Creating a Lake

[EddieWalker]

I am very concerned that it might turn out to be a drain.

Since I don't know what I'm doing or talking about, anything is possible. If it had stayed dry, then I'd fill it for sure. But since if filled up to a certain point, then I'm thinking the preasure from under ground is pushing the water out.

I put a stick at the water edge yesterday. This morning it's six inches deeper over a much larger area.

How much water preasure would the lake have? Would it be more than what's underground??

My current thinking is to wait and see what happens. If the water keeps rising to overflowing, then I'm thinking it's a good thing. If it stopes rising, then I'm still confused and unsure what to do. If the water level drops, then it's getting plugged for sure!!

My other concern is silt getting into the hole and filling it up if it is a spring. I would really like to keep it open if I can and it's benificial.

Once I clean up the mud around the hole, I'll dig a grench to divert silt that comes off from rain runoff and send it to another hole or a deeper part.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Today is the first real rain we've had since Hurricane Rita, which was a tropical storm with she hit my area. My small 3/4 acre pond was dry, and so far it's up 2 feet!!!

I'm diverting most of the run-off for now until I'm done digging.

My plan for digging includes leaving underground islands to control the lily's. The top of the islands will be 4 to 4 1/2 feet below the surface when full. The sides are straight up and down and drop off three to four feet. This should put me well under the 6 foot depth that is about the max most lily's can survive. I'm also going to plant only those varieties that tend to behave themselves.

There are also severl dirt piles in this picture that will get hauled off in my dump truck, but for now will just stay out of the way.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

This picture is a view from the other side. The dirt on the right will be used to plug the dam when everything else is done. Until then, there is a break in the dam and a trench to drain off most of the water and allow me to keep digging.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's a picture of Steph in one of my hunting jackets. She's standing in the middle of what will become my shoreline road. It's built up from the clay coming out of the lake. In time, I'll build a nice crown onto it and install about a dozen culverts.

Eddie

 

[DannyD]

Eddie, did you say there is a road there? I can not get past that great gal in the camo...........Hey Steph. Glad to see you guys are still working on the place, it is really looking great. How goes the work on the house, anything really new there? Again great to see a post from you all............God Bless!

 

[RobJ]

I think we have a place in the same general area, Elkhart. It's not funny that most of the lakes and ponds up there look about the same and they are not new. The rain was nice but we need about 30 more inches to fill them up.

Cool lake and even cooler watching the progress.

 

[JayDavis]

There was a time in my childhood where "fun" was to take a shovel and a wagon and dig as deep a hole as possible Naturally, I'd build a ramp for the wagon to haul my dirt loads out. Well, after a while I'd be 6ft deep and I'd get into the clay, the clay would continue and at about 8ft, I'd start hitting gravel. 10ft the iron "gravel" (little chunks of iron ore) would start getting thicker. After 10ft, I'd usually hit water and so the end of my fun in that particular hole, so off scouting for a new location. Of course when I was done with one hole, my grandpa would come along behind me and fill it in with the tractor.

Basically, I think you are just hitting the water table. The geology of the area should be simular to this area. We aren't too far apart, and the dirt layers look familiar.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It's not funny that most of the lakes and ponds up there look about the same and they are not new. The rain was nice but we need about 30 more inches to fill them up. )</font>

Oh. I thought lakes in Texas were filled with air.

In any case, be careful of what you wish for. Texas seems to be either dry or flooding.

Cliff

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 10ft the iron "gravel" (little chunks of iron ore) would start getting thicker. )</font>

I have a friend up by Whitesboro who was digging a pond and came across iron gravel. He used it to pave a driveway. It was the nastiest lookin' stuff when it rained with all the running rust going down his hillside. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif On the bright side, it worked and stayed in place pretty good too. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RobJ]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">(
Oh. I thought lakes in Texas were filled with air.

In any case, be careful of what you wish for. Texas seems to be either dry or flooding.

Cliff )</font>

I guess you are trying to be funny Cliff. But I see that many of your posts have misplaced humor.

Being from the north I wouldn't expect you to know much about Texas. And yes ponds/lakes usually have water in them, not air. And many folks are doing more than wishing for rain.