I wish I had been there to see this mowing!

[N80]

Here are a couple of pictures of my watershed dam after it was cleared a few days ago:

You can see my truck in both images for scale. The steepness of the sides does not translate well in the pictures but it is steep enough that it is hard to walk up and down.

There are bulldozer tracks but it is obviously clear that this was 'mowed' with something and apparently something big. Some of the tress it knocked down were easily 6 inches, some probably more. I don't have a 'before' picture but it was too thick to walk through, way over head high with lots of taller cedars, sweet gums, persimmons and wild plum. So I could not figure out how this was done.

My B-I-L who is part owner of this dam did not see it done either but he said saw the equipment. There was a dozer but he said it just had a blade on it. He said there was a good sized tractor with a big bat wing mower. He said the fronts and rears wheels were spread out real wide. He said he thinks he mowed long ways on the slope! I can hardly imagine that since like I said, this slope is fairy hard to stand on!

Regardless, I wish I could have seen it! And I bet there was some puckering going on too!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I am surprised they let that dam grow up so badly. The dams around here are mowed every couple years. However, I have never seen who or what equipment does it as the dams are all 20 miles away so I don't get up there very often.

 

[chh]

The major lake dams are that steep here in OK. They mow them on a regular basis with a tractor and a batwing mower. Mowing across is the standard practice. Sorry but I don't think I would apply for that job.

 

[N80]

I am surprised they let that dam grow up so badly.

It is very complicated here. The dams were put in place in place by the government in the 1950s as part of flood control measures. Every state, local and federal agency you can imagine has had its fingers in it and now none of them will claim it. It has fallen to the local county Soil and Water Conservation boards to manage. Not only are they relatively powerless but in this county they are also broke. The laws regulating these watershed systems are extremely vague. Since something had to be done, they are now taxing people who live in the specific watershed areas to pay for upkeep. The additional tax per landowner this year is supposed to be trivial. I worry that it could get out of hand though and I'm pretty sure on a strict legal basis they don't actually have the authority for such a tax. But its a poor county that no one cares about and is apparently run by people who are not the sharpest tools in the shed, if you get my drift. So fighting it on principle would be senseless and probably futile.

But so far the tax is small and they did a great job so I guess I won't complain.

The bigger problems on this particular pond is that the water level control valve rusted away years ago. There is no provision on the riser to control water level, it has its overflow level and that's it. When my B-I-L needs water for his cows during drought times like now, we have to use 3 and 4" pipe to siphon water into the riser. It is a real PITA. The pond is also silting in rather badly. I have no idea if, when or how this can be taken care of.

In any case, the dam is clear now and looks great. I really just wish I could have seen that tractor driving side slope on it.

 

[jmfox]

Of course he mowed long ways, otherwise the tires would cause ruts that facilitate erosion.

jmf

 

[N80]

Well, there were no real ruts anywhere (it was dusty dry when it was done) but apparently the dozer scraped down to the dirt in several places and they came back and covered them with straw.

There is also a crumbly, gray, chalk-like rock and powder all over the dam now. I don't know what it is. I don't know if they spread it or just dug some of it up with the dozer. I've never seen anything like it naturally but the dam may be composed of it for all I. I thought maybe it was lime. The dust from it is as fine as talcum.

 

[plowking]

Around here,they mow the small trees ,brush,tall grass with a trimmer attachment on an excavator in place of the bucket. That is what they used to trim around the lagoons here at the treatment plant........We have a small earthen dam near me,it blew out a couple years ago,state replaced the bridge that is downstream,it blew out again,have a temporay bridge now[ Bailey Bridge] The landowner of bridge and the waterfront landowners are not the same people. One landowner sued the dam owner for damages,It is tied up in court, the lake is gone,wells are gone. Some new wells have been drilled. It is going to be hard for the dam to be replaced with the new laws,regulations. Landowners want a tax rebate because they have no more lakefront property. plowking

 

[ray66v]

A slope mower such as a Slope Master, will mow on a 40 degree incline in comfort.

 

[Glowplug]

Check out this VIDEO. Maybe that's how it was done! I guess you can get a specialty piece of equipment for just about anything!

 

[SFish]

I had a gas line right-of-way on my place in West Virgina that was very steep. The gas company (Mountaineer Gas) mowed it every few years with two very large cab John Deere's with dual wheels, front and rear, that stuck way out, and a monster Bush Hog style mower. I found pieces of 4 and 5 inch trees afterwards and they didn't care what direction they went on the hill. There was usually a group of neighbors who gathered to watch.

Steve