Silt Happens!

BB_TX · Nov 30, 2005

Since they are not "prize" trees anyway, I think I would take them out. Then when all the dirt work is finished, have someone come in with tree spade and move one or more good trees from some other part of your property to that point. Between yours and Kathy's places, you should have lots of choices.

JimMorrissey · Nov 30, 2005

I wasn't thinking the walls of the pond should be vertical. I was just thinking they should be steeper than a dozer could make them. Sounds like the 3 yard machine will be excellent at digging the pond out. It will also be able to place the spoil where it's wanted (not along the sides of the pond).

gmsssi · Nov 30, 2005

Geat compromise Jinman and I totally agree with Jim on this one... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif !

PineRidge · Nov 30, 2005

Sorry but I disagree. You can make the bank steep enough and be safe with the dozer and the excavator will require multiple handlings. The pond is too broad an expanse to make it worth while. The dozer can contour the spoil much better than the escavator while its removed. Just my opinion! 

I gotta agree with Greg especially after watching the pond being excavated on our property and helping the neighbor excavate his own. Jim a dozer with the hydrostatic transmission is a blast to operate and it's sure to get the job done much quicker than your 45D. The neighbor has quite a large pond (he uses a jet ski on it) and he rented a dozer for a month which was enough time to get his finished up. And everybody that came by while it was being excavated got an opportunity to operate the dozer, (what a blast). /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

LBrown59 · Nov 30, 2005

Here's a shot of my biggest pile of dirt. I have several others. 

All that dirt and it's clear out there not here.
O the shame of it all.

jinman · Nov 30, 2005

( was just thinkin' the area toward the beaver dam - but staying closer to the pond so it all doesn't end up in the lake -could use some filling )

The problem with getting anywhere near the beaver dam is a two part problem. That's pretty far for tracked equipment to haul spoil and it gets under about two feet of water once or twice per year. When we have a heavy rain, all the water off of highway 287 just west of Sunset comes flowing down the little creek and into the lake. Sometimes the water gets 4 feet deep over the beaver dam and sandbar. I hope to do something with that one day, but it will take some coordination with the county and my neighbors. Keeping the spoils close to the pond will reduce the dozer time. Most of the water coming down the valley stays on the house side. I need to build up my roadway around the valley end of the pond at least four feet. That location will also give me access to the spoils to spread on top of the sugar sand when I dig out my other ponds. I'll keep a grass covered channel about 12 feet wide to carry the runoff so the silt won't get carried right back to the pond. I also am planning on hauling in lots of rocks from Kathy's place to use as rip-rap in areas prone to erosion.

At least that's the way I have it planned. Mother Nature may bend me over her knee and "spank" me for thinkin' I can outsmart her. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

jinman · Nov 30, 2005

Bill and Jim, I think you are in agreement with what I'm thinking about these trees. I need to get them out to make this project easier and also they aren't what I want there anyway. With the trees gone the little peninsula can be built up easily and provide a nice area to be landscaped and turned into a picnic and fishing area. My wife said only the possums and armadillos would be disappointed because the persimmons will be gone. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

jinman · Nov 30, 2005

( Jim a dozer with the hydrostatic transmission is a blast to operate and it's sure to get the job done much quicker than your 45D. The neighbor has quite a large pond (he uses a jet ski on it) and he rented a dozer for a month which was enough time to get his finished up. And everybody that came by while it was being excavated got an opportunity to operate the dozer, (what a blast). )

A month! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I'm worried that I won't have a week before we'll get a shower that will half fill the pond. Of course, I've been saying that for the last two months... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Anyway, I have plenty of new ponds/lakes to put in and before that's over I plan to get a wide variety of equipment operation experience. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

JimMorrissey · Nov 30, 2005

Pine,

I gotta figure it depends on the soils as well. 12' of muck might be the end all for a dozer....trying to push that slop when it gets down deep could be problematic, especially if the machine runs belly high. Most ponds around here they excavate with trackhoe and then contour with dozer once their down to stable soils.

Sounds like Jim's got a good plan right now. Looking forward to seeing some pics while the action is happening.

EastTexFrank · Nov 30, 2005

You guys have got it all wrong. You have got to remember that this is Texas. Down here a 200' x 150' "pond" is usually called a puddle. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jim, I think you have come up with the best idea. We had one of the ponds at the farm dug out last year. The guy used a track hoe with an arm that must have been at least 50' long and the biggest bucket I have ever seen. He came, dug it out and was gone in a day. He offered to come back in a week and smoothe out the diggings with a dozer but being cheap, I told him that I'd do it with the farm tractor. Me, being me, I didn't get round to it for at least a month and that stuff had set up like concrete on the outside while still being sloppy, slippy, soft on the inside. It was a real chore to dig it, move it, dump it and smoothe it. In the end, I ended up using 2 tractors, one with FEL and boxblade and the other with the disc. It took me almost a week working about half a day at a time to get it finished and looking half pretty.

You have lots of fun in store.

By the way, the guy three farms up decided to use a dozer to clean out his pond this year. It broke through the crust and sank. I was told that it took another 2 dozers and a lot of huffing and puffing to get it out. I wish that I'd seen it and taken some photos. All I saw was the quagmire that was left after they had got it out. So, be careful out there.