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Well it has been a busy year work wise. This is good though, now I have money to put into my winter projects. I haven't been able to post much or track the forum as the job I was out on for the majority of the year had no internet. So let's get some updates going.

Guest House project is getting closer to completion every day. Have all the floor joists replaced and the sub-floor is in. Was working on siding but hanging T1-11 siding solo though with no place to hang a nail to hold the bottom is an operation for each sheet. So far the best strategy I have used is; snap a chalk line, nail a 2x4 above the line, then get some cargo/ratchet straps drape them over the 2x4 and secure them to the stud above. I can then get the piece of siding rest it into the bottom hooks of the straps moving it around till I like it. As you can imagine this takes a bit of time but all my friends are offshore right now and my neighbor is an older gentleman with a bad back(I already chop wood for him) so doubt he wants to hurt his back holding siding.

One of my ponds dried up during the summer drought that effected most of Louisiana, this was not a bad thing. Scavengers cleared out what little fish were in there and I was able to start to excavate some of the silt and muck out that had accumulated over the years. This led to many fun endeavors like getting my tractor stuck. The damp part in the bottom was lets just say around 2' or more deep of silt and muck. The tractor never did hit solid ground. I was able to cut down and remove stumps from trees that were surrounding the pond and also work the sides of it rather well. I have since bought a 2" trash pump as the rains have come back. But it came to late and the pond is about 1/2 full currently, I plan to pump it out soon but as of right now more and more rain is in the forecast. With having to go offshore this weekend possibly I saw it as pointless to even attempt de-watering it.

I have removed large amounts of floating aquatic vegetation(not sure if the species is supposed to float or not). It was a mat of plants about 1'-1.5' thick but had good water underneath for up to 3' in some areas. I will post a picture of the "drag" I invented not sure if it's a world first or not but it is effective. Just wish it was easier to deploy but hey can't have it all. If any one has idea's on improving the system after I post pictures please let the ideas fly.

I will try to get some pictures up later tonight after I take more so you all can see what I have gotten done and the drag system etc.

My pump house project has not come to pass this year as other projects took higher priority my brother and I did clear the site though of tree's so that is a step in the right direction. Aeration I think is what will benefit my ponds the most currently that and starting to control the nutrient load. I have a large amount of trees dropping leaves in the pond so I feel clearing those out and reducing the muck layer and aquatic vegetation will be the best bet for that.

Beaver's are still plaguing my property I can never seem to catch even a glimpse of them when I have my rifle but I believe I found their nest/burrow/hive. Whatever it is called that a beaver retreats to.


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Looks like yer gaining on it man! Looking forward to the new pics when you get a chance to post them.


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If beavers are tunneling into the bank, the half moon in the pond bottom is a run, and they hollow out a den in the bank.

If they are piling up sticks and mud in a shallow area, it's a beaver house. They will have runs going into the house.

If you can find the runs, a 330 conibear placed in the run and held upright with a dead stick will get them 99% of the time.


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+1 Word of caution though, I know you are a DIY kind of a guy. If you have never used a double spring 330, don't go "give it a try on your own." A 330 will break you arm in a heartbeat and won't let go. Get a setting tool and have a buddy around the first time.


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Breaking this up into a few groups first since I'm sure it will get the most interest is the Drag I "designed/invented" no patent pending feel free to replicate it hope it helps. It does flex more than I like and I plan on making it stronger using square stock and some gussets and making it out of aluminum and adding an area where I can add weight to it.

The Drag


The Drag being set


The drag after it's first pull


The drag after riding it to get some weight on it, G/F drove the truck
(Note: Not recommended for the faint of heart or those who are prone to injury...it was kind of dangerous.)


I'll post more later or maybe tomorrow my foods burning frown


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Cody, that is one heckuva tool.


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Originally Posted By: Bill D.
+1 Word of caution though, I know you are a DIY kind of a guy. If you have never used a double spring 330, don't go "give it a try on your own." A 330 will break you arm in a heartbeat and won't let go. Get a setting tool and have a buddy around the first time.


