This is my first post so maybe my questions are covered elsewhere on this site. Anyhow, here is my situation...

I'm in Missouri. On the north end of our property there is no water except for a 6 foot wide dry creek that snakes through very thick brush. It has no water until it rains very hard. I would like to build a partial dam to capture some of the runoff into a pool maybe 3 feet deep at the deepest for wildlife to drink and not have to leave the property. How do I do this?

By partial I mean that it would only be so high so that if it rains too much the water can run over the top or through channels or pipes to the side. I'm thinking of using concrete. Have any of you ever done or seen such a small project? Are there any plans, literature, or websites out there I could look at? What problems can I expect? Is there anything I should avoid?

Thanks for your help...

i would use rocks to stop up your creek.in my overflow pipe discharge ditch i use rocks that are from softball size to half the size of a basketball to raise the water in my lake.in my case i've probably raised the water level about 3-4 inches in a 5 1/2 acre lake.this seems to work pretty good for me and it does not cost any money.i would think you could easily hold back as much water as you would need.

Do you use any other material? I mean, what keeps the water from leaking through the gaps inbetween the rocks?

Another inexpensive method to try:

Some people call them gabion structures or wire baskets. To assemble these structures first buy some hardware wire or woven wire at farm/ranch supply store. Bend the wire into a square or rectangulr basket (with the top piece missing). Fill the basket with various size rocks and then place a wire top on the basket. Use hog rings to complete the assembly process. Size of basket may vary, but 4'X 8'X 1 ft. deep are common. Storms will generally not wash this device down the creek. You may need to build several in place to get the desired results. As you already pointed out, this (homemade )structure will leak also. Just lay some impervious fabric, rubber liner or even bentonite on the front slope and cover with topsoil. This should grass in eventually. The completed structure is quite inexpensive, durable and workable.

Get ahold of me through my email if you have questions.
good luck,

Ed

yes ,you need other material.what i did was put rocks down then filled with gravel.keep in mind you need to spread material out 4-6 feet.you cannot pile rocks on top of each other and stop the water,build a rock and gravel dam about 5 ft.i'm holding back water on over 5 acres about 2-4 inches.i do not think you can hold back 3-4 ft. of water but i dont think he's trying to do that.if you hold back 1 ft. of water in a creek that will be plenty of water for animals to stay on the property.

One very successful guy on this site used bags of sakrete cement. You must dig back into the bank and start in the void or it will wash out. Stack them about 4 deep and 4 wide. Or, I guess you could do more. I do know that the higher you get, the more likely you are to lose it.

You need a clay bottom or good sandy loam. If you try it on a sandy or rocky or gravel bottom, it will run under it.

Here's a link to a pic of the dam Dave's refering to:
http://img38.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img38&image=im000498ed2.jpg

Here's the link to the thread: http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000046

Martin made a very nice little pond there!

Wow. Everyone thanks for the posts, links, pictures, and information. That's exactly the help I was looking for and I can't wait to get started!

Thanks for the props, guys! It's still hanging in there and I'm planning some improvements for spring. Wish I had something big enough for fishing nearby, though! Hmmm... Hillbilly, I responded to your PM and you can view the reply by clicking "my profile" at top.

You might try a digger dam. Start by laying several logs below grade across the stream, anchoring them well into the banks. Stack another log on stop of the first two, and backfill the upstream portion with fine gravel. As the water spills over the dam, the water will eventually dig out a hole below the dam which should be adequate for wildlife purposes.