Pond overflow spillway

[mgtd]

Heavy rains over the past two springs have dumped more runoff water in my 2 acre pond than the 8" overflow pipe could handle. I was faced with a continual eroding problem at the lowest point of the dam/burm. The erosion eventually wore a channel that was about 3 foot wide and nearly a foot deep. I felt that if let continue, I'd end up with an empty pond.

After contemplating several different ways of addressing this problem, I came across some fairly light (1/8" thickness) 10" "I" beam from the frames of scrapped mobile home trailers. It was free and I welded up a 25 foot long spillway that has 2 channels across the bottom and one 10" channel for each side. Solid weld along the joints, and added the flare at the pond end. I left the gussets in place to help stabilize the spillway, once backfilled.

Also shown is the inaugural tryout of the dump trailer I just finished fabrication on. It was constructed on base trailer that was a "moving message sign" traffic control unit with 12 volt hydraulics for the former sign mast. The trailer's dump box is a "fuel containment tank", approx, 4 1/2' by 7' and 30 inches tall.

The dump trailer worked quite well, after I learned not to overload it. The box has a lot more capacity than the hydraulics can lift, when moving wet dirt and clay.

The entire project was accomplished without any assistance, other than my inspector in the pink pants and my Massey Ferguson 1250 tractor.

I need a little more fill and then will install a "drive over" grate for access to the road across the pond dam.

Once I get a little paint on it I'll post trailer detils on the "Build it Yourself" board.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

two good looking projects...

the steel flanges will keep the crawl dads from tunneling....

that dump trailer looks very handy!

 

[8NLUGNUT]

Very good.

Your making me rethink the spillway on one of my brothers new tanks.

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting project. Did you consider concrete?

I like the way it looks and admire your ingenuity.

The two concerns that jump into my head are rust and seepage around the sides and bottom. When it rains, the water will work it's way down along the sides of the metal. This will be an ongoing assault that will continue for ever. Water in the pond will work it's way under the metal. This is also a never ending process that will both cause rust and undermine the integrity of the spillway.

If the entry of the spillway had been set on a bed of concrete with a footing in the ground, most of the moisture that will get under the spillway should be eliminated. For the sides, I would also dig them out and fill with concrete with a crown above grade to distribute the water away from that seam.

Of course, you know your area and soils better then anybody else. My concern is always directed towards those severe weather events that have a way of showing up when you don't expect them, or are ready for them.

Thanks for posting the pictures. It's a great project.

Eddie

 

[rutwad]

I am on the fence. I think it looks great and will work, but I also have concerns similiar to Eddie's. At least rent a tamp and use some good clay around it.