Bill, I was showing a friend how the Conibears worked. I had both 330's, 220's and 110's. I had them set before he walked up and placed the setting tool off to the side, sorta out of sight. wink I showed him how they worked, and how to set them, by using the 110 as an example. Then let him set them and snap them. His face was pretty red after setting the 220, and he about popped his eyes out of his head trying to get the 330 set.

Then I showed him the setting tool. laugh


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Diver Cody, I can see how sketchy that drag is, but then I read about getting it pulled by a PU truck driven by your girlfriend. shocked


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DC,

Hard for me to tell from the pics. Did you provide a small negative rake angle to the teeth on the drag to get a little upward force on the veggies as you are pulling them out with the drag? I would think that would also tend to pull the drag down as it moves forward without additional weight.

Last edited by Bill D.; 11/06/15 07:26 PM.

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Originally Posted By: esshup
Diver Cody, I can see how sketchy that drag is, but then I read about getting it pulled by a PU truck driven by your girlfriend. shocked

I can see it coming, the chain breaks, Breaking out the back window of the PU with his X girlfriend getting glass in her hair. U think she will be upset when that happens DC? MINE WOULD NOT BE TO HAPPY WITH ME LOL

Tracy


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I did do a slight angle(~15 degrees) on the second drag I made out of some 3" schedule 40 steel pipe I had on the property. It was about 6' wide shaped like a U so the back posts act as a counter weight and if it gets to heavy they tilt up and dump some of the load then resume. The only thing I hate about that drag is that the it is very heavy I plan on fabricating one possibly out of aluminum to help with placement and a angle change option. Made of a pivot point and lever/pinned linkage system. My only hesitation is I am not sure if it will take the abuse like steel will.

The pins which are just steel rebar pins secured with a bent 16d nail tend to snap off before the strap even starts to groan, plus working offshore I collect "out of date" straps. I have yet to part one as a 2" 2 ply which is rated for ~4200 choked(as actual rating depends on the manufacturer). If I do break one which hasn't happened yet it would more than likely be when I am pulling stumps(When in doubt I always go bigger on my rigging 4" 4-ply is a hard strap to break without tearing off your hitch). When she drives she gets anxious as the truck is lifted and she isn't comfortable with my tractor(to many levers) so she doesn't really maximize the pulling power plus as previously stated the pins I am using tend to just snap off. I do however appreciate the concern for everyone's safety involved though.

Also the angle on the second drag does seem to make it more effective that and the fact that it weighs in at about 50-60lbs more. The rebar pins/stakes I am using are convenient as they have pre-drilled holes ~2" on center and a 16d nail fits tightly in them. This allows me to change the depth rapidly if need be.

Got to cut it short dinner plans sorry.


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Increase the aluminum by about 30% to get the equivalent strength of steel, that is if it is 5000 or 6000 series aluminum.


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So today while working more on the guest house situation and walking the rest of the property. My GF's dog found something of interest, at first I thought he was just smelling the ground so I went to see what was up. I stepped near where he was smelling and my foot punched through into a beaver den or what I assume must be a beaver den. Had multiple escape holes and a primary entrance at a good angle going into the water(also had nutria on the property as of late so may have been there den). I started digging it out and realized my beaver issue is beyond my control.

I had ordered some traps after watching numerous videos online but now I think I shall donate them to the local trapper who was listed on the DWF website(he is coming out to asses later this week). I was going to try and combat this problem myself(Bear in mind I was going to have a friend over when I was setting the traps after the advice of some, which I humbly appreciate.) but perhaps the gentleman will be nice enough to show me the basics of trapping while he works my property. Also heavy rains where I am at in Louisiana and the beavers damming up my primary spillway pipe has already caused numerous problems on the property as of late. If I get over the shock I will post some photos. To a seasoned vet my issues are probably on the small end but to a novice pondmeister it's enough to make you sell and move to a desert.

