I've been reading a lot of threads on here about building dams, keyways etc. but I have a unique situation on my ground. My land is reclaimed strip mine that was reclaimed about 50 years ago. The coal was about 40 feet deep and the overburden is all mixed together just as it came out of the shovel including lots of rock and some boulders as big as a Volkswagen. I know it can hold water because I have two ponds on the property and I am just assuming the dams were built as part of the reclamation process. One holds water very well and the other leaks like a sieve down to a certain level and stays there. I have a draw on the property that is well suited for another pond and I want to build a technical dog-training pond that will cover about 2 acres. A technical pond has lots of points, levees and maybe an island. I know it is probably a crap shoot when it comes to putting in a pond but I plan to buy a dozer for some other work and thought I would build it myself so I am only out the cost of fuel and my time if it doesn't work out. I could have good clay hauled in to build the keyway but there is no hardpan to tie it into so I could build a nice keyway and still have a leaking pond. Hauling in enough clay to line the whole pond would be too costly so I'm thinking just do it myself, use the materials available at the site and do the best job I can with my dozer and my Kubota M8200 with a loader and a heavy duty box blade on the back. Comments? Advice?

Maybe best to start out with numerous tests around the area to determine what the clay content is of the mixed overburden. I think the rule is 30% is good?

Then consider a sheepsfoot rental to compact the core and the whole basin until the spikes barely make a dent. Bentonite the whole basin for safety?

I've built 4 new ponds and refurbished 3 now with my own time and equipment.

All have worked out well to date except for the one of my daughters. It actually was part refurbish and part new, about half and half, but I consider it one of my refurbished. I think it leaks down about 12-18 inches from full pool. I cleared off a dead 30" diameter elm tree off the dam and my best guess is the leak is from that area. It also has a very limited watershed, so it spends quite a bit of time below full pool. It is the only one I have done that am not completely satisfied with.

The last one acre pond was just built last fall and has not filled all the way so the jury is still out on it.

My main pond is 3 acres. Some links below to some of my threads if you are interested. Some have construction pictures.


pond dedicated to raising RES - my latest construction

my forage pond construction


sediment pond construction


main 3 acre pond - not much construction details though Main pond was built pre-PBF for me so construction was pretty well complete by the time I started posting. As I recall there are some pictures of my old pond refurbishment thouh.

refurbishing son's old pond

I took a bunch of pictures of my daughters pond construction, but never made a thread or posted them.

Maybe some of that will give you inspiration. I'm kind of a do it yourself kind of guy also.

snrub,

Dang boy! you got some killer equipment! D-6N dozer, scraper, and that monster CAT tractor. I'll be doing my pond with either a D-5 or an old D-6D and my Kubota M8200. Have to rent a sheepsfoot roller or just use the tractor with a full bucket of rocks and the HD box blade on the back for weight.

Have to apologize posting this thread again. Going through the archives I found where I had posted a very similar thread in July of '14. Heck, I'm getting to where I can't remember what I did yesterday much less a year and a half ago. Appreciate the responses though.

If you will mark the threads you are interested in following (either your own or someone else)on your "watch list" it becomes easy to remember and find your old threads. That is how I easily came up with the links to my threads. They are all on my watch list.

At the top of the thread in the upper left corner where it says "topic options", click it and click "add to watched topics".

Then when you want to recall your watched topics click on "my stuff" and "watch lists".

By the way, that "monster" Cat tractor is too small to pull most of our equipment now. We do still use it on the scraper and it will pull a couple drag harrows and we have one disc small enough, but it is a "too little" tractor now for most field work.