I give, I'm heading to higher ground, Colorado here I come. If it floods us there we are all in trouble. I'll be camped at around 10,500 ft elev.
B-ski if the hydroelectric turbine was hooked to the grid these past few months I'd be raking in the doe. I heard this morning on the news that this rain event is reaching Illinois, I hope your pond is catching full. You have still not seen that, it will be a glorous day my friend your first experience of seeing a new pond full.
As for spillways the pond above my house 21/2 surface acres has 2 emergency spillways on each end of dam. The one on the south side will flow about 30 inches of water 50 ft wide before going over the dam.The other secondary emergency will flow 12 inchs of water about 40 ft wide. There is also a 12 inch pipe with 24 dia drop inlet in the middle of the dam. As I have said many times 300 acre water shed can flow a massive amount of water. Sorry guys but you fellows that mentioned pumps kind of makes me cuckle a little. I've seen my 1 acre pond beside my home average depth about 9 ft deep during a drought rise from 1 ft deep to over 2 ft above pool in less than 15 minutes last time we had an event like yesterday. I could pump both my ponds dry and they would fill multipull times in a 4 inch rain event. I have been meaning to cut the secondary spillway down but the rainey season hit and I have not been able too get it done. I'm not really concerned about the dam breaking as you have said most likely it will eat a hole in it if it flows over long enough to start cutting and want be an instant burst event. I'm fully aware that I don't have enough free board in my upper pond, I got greedy and raised the spillway after it was built. Don't try this at home it can be scary at times.
My house actually sets on the dam of the pond beside it. The house is about 3 1/2 ft above pool and the spillway across from the house is about 75 foot wide. When it reaches capasity like yesterday my entire pasture and surrounding area of the house is about 18 inches lower than the mound our house is on. This area including my drive and shop become another spillway several 100 ft wide. If you look at my website on the location page and pond page you can see what I'm trying to discribe. Good luck to all and may god share some of this rain with the pond bosses that need it.