On the plus side, I am extremely glad that I did not have my tractor near there pulling stumps. This would easily have put me in the drink along with the tractor. Hope everyone else's day went better than mine to even out the cosmic balance of things frown.


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Well, the trappers did not get any of the beavers. They have pulled all the traps and told me to let them know if I see any new sign when the weather warms up.

So I have decided to tackle another project which will be clearing the "dam" I use the term loosely as all my ponds are dug ponds. But it is where my overflow pipe is which is going to be the real reason behind the project it was a steel pipe which has collapsed and the beavers have damned the area up causing my water level to rise to an unsafe level in my opinion. Although the dam is only 2-3' high it has enough water behind it to cause an issue for my neighbor. It has about 9" of free board from having a breech but the breech would happen where the beaver's built there damn.

Now I reach out to you pond boss citizens. I have read Mr. Otto's book "Just Add Water" which is very informative and I believe I can tackle this one on my own as the pipe sits near the top and the dam area is only about 10' at the top to 15' at the base across. I just have no idea how I can de-water my ponds as 5 are linked together with small canal type systems you can take a jon boat or canoe through. I have no way of setting up a siphon system due to the topography and the only pump I have is a 2" semi trash pump at optimal conditions puts out around 9500 GPH. With ~1.75-2 Surface acres of water linked together I'm thinking it will take around 70 hours to de-water.

My question is should I just dig the pipe out and let the water flow freely around it until it finds it's "Happy" level and then de-water further if needed or should I do it with just the gasoline pump? I have some spare cinder blocks on the property I might be able to slow and control the water with for erosion issues. I just don't want to hack away at the dam and have an onslaught of water mess up my neighbors property and land me in hot water with him and who knows what government entity.

Read a little about this was wondering what best recommended technique is.


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Can you put up a coffer dam in any of the areas that feed that pond, rent a larger pump and dewater the pond quickly? Then get the work done asap and pull the coffer dam out.

What are the chances of the water rushing thru the area where the bad drain pipe is, eroding the area and loosing a lot of the water that is in the ponds?

Disturbing the beaver dam will tell you in one night whether they are still there or not. They will come that night to fix it if they are still there.


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The drain pipe is collapsed and alongside of it the water is already starting to erode, it's making a tunnel alongside of it that is about 1/3 of the way through the dam. Cofferdam idea might work but this area of my property is fed by two larger canals one is about 16' wide and the other is just over 24' wide(this one I know cause it's where my bridge is that needs replacing.)

I think I will go clear the brush on what used to be a road on top and then try and break up the beaver dam as best I can and see what the water level does overnight and then reassess.

All my projects are on a budget too, it's more of a work with what I got system at my house. Sweat is low cost and currently so is gasoline.

Thank you for the help as always esshup it is always appreciated.


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After 3 days of removing tree's and brush I have cleared enough of the dam road to bust open the section with the pipe. I excavated a 2' wide and slightly deeper trench than needed to de-water the pond to the desired level. I will pump it down further with my 2" pump after the water rush subsides. We are supposed to get rain Sunday so watching the weather and waiting for my window.

Upon further review I am debating upon making a spillway instead of a pipe but one where I can adjust the waters height. Is this even possible using steel and concrete? I like the sound of the water going out right now and would like to be able to capture that as it is also a nice location for a picnic area.

My Concept and I will try and draft it up later is to make a box with concrete but have an opening in the middle about 2' wide and 1' - 18" high. Make it wide enough to act like an anti seep collar? It would be grooved for the plate steel to slide up and down in and I can just use some all thread welded to the top and a simple nut and handle combination to adjust the height.

The rest of my mini river/spillway would be all concrete. The only thing I can not figure out is how do I get the concrete to seal correctly to the surrounding earth to prevent wicking? Was just wondering if anyone has ever tried something like this and if they could supply me with some lessons learned or pictures I would be greatly in their debt.


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Confirmed, beavers are still here they rebuilt the dam just like esshup had predicted. Got the water level down about 5" though through yesterday.


