Hey guys,

Been a while since I've posted...pond plans got put on hold for a bit but I'm back into the planning stages.

I am in Bastrop County and my soil is a mix of Jedd and Axtell. The issue I am having is my catch area. With the construction of some well placed terraces, I can expand the area to about 4 acres. With my soil types and the slopes of the area, a large majority of rainfall will run directly into the pond and not soak in. My question is, is this a large enough area for a 2/3(.66) acre pond? My dozer operator seems to think it will be ok, but the NRCS recommends 20 acres of runoff. Now the NRCS has not done a site visit yet, but I get the feeling they will not feel to good about the limited catch area. What do you guys think?

Sidenote, the NRCS is not worried about the soils holding, but my dozer guy is a little stressed about the sandstone rocks binding to the clay in the dam. Seems like I've got two sides working against eachother. Kinda frustrating

Gunny

Good to have you back Gunny. Hold on for some expert feedback.

No idea what Jedd and Axtell are.

I would want more than 4 acres but if that's all you have I might go for it.

I would also worry about the sandstone rocks in the dam. It's tough to bind to a rock or sand and that just might leak. The reason I say "just might" is that I just visited a pond about 50 miles from Fort Worth. The entire dam is clay, rocks and gravel. It doesn't leak.

Dave:

Axtel soil type:
http://www2.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/A/AXTELL.html

Jedd starts on page 80.
http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/Manuscripts/TX051/0/Burleson.pdf

Thanks Scott. So it is a slow permeability sandy loam that has is poorly drained, subject to erosion and won't grow crops. In other words rangeland. The soil appears to be great for a pond if the clay/sand mixture is OK with the clay being about 55 to 75% of the mix.

They caution about rocks/gravel which can sometimes be a deal killer for a pond. And yet, the one I visited in Jack County amazed me. No way I thought it could hold water but it does.

Thanks Dave. A good search engine and the Evelyn Wood sped redin coarse comes thru again.

I forgot one thing. It grows some pretty good deer.

You guys are right on with the description of the soil...except the part about deer...don't have any good deer

The soils are rated C and D for holding water, which evidently is good, so what I think I will propose to my dozer guy is that I'll buy a rock rake for my tractor and remove rock as he works the soil. Does that sound feasible or will I end up just getting in his way making the process take longer that it should?

Another thought I had was maybe I should try and find a dozer guy with a sheepsfoot roller to break apart the sandstone? I assume the sandstone would break apart easily and that would lead to better compaction. Is that line of thinking correct?

Gunny

The sheepsfoot roller is a good idea for compacting. Dozers do a poor job of compacting.

I kinda doubt that the roller would do much on the sandstone. I think the dirt would cushion and protect the stone.

Makes sense. What about the rock rake? I assume each contractor may have different feelings about it, but what would you think Dave?

Thanks again for your insight!

Gunny

Gunny, lets see what Dave thinks, but I think the Rock Rake is a good idea, although I don't know how fast it works. Any rocks you can remove will help.

Same with the sheepsfoot roller. That's about the only way that I know of to properly compact dirt over a large area. Just by driving a tracked vehicle over the area won't do it - not enough P.S.I. for proper compaction. Soil moisture also figures into the packing equasion. Not too wet, not too dry.

I think the rock rake should be mandated in rocky areas.

How much rock do you have?

Well, it's hard to say. What does a lot of rock look like? I have quite a bit on the surface, but after about 18 inches there seems to be much less. That is of course where I have dug down 18" so it's my best guess that as I go deeper, my clay gets better and my rock content lessens.

I won't have to go too deep with the exception of the key in the dam because this is a gully that will be reshaped and dammed. Most excavation will be on the sides and this is where the fill for the dam will come from (most of it anyway. I may have to bring some in from a nearby hill). Luckily, its also where my axtell soils are and they are the ones that hold better and have higher clay content.

esshup: I guess the rake will work as fast as I do I am going to buy a 7 footer and run it with my tractor.

Thanks again guys.

Gunny