Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Raising the pond level

I have three 12 inch black corrugated pipes as drain pipes. There is one that is considerably lower than the other two. WhAt is the best way to stop up the pipe in order to raise the level without spending $100 for a 90 degree elbow?

I don't advise stopping up the pipe, as it might be needed to drain water in a 100 year rain event. It sounds like the lower one is the primiary drain, and the other 2 are emergency drains.

How big is the pond? How much lower is the bottom pipe than the other 2? Do you have any other place for water to escape like an emergency spillway?

The lower pipe is about a foot lower than the other two. The pond is about 2 acres, according to my measurements 1.8 acres. This pond is dug out with a levee around it so watershed entering it is almost none I would think other than what mother nature drops in and what I pump from a run-off ditch. I have another 6 inch pipe used to fill the pond up to a certain level that is now under water. This pipe is capped with a screw on cap which I could remove as needed to drain excess water.

So here is my idea: I have a heavy gauge plastic bucket with a screw on lid. Insert bucket into pipe and seal it off with a sealant. If and when a 100 year rain event comes, remove lid and drain as needed. Will this work?

It might work as a plug. Could you get it out? Doubtful. Could you get it out safely? Even more doubtful, as the suction that would be created if the water was over the pipe would be tremendous.

To measure your pond acreage:
http://www.acme.com/planimeter/

The problem might be getting the lid off in time.

Also, plastic buckets are vulnerable to UV rays. Other minerals in the water might also effect it.

1 inch of water over one acres is approximately 27,000 gallons. If my math is right, raising the level another foot would allow you to impound another 583,200 gallons. However, in case of a failure of the bucket, that 583,000 gallons would come out in one heckuva hurry. I wouldn't want to be downstream from it.

I think I would go ahead and spend the $100. It would be a lot safer and allow you to still raise the level.

Are you sure that raising it another foot is the smart thing to do? The people who designed the three outflow pipe configuration might have engineered it right considering the height of the dam, anticipated outflow based on torrential rain, etc. Even if it the correct thing to do going with a bucket seems to have it's risks and weaknesses. $100.00 might be a good investment.

I had a similar situation in a one acre pond. I took a piece of plywood, put it next to the pipe (18") opening, jammed a couple of pieces of rebar in the mud to hold it in place. The water pressure held it, and the water raised right up to where I wanted it. I then took the $100 that I saved, bought some beer, and went home and took a nap...

If you have a shallow area around the pipe, you could make a horseshoe dam around it with pywood/metal and rocks. This would allow the water to fall over the small dam and make use of the pipe when needed in heavy rains. Much like using an elbow, just on the cheap side. We did this on an old pond with an 10" pipe, and it worked for 30+ years. Occaionally, you need to repair it after a heavy rain, but if you get a good grass growing in it, it lasts a suprisingly long time.