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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 26
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2008
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Watching the forum over the past several months I've learned a lot. However I have to say I underestimated how tough it can be to renovate a 40 year old pond. Would have never believed how long it takes for silt to dry...FOREVER! Thought I'd share a few pics of the progress: [img] [/img] This is the main pool of the pond when we first bought the place two years ago (and my son who can't wait to fish the place!). Most was about 3-4' deep, with another quarter acre or so out of view that looked more like a wetlands as the depth was <18". [img] [/img] Last spring we breached the dam to begin the drying process so we could excavate and reshape the banks. 35 years of heavy grazing and cattle traffic had created a lot of erosion around the banks. This is the pond after 9 months of drying. Looks dry right? As many on the forum would have predicted it was bone dry...to exactly 18"...then mush, lots of wet mush. We've made a valiant effort to excavate and get back some good depth. We also plan to raise the pipe to add another 12-18" of depth. It's not as deep as I would like, but we have a good 15-20% that should be at 10-12' and another 20% or so that will hopefully stay around 8'. I say hopefully because you can see that there were some places we couldn't reach without burying the excavator so we cut shelves and left an island or two that at full pool should be 4-5' deep. My hope is that those will hold when we refill and not spread evenly on the pond floor later. Although we're all ready to load this thing with Condello bluegill and start fishing this summer, we want to do this right and it looks like we're going to need a dry summer before we can do the finish grading and reshape the banks. Guess the extra time will give me a chance to add some structure and get more ideas from the pond bosses! Any and all ideas/feedback welcome. This is obviously my first time doing this and I'd rather that the next time is done when my kids have kids.
"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a tree, one need only own a shovel." -- Aldo Leopold
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Joined: May 2004
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Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,978 Likes: 277 |
Although we're all ready to load this thing with Condello bluegill and start fishing this summer, we want to do this right and it looks like we're going to need a dry summer before we can do the finish grading and reshape the banks.
You've got me jealous already - you're gonna have a whole pond to fill with CSBG!
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Sep 2003
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,760 Likes: 300 |
It looks like a fine project. Thanks for sharing.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,978 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,978 Likes: 277 |
Although we're all ready to load this thing with Condello bluegill and start fishing this summer, we want to do this right and it looks like we're going to need a dry summer before we can do the finish grading and reshape the banks.
You've got me jealous already - you're gonna have a whole pond to fill with CSBG! Jealousy increasing the more I think about it. That hypothetical third pond of mine is gonna get big, fat lavender CSBG, at least in my mind.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 26
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 26 |
Since we can't begin filling up the pond until at least fall we're working on a few structures. Not sure the CSBG will fit in these tubes...may have to upsize to 6"!
"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a tree, one need only own a shovel." -- Aldo Leopold
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,086
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Dec 2006
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Nice pics,thanks for sharing.
I subscribe Some days you get the dog,and some days he gets you.Every dog has his day,and sometimes he has two!
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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How did I miss this thread???
Very cool photos, sir! Are there more photos available now?
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 50
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2006
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What are the above drainage tubes/fish houses held together with?
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