Pond dreaming is over

[EddieWalker]

Phil,

Why did you dig out the dirt ten inches for your road? Was that all topsoil? From what you've said about your pond, your land is clay?

For a road to work, it needs to be dry. To keep it dry, you build up the middle of the road higher then the water that will drain along side of it. In areas with allot of rain and water, you dig that trench down as deep as you can and build up the crown as high as possible.

You didn't do either on your road. Since you already have more then enough gravel, I'd consider digging out trenches on either side of the road. This is not an area for a french drain. This is where you need open drainage to handle as much water as possible and to keep the road surface as dry as possible.

You did it backwards, so it's going to be tougher to dig the drainage. Is it cheaper to bring in another ten inches of rock?

If you need to water to cross your road, put in a culvert. If you get allot of rain, put in a big culvert. I get quite a bit of rain here, but rarely need anything bigger then 12 inches.

A french drain is a way to get water from a yard without it looking like a drain. It's expensive and in time, it will fail. You can spend more money and make it last longer, but it's still gonna fail. It's just a matter of how long until the silt and sediment blocks the entry holes to the pipe, or the pipe clogs up.

Eddie

 

[lopezian]

The last pic is a low spot. ( pond road 4)Now can anyone tell me what a french drain is? I've seen that posted on another thread without explanation. I hope it's something I can use to drain this down to the pond.

Others will no doubt describe a french drain, but it appears to me that you will need a culvert first. That water in the fourth pic obviously wants to cross the road. You'll need to do it put a ditch along the uphill side of the road (better to do one along both sides, actually). Then you need to put a culvert under the road to divert the water from the ditch you just made. The culvert doesn't have to be big - 6" or 8" is usually enough. It looks like it would want to start on the left next to that young tree and cross the road at an angle down hill.

After the culvert is in you can do a french drain or a tight line down to the pond to dispose of the water.

 

[philbuilt]

Eddie,
I do have about 6 to 14" of top soil that is why I removed it.
I understand the trench method on each side fo the road but, I don't want that. My neighbor has horses and they have someone hay the feilds. I like to maintain as natural a feild as possible so he won't have to lift his equipment. The hillside is groomed with horzontal rolls.(I bought the land this way 20 years ago) I assume it was done that way to help prevent errosion.

lopezian
A culvert would also creat a ditch in the field making the mowing harder.

Please keep the suggestions coming something should work.
Phil

 

[philbuilt]

Big day at the pond today We added 27 rainbow trout in the 6 to 8" range.
Muskrat update we believe that they left the pond during the big rains or they drowned. we haven't seen them in 2 weeks the dogs don't even look anymore.

The road has dried up must have been some frost below it no longer has standing water.

The last pic is of what we believe to be a killdeer in the Field next to the pond.

 

[EddieWalker]

Phil,

The trout will make for some fun fishing!!!

Will they survive in your area year round? Here they are put in for winter fishing by pond owners and the State Parks. Once the weather warms up here, they will die off.

Nice picture of the Killdeer. We're still looking for them to show up at our place.

Eddie

 

[philbuilt]

Eddie,
The guy at the hatchery said that they will do fine in my pond. I asked if I needed to keep a section cleared off to prevent winter kill. he said if the pond is spring fed they will do fine.

Now I just like to go down to the pond and hope to see them. Rainbows are bug eaters so hopefully they will surface seeings the the pond is muddy. I have gone to the pond twice since putting them in an have seen them surface both times.

 

[EddieWalker]

Phill,

I know the feeling. When we put fish in our small pond, we were there every day, sometimes several times a day watching them. Soon after letting them go, Steph bought some fish food and that has become a daily ritual for us. A year later, we still get exited about watching the fish come to feed!!!!

Eddie

 

[philbuilt]

We rented a JD mini at work to dig a hole in some shale back fill for a new sign install. It took only 45 min. So I decided to take it home to remove the peninsular ( wife doesn't like it )from the pond and start moving the spoils into the woods. The rental is for 8hrs uses in 24Hrs. $200.00
The pics are of the start of the removal so I will post more tomorrow.
It work good so I rented it for a second day but it had to be back for 4:30pm. I guess they don't trust that you won't use it on the day there not open. So I have put 15 hrs on this thing in the last 28hrs.

 

[EddieWalker]

Seriously? She doesn't like the peninsula?

Oh well, at least you got to spend more time digging and moving dirt!!!!!

Eddie

 

[philbuilt]

I just ran down and took a picture of the progress. The rubber duck shows where the pen. started and now removed. Box blade tomorrow.

Yes I'm bumming but the new look is good too