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I have seen spillways built of concrete and 2x6 boards. The boards are stacked in a groove and by adding or removing boards you change the water level.

Do a search for "flash board risers"

Old thread about the subject

Pay attention to the system Grundulis made. All by hand.

Last edited by snrub; 12/12/15 09:18 AM.

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SnrubThe Flash board riser thing is spot on(the front side of it), would either need to buy and modify or build my own looks like it would not be to hard to build one. I found Grundulis's setup there on the last page his is nice cause it's at the base of his dam. My pond's I have limited area's to drain them and can only draw them down 2' with gravity no way to do a full draw down except with pumps. Since his is tied in much like any drainage pipe into the bottom of the dam I get how his is compacted and tied in.

The only thing that is confusing to me is how do I tie my idea in to the rest of the dam to prevent leaks. It will not have much pressure on it. I'm thinking I just need to make the face of it wide say 8-10' of concrete about 1' thick on each side of the opening and obviously down to the bottom of the pond that would have about 10-12' of good solid clay behind it.


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I personally would also try to run a narrow trench laterally in the center of the dam filled with concrete and maybe some wire mesh. I would make the bottom of it lower than the bottom of the front concrete facing. It would be sort of an anti-seep collar, ditched in the solid core of the dam.

Not that I know anything about it. I'm not an engineer nor do I have experience with flash board systems. That is just the way this uneducated farmer would approach the problem. Use the Idea at your own risk.

And good luck. I have thought about raising my main pond another 4" and it would be nice to somehow use a upside down gate valve on my 8" overflow pipe so I could also adjust the water level just a little. Not a great amount but maybe by 6" or so.

If you attempt, take pictures and document and share. We can learn from your mistakes!!! LOL


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Re: Beavers

I haven't tried it, but I was told that if you break the dam, and set up lights at the break that they won't come and repair it. Battery powered LED light were suggested.

At least if they do, they will be illuminated for night time target practice!


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Hired some local trappers recognized by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Theyhave some conibear 330's set, the beavers rebuilt the area 3 times, 3 nights in a row, we set traps and now nothing since then. Rain is in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday, I am probably going to put a small clay plug in the dam to let the water level come back up and then bust it, see if that gets them moving again.


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Hello All,

It has been a while since I last posted. So, some things I have learned with my ponds. First I do not have photos of the different airlifts that I made and tried but none were effective shallower than 5' of water. What was effective in the range of 5' and shallower and even deeper as I thought from previous experience was a water lift/gold dredge type setup. I only can run a 2.5" model though but did just get a new 4" pump so may go larger in the future. Will try and get pictures of that later. Was in a hurry one day and now it is all tangled and covered in the grass eek

I redesigned the "drag" system I previously posted about, working on getting the pictures uploaded now. It took a 4x6 I had on the property and some 3/4" black iron pipe, as well as a few(which buy more as these tend to snap off after a while)rebar pins, also a handful of 16d nails. So, the setup is then connected by the drag not by the boat to the tractor and you need two people to operate. One to maneuver the tractor the other to operate the drag which you can adjust the rake angle manually as well as get a feel for how much you are pulling(Use someone in good shape for this, it is an excellent work out).

It is effective and less cumbersome to deploy than the previous version it just stays mounted on the boat. In the picture where I have it laid back in a "stowed" position it is being held down by a pitchfork. I was using a rope for this and it worked quite well. I think this system is ideal with 3 workers as I do not own a motor, so one person to position the boat the other two operate the drag.





No sign of beavers this year also which is good. Am looking into making a sandbag retainer wall times two so I can work one pond at a time as I have 5 that are interconnected. In the channels after taking into account for muck they are probably(best stick estimate) at the deepest point 5' and are 25' on average across. I do not have the pumps or the weather cooperation to drain and keep drawn down all 5 at once. Don't know if anyone has tackled a project this way but it looks like the most cost effective solution and hopefully I can reuse the sandbags for each stage of the operation.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life.



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