Keeping character, or restoring a pond

[wroughtn_harv]

This might give you a better perspective of the job at hand.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

While the concrete set up I went up to Oklahoma for some oak planks.

Seventy two by twelve by eight feet rough cut green oak, five hundred and sixty dollars. Just a tad over ten cents a pound, fifty cents a board foot.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What we're doing is continuing the bridge another nineteen feet over the channel the water will eventually flow.

Originally this channel was for flood stage and the water falls was lower than the channel. But since the channel is now eight inches lower than the water falls we need a more substantial bridge.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

So we're looking at a sixty foot long bridge that next year will get it's cover.

 

[FL4400]

Harry, I have been following this thing since you started I can't wait until I can see a finished shot of this thing with water following.

 

[EddieWalker]

Harvey,

The deck looks amazing!! Truly a piece of art. That alone is an amazing project, but when added to what you've already done, it becomes overwhelming.

Will it have a railing around it of some kind? Are there any liability issues if semebody was to fall in?

Not being from Texas, I'm always worried about issues we had in California that usuallly don't apply here.

Thanks for sharing the pictures,
Eddie

 

[dooleysm]

I've kinda been wondering what would happen if somebody every fell in that pond as well. It seems like all the edges are concreted and steep. No way for a guy to get out once he gets in. I was waiting to see a picture of it full, but so far, it seems to be staying dry down there.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The rock deck will be a conversation pit. Next spring I'll build a rock bench around the perimeter. The bench will have a back along with the seat so there will be no need to have a railing.

The client is checking into the liability issues. All around us are ponds with no barriers. In fact less than a mile from here the city has a park with a big pond without railings. So I don't think it's an issue.

Now in your situation it would probably be a little different.

I'm glad you like the deck. It was a challenge. And as we all know, challenges are fun.

According to the client we need about six to seven million gallons of run off to fill our pond. We only need a million four hundred thousand gallons. The rest of it is needed to fill the two ponds immediatly up stream.

We are in a record breaking drought. Normally this pond is running water from late September through May or June.

Here's a shot of Iris stuck. If you look close you'll see the water falls to the right and the rock deck would be starting at the cameraman's feet.

As the girls say, "we've come a long way baby!"

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's a shot of the decked bridge now. It's not finished, next year it'll probably be covered, but that's another project.

Before we started the pond renvovation the water flowed under the bridge when the creek was running. The concrete channel carried overflow.

We've now changed that. The creek flow will now be carried by the concrete channel and when it's in severe flood stage it will also flow through the creek under the bridge.

That's why we had to raise the bridge a foot, so we had plenty of clearance in the concrete channel.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Last week we got a little ice. The rock deck loved it.