Last summer I had a pond built that was just over 1/2 acre. Small little run-off set up with good flow to it from the surrounding area. The pond was filling nicely and holding with little drop in the over all water level. Recently in Oklahoma we have had a record setting month for rain totaling over 20 plus inches of rain. The new pond filled promisingly like all other areas of the State including areas that are not suppose too. However, the spillway could not keep up or was constructed to high and the damn gave way. My heart sank to a lump in my stomach and frustration arose. The rain is not over and pond is acting as a funnel pushing all of the water out of the cut in the damn. Making it larger. I am thinking I will have to drain the pond and wait until it dries out to fix the damn properly. What now? Will the dozer company help with the cost or is it all mine "natural disaster" type of issue or improper construction to blame? Help with ideas and suggestions please!

You must be devastated. I have no answer to your questions, maybe homeowners/ farm insurance? I wish you luck.

Cmm

There are a lot of washed out pond dams and yours being new made it worse. I lost one about the same way in 2007. It wont hurt to hit up the people that built it but I wouldn't hold your breath. Good luck

That's a terrible sight, sorry for the loss. I have to admit to being curious though, if the pond was built last summer, where is the grass on the dam?

Was wondering the same thing. Surprised there is at least not weeds growing.

I "planted" rye and Bermuda grass seed on the entire surface. Followed up with fertilizer. Nothing to show for it in the Oklahoma red dirt. You are right though a few more weeds and this entire pond could have been saved...hahaha No really though didn't have much rain until May now its all coming at once.

Well, what are they calling the recent rain in your area? 100 year event? 500 year event? Heavy rain?

Has water gone over the emergency spillway as well? If not, then maybe the dam builder could be called onto the carpet. If water has gone over the spillway, then I would want to know details about the watershed, and would be curious if the dam builder took these details into account properly. Still, a once in a lifetime rain event seems hard to plan for. At least it seems difficult to this pondowner who's never built a dam in his life.

Nevertheless, if it were mine I would do whaever it took to get some cover on that dam. No one here is suggesting the lack of vegetation caused the failure, only concerned that without grass, the dam will continue to erode.

I would say the recent rain is once and a lifetime. Beat the record and rain in the forecast all week.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/23/weather/texas-oklahoma-flash-flood-warnings/index.html

The spillway acted more as a long finger of the pond and never acted as what I would call a "spillway". I understand the issue with getting vegetation on the damn I guess that was just a little frustration coming out. Thanks for all the help and advice I greatly need it.

A couple of pictures of pond during construction. the first picture is taken from the spillway. The "spillway" was on the left side of the pond away from the "u" shaped damn of the second picture. Basically a run out for the pond. The runoff to that area is pretty substantial. The elevation gain is about 60' up elevation of the pond and a runoff creek is what was originally where the pond is now. Unfortunately the Dozer service was a handshake and a conversation type of thing. He has done quite a bit of tree clearing road work around the place. Tips for that conversation or best way to fix it? Obviously I have a good place for an overflow pipe now.... ha

Well, on the bright side, you're not a rookie any more.

Okie I feel bad for you. From your last pic it appears as if the pond should have drained from the left side down the "valley". Was that the way it was designed?

Was this done by an experienced pond builder, or more of a dirt mover, lets build a pond afterthought kind of thing? So the spillway never discharged any water?

The dozer guy has done several ponds and dirt work not sure of a number though. I think you are on to something with the dirt mover though. He did survey and everything several times but not sure how it could've gotten that far off. So, no the spillway never worked and the finger basically back filled. Unfortunately I do not live at the same place as the pond- so earlier in the week it was full in the above pics, then today bam...

Looking at your pond3 pic, it appears that the only way the pond would drain would be over the center of the dam. Also, appears that a significant amount of soil was placed on the left side embankment which looks like should have been the drain.

I had thought the spillway would be on the "right" side of the pond looking at from pic3. I thought the "finger" opposite that side would be a "tributary" filling only. at the end of the day I yielded to the "expert" and now we are here. I think if the spillway would have kept damn from washing out but hard to say with the amount of rain we have been getting. I have seen hundreds of ponds around the area that are at the top but the spillway is working and the water is running out of it.

Sorry to hear about the washout. Stop by the counties NRCS office and see if you can get them to come out and give their advice. At the very least, they can take a look, look at the watershed and the vegetation, and recommend the proper sized spillway for the pond, and how it should be constructed.

A correctly designed spillway takes into account the historic annual, 50 and 100 year rain events, the surrounding vegetation, soil type and watershed to determine how much water will run into and consequently out of your pond in a high rainfall event.

You are paying for their services now thru your tax dollars so why not use it?

All good advice and tips- thank you to everyone. I plan on talking to my Dozer guy tomorrow and an office visit with the NRCS on Thursday. I'm sure this will be fixed just a hard pill to swallow. I'll keep everyone posted. Rain all week- I'm developing a love hate relationship with this part of Mother Nature. I apologize to anyone that I have offended for cursing the rain right now. All summer and winter we prayed for a substantial rain to fill the pond- well who says prayers don't get answered...

Spoke with the Dozer guy today- He was beside himself apologizing and saying they would be out as soon as the rain subsides to fix the pond. we also agreed that a drain pipe will be placed in the gap now to prevent further issues- hopefully

I'm sure glad you have a stand-up builder that is willing to take ownership of his work, and fix it! I am a big believer in bottom draw siphon systems if you are installing a drain also. You get a huge volume of water removed, from the bottom, at a very reasonable cost.