Pond Building in East Texas

[meadowlarkponds]

About all I can do with respect to grass this time of year is rye grass. It doesn't have much of a root system, but better than nothing. I'll also use hay in critical spots.....but I'm going to get some erosion before grass comes out next spring.

It's getting really dry again...not as dry as last year yet, but we could really use some rain.

Next step is to build the fishing/walking piers.

 

[EddieWalker]

My farm supply store has rolls of fabric that he says would be ideal for a dam. It was expensive, and I wasn't very interested in it for myself, but TXDOT and the county road crews use it all the time. Of couse, money isn't an issue with them, and when comparing thousands of dollars for it to $500 for see, it wasn't much of a choice for me.

If you don't want to spend thousands on that, maybe a couple rows of silt fence will help? I've had fair resulsts with them myself, but that's mostly because I didn't keep up with maintenance on them. Heavey rains will wash out under the fence and create ruts that you have to fix right away, or it just makes things worse then not haveing the silt fence up at all. I might have had it too far down also. Where I have had good results, it's been up closer the the top of a road where I didn't have as much water runoff.

What are you going to use for your posts in your pier? How are you going to set them?

Eddie

 

[meadowlarkponds]

I'll use 4x4x8 and 4x4x10 where needed set in 80 pounds of concrete. I use 2x8x8 runners bolted to the posts and top them with 2x6 lumber.

Man is it dry....started out today with my small 25 hp Kubota to dig the post holes and the second hole hung up the auger. Had to take it completely off, go to the house and get my MF 383. I set a chain on that auger bit and the 383 just ripped it out of the clay. Proceeded to dig some more holes in the clay without any incidents...man, power is really nice when you need it.!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

Will you tie to posts together with diagnal braces?

I'd love to see some pics of it as you build it.

Eddie

 

[meadowlarkponds]

Eddie,

Did you wash your car? Next time warn me ahead of time.

We got about 4 inches of rain last night putting about 4 feet of water in the pond. Fortunately, I set all the posts yesterday before the rain started otherwise, there would be no piers. It's taking 45 posts, set with 3600 pounds of concrete, and spanning over 170 linear feet.

Tomorrow's pictures( asuming no more rain) will show the exact construction method I use to tie everything together.

 

[EddieWalker]

WOW, that's cutting it close!!!! You just finished your dirt work, and right after you set your posts, you get a downpour. We had a very light sprinkle here, but not enough to measure in the rain gauge.

Are those posts on an island? Guess you need to build a bridge just to build your pier. hahaha

Thanks for the picture, it just went up a notch in the interesting scale.

Eddie

 

[meadowlarkponds]

Ok, I've run into a problem I could sure use some helpful TBN expert advise on.

As Eddie observed the "pier" actually starts as a walkway/ bridge out to an island which will be eventually under 4 feet of water. At the deepest point spaned by the bridge the structure is somewhat "wobbly" indicating to me the need for bracing. This is the problem. That area is under water...about 2.5 feet. If I could set a post on each side of the walkway and run a brace to the top area of the walkway, I think it might solve the "wobbly" problem, but how to set a post in 2.5 feet of water? One option is to rent a trash pump and try to pump out that area but we are talking about huge volume of water.....another option may be to dig a trench, the old fashioned way with a shovel, and drain the area into another part of the pond. I'm leaning toward the shovel approach. Simply no way to get equipment in there. I'd sure appreciate any ideas.

A couple of words about the construction method. All posts are 4x4 set in 80 pounds of concrete. The runners supporting the top walkway boards are 2x8 lumber. The 2x8's are screwed with three 4 inch screws each to the posts and set upon 2x4 supports which are also screwed to the posts and further are bolted with 1/2 inch x 6 inch bolts at every post. The top boards are 2x6 lumber cut at 2 feet 8 inches which makes a perfect 3 boards out of every 8 foot 2x6. The actual "piers" are two in nunber and are 5 feet wide by 8 feet long and are topped by 2x6x8 lumber.

I've used this same approach in another pond and it has worked out great. The walkway is located directly over and within casting reach of the very best LMB waters in the pond.I'm a passionate fly fisher person and the walkways are simply fantastic for fly fishing and with over 170 feet on this one, it is going to be simply awsome...if I can solve this little problem.

Thanks for reading and for any advice.

 

[EddieWalker]

Meadowlark,

What is happening, is your pier is "racking." It's a term used in home building that also applies to patio decks and in yout situation, piers. In houses, the best way to stiffen up the wood framing is sheething. OSB is the most common material and it's very effective.

On wooden decks, the house usually holds the deck solid, or the posts are too short to bend on you. If you build a deck tall enough and far enough away from the house, it will wobble too.

In your situation, your posts are tall enough to bend and flex. To stop this, you need diagnal bracing from the bottom of one post, to the top of the next one. This creates a triangle, and it will eliminate the the racking. Imagine an old wooden train trestle, and you'll get the idea. The bracing will tie the top of the next post into the bottom so that it cannot move or flex. With really tall posts, you need to tie them in at different heights, depending on the height of the post for maximum integrity, but for what you are doing, there's no need for a real engineer.

I'd also do every other set of post side to side in the same manner. Maybe go in oposite directions to change it up. You can also creat an X, if you get in the mood, it won't hurt to do a few X cross braces, but you don't need to.

I copied your picture and drew some quick lines to give you a rough idea. You don't need to attach them at the very bottom either. The water line should be fine.

They also don't need to be very thick or heavy wood. Pt 1x6 will work great, or PT 5/4 decking will work too. I've used both. Just be sure to use good screws rated for PT wood, or galvanized lag bolts.

Hope this helps and I was clear.

Eddie

 

[Tim Stuart]

Meadowlark, As I have said before its is First Class!!! I would take Eddie's suggestion. I would probably go with the X bracing. Have you thought about adding a light out on the pier? What kind of stocking plan are you going to do?

 

[meadowlarkponds]

Great ideas Tim and Eddie. To get that cross bracing is going to take some long boards in the "tall post region". The other parts of the structure have no wobble, just the "tall posts region" so I think it will be ok without the bracing?

My lumber guy has 16 foot corral boards which should be perfect for this application. I'll try to get some today or tomorrow and post the result here.

Related to a light, Tim, that would be nice but it would have to be solar. This pond is very remote....far from any power lines and also far from any poachers. The only solar lights I've seen don't seem to offer much real light...know of any good ones?

Thanks guys.