I finally started my pond

EddieWalker · Mar 9, 2009

Hey Brandi,

Your place is sure greening up allot faster then mine!!!! Is that all rye grass in the background?

We heard about the storms that were going to be here on Sunday all last week. Then Sunday morning, it's changed to Wednesday night and Thursday. I go crazy trying to figure out what they are thinking or predicting.

We're 6 inches below normal for the year here. My ponds are still in good shape, but it won't be long until I start to get worried.

What is the temperature of your water? I've seen quite a few minnows in my pond over the weekend, so it might be getting close to time to stocking some fish.

The dock looks like it's coming along too Looking forward to seeing it with some chairs on it.

Eddie

EddieWalker · Mar 10, 2009

OK Brandi, cross your fingers. The forecast is predicting 3 to 5 inches of rain between tonight and Saturday with a big cooling of the weather. Highs are going to be in the 80's today, but tomorrow we'll only get into the 40's.

I'm not to excited about it getting that cold out, but I'm sure looking forward to some serious rain!!!!! If it happens and we get that much water, my ponds will be overflowing again.

Hope to see pics of yours full before summer gets here.

Eddie

Airic · Mar 10, 2009

Been following your thread as you make progress. Looks great. I'm a little confused by your water trough supply line. Is this an over flow drain? I'm not sure I would dig through for this as you may compromise the integrity of the dam. I've seen siphon drains that when the water hits the top end of the siphon pipe it will drain. (drain is set low, pipe bends up to top of water line and then bends back down and routes down the hill). I think I got that right? That elliminate the need to run a deep trench.

I say this but, did the same as you for mine but, I'm utilizing it as a clean out and supply for my irrigation as mine is on a high flow surface spring. I can drain and two days later it will be full again.

bindian · Mar 12, 2009

Eddie,
The greenery behind my dam is mostly Bermuda with native grass and weeds thrown in. I haven't checked my water temperature yet.
I am counting the minutes to when the storms get here. I should be at the house in an hour or so. My overflow pipe will go in on the 21st. It can not get full before that!
hugs, Brandi

bindian · Mar 12, 2009

Airic said:
Been following your thread as you make progress. Looks great. I'm a little confused by your water trough supply line. Is this an over flow drain? I'm not sure I would dig through for this as you may compromise the integrity of the dam. I've seen siphon drains that when the water hits the top end of the siphon pipe it will drain. (drain is set low, pipe bends up to top of water line and then bends back down and routes down the hill). I think I got that right? That elliminate the need to run a deep trench.

I say this but, did the same as you for mine but, I'm utilizing it as a clean out and supply for my irrigation as mine is on a high flow surface spring. I can drain and two days later it will be full again.

The water pipe will gravity feed to a water trough. I elbowed the 1 inch pipe down and went to 2 inch PVC with a PVC shower drain on the end and numerous 5/16th inch holes every inch around the diameter for about a length of 7 inches so it shouldn't get clogged easily. This will allow me to pump out water at a lower level if needed for livestock. I am thinking of adding a solar powered pump for that. Mainly just thinking ahead. Behind the dam is my driveway, so I needed to "plant" the pipe through the dam and under the driveway. Believe me, it sure was hard starting that ditch through the dam. I kept saying........what am I doing? Then the deed was done.
hugs, Brandi

firefighter9208 · Mar 12, 2009

Brandi,

Did you put a collar around the pipe where it went through the dam??? When they built my pond we did the same thing with a 1" schedule 40 pipe for livestock watering and a 4" pipe for a drain hooked to a standpipe. They built a collar out of 1/4" steel about 2' square. They then cut holes in the collar and ran the pipes through it. They used roofing tar to seal between the pipes and the steel collar. They really slopped it on. Probably used 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket. My pond builder said that this keeps water from seeping through the dam around the pipes.

He then packed the clay in 6" lifts over the collar. It's been 6 years and not a leak yet. Thank God.

Chris

bindian · Mar 13, 2009

firefighter9208 said:
Brandi,

Did you put a collar around the pipe where it went through the dam??? When they built my pond we did the same thing with a 1" schedule 40 pipe for livestock watering and a 4" pipe for a drain hooked to a standpipe. They built a collar out of 1/4" steel about 2' square. They then cut holes in the collar and ran the pipes through it. They used roofing tar to seal between the pipes and the steel collar. They really slopped it on. Probably used 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket. My pond builder said that this keeps water from seeping through the dam around the pipes.

He then packed the clay in 6" lifts over the collar. It's been 6 years and not a leak yet. Thank God.

Chris

Firefighter9208,
Yes, I added a collar made from a plastic water meter top. I added a whole tube of waterproof silicone sealer around the pipe and hole. At the bottom of the slope where the pipe comes out of the dam, there is 2 feet of 6 inch thick concrete tamped in good. We layered clay over the pipe in about 4 inch layers and hand tamped with pointed 1x2s. Then I finished each layer with my backhoe bucket wiggling it's weight down on the clay.
hugs, Brandi

firefighter9208 · Mar 13, 2009

bindian said:
Firefighter9208,
Yes, I added a collar made from a plastic water meter top. I added a whole tube of waterproof silicone sealer around the pipe and hole. At the bottom of the slope where the pipe comes out of the dam, there is 2 feet of 6 inch thick concrete tamped in good. We layered clay over the pipe in about 4 inch layers and hand tamped with pointed 1x2s. Then I finished each layer with my backhoe bucket wiggling it's weight down on the clay.
hugs, Brandi

Brandi,

Great!!! So many people miss this important step. Glad you did it. Your pond is looking great!

Chris

bindian · Mar 16, 2009

The recent storms have the pond water level a boost. It is now up to 13.5 inches. This puts it around 6 feet deep in the deep end. I need to move the yardstick as it is almost out of reach.
hugs, Brandi

radioman · Mar 16, 2009

bindian said:
The recent storms have the pond water level a boost. It is now up to 13.5 inches. This puts it around 6 feet deep in the deep end. I need to move the yardstick as it is almost out of reach.
hugs, Brandi

Looks like your pond is coming along now. you need to move the yardstick

- have fun swimming- water must be cold

right now.
Is the yardstick reachable with your backhoe and thumb ?

these threads like yours and eddies makes me itching to build my own pond. Problem is snow has just melted here and I am waiting for the soil to dry out some so I can drive on it without getting stuck in the clay and do a test hole dig and see if it even feasible.