your property, am I wrong here?


I'm hoping Eddie's project for a lake goes smooth as well. I'm really enjoying his pictures and his plan of attack. He looks to me like one of those guys that rolls up his sleeves and gets it done, no matter what stands in his way. Go for it Eddie!

 

[EddieWalker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One of these days I'll get started on mine . . . /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>

Yeah Jim, whats up with this? I thought you had at least one lake, and from the arial photo's, several lakes at your place?

Mike,

Thanks for the nice words. I am stuborn and will keep pushing until I accomplish what I have to. Not sure if it's a good quality to have or not. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

What I lack in skill and finess, I make up for in determination.

 

[duber34]

I have a dumb question directed to everyone : Is a keyway and a core trench the same thing?

Also, is the purpose of it to anchor the dam/dyke by digging below grade "x" amount and then building/compacting up from there?

Fantastic job Eddie! You do excellent work with all of your projects. From lamp post's to container barns/apartments to rock entryways....... I enjoy reading all of your posts.

Regards,
Duber

 

[PineRidge]

Duber the terms are used interchangeably. Here is more useful pond information pond stuff

 

[duber34]

Thanks for that link Mike. I understand much better with pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Regards,
Duber

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One of these days I'll get started on mine . . . /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Yeah Jim, whats up with this? I thought you had at least one lake, and from the arial photo's, several lakes at your place?

)</font>

Yeah, Eddie and Mike, I have two small ponds and share a 20-acre soil conservation lake with three other neighbors. I also have an area that is begging to be put into multiple lakes/ponds due to some serious erosion. In one area, a 50' long dam would flood about 4 acres and that's what I want to do. These will be the first lakes I've been responsible for building on the property. Eddie, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about when you come up for the get-together. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

...but here's a picture of the area from the air in the right and upper right (attached). Right now this is my "ATV/UTV fun course."

 

[EddieWalker]

It's been awhile since I've been to the dike. Another project came up that needs to get done in less then two weeks.

It rained the other day and this morning my girlfriend, her kids and I went for a walk. These tracks are about as fresh as they come without actually seeing them being made.

 

[Scrounger]

Eddie

Cant make them out on the screen. What are they tracks of.