Just an update: Yesterday at 2:40 p.m., we started the siphon on the first try. We had the basketball in the downhill side and the dodgeball in the pond side both pop out while filling with water. We had to put straps over the ends to hold them in. I bought a bunch of stainless screws to hold the pipe together, but we wound up driving several steel posts alongside the pipe and strapping the pipe to them so they wouldn't go downhill instead. I'm glad we did that as it worked fine and I don't have screw holes in the pipes. I bought a 30 x 60 tarp to go under exit and help minimize erosion. That was a good idea. Water is shooting out of there like crazy. I was seriously impressed that it elevated water levels and created current in the creek 1/2 mile downstream like it did. This morning, at around 7:40 a.m., the water levels in the pond had dropped about 6". It has quite a ways to go; but we're going to have add more joints to the pond side to get it really down there. I'm already dreading that. The water was cold with just my arms in it (off pontoon boat)! I can provide more specifics and some pictures if anyone is interested.

[Linked Image from i108.photobucket.com]