Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Tropical storm Fay - need that pond topped off?

So far I've only gotten 2.5 inches of rain today but I expect at least double that before the storm passes. Winds aren't bad but electric has been out for about 5 hours. (Thank you Generac )

I just sloshed out and checked my siphon and it's running and keeping up so far at about 3" above full pool. You can smell the bottom water it's purging from 20 feet away. (Thank you siphon )

Knowing you, GW, we're expecting many pictures and a few videos of the spillway in action!

I'm up to 3.3 inches now and the siphon is hanging in there at 5" above full pool.

I just love seeing that bottom water flushing out. Does the rain present a DO risk?

I would think the rain itself would have plenty of D.O. Anyone?

GW,

Your post above sure caught my attention. Somehow I must have missed the threads about your siphon, and a search hasn't turned up anything worth while.

We've had two pretty wet years, and I'd sure like to move some muck and nasty water off the bottom of my pond.

I've been planning on using several hundred feet of 4-inch corrugated plastic sewer pipe to siphon water from the bottom of my pond when the water starts to go out my emergency spillway.

I've given serious thought to laying the pipe in my emergency spillway, which, at its highest point, is about 16-18 inches above the top of my standpipe drain. One end of the pipe would be at the deepest area in my pond. The other end, in the spillway, would be at a level approximately equal to the top of my spill pipe. For the past two seasons, I've had water in my emergency spillway for at least a month per year. This year, it was for almost three months. Even now, I'm only down 4-inches, which is about 10 inches higher than I would expect for this time of year. If a tropical storm or the remnants of a hurricane make their way up our hollow, I'll be over the top again for a few weeks.

If there is a thread about your siphon that I can't find, I'd sure appreciate a link.

Thanks,
Ken

Here ya go Cat.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=112476&fpart=1

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=106434#Post106434

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=10198&Number=109278#Post109278

+1, I would assume rain is pretty well saturated with O2.

If the pond is NOT stratified, you don't have to worry about cold rain causing a turnover and low O2 event.

I think the pond is stratified because of how bad the bottom water smells. We only got about 5" of rain in the last 24 hours, but in my pond that can mean a few feet of new water. It looks like plenty more rain is coming. I just hope that with the siphon running constantly there won't be enough dead water to cause a fish kill if it turns over.

After 14 hours the satellite image doesn't look much different.

Is it a fair assumption that:
a) "bottom" water is always bad
b) smell is a good indicator of water quality and it's effect on the aqua-environment

Layman's guess:

a) No, especially in an aerated pond. (Mine isn't)
b) Yes, generally. "Sewer smell" is caused by anaerobic bacteria which indicates a lack of O2.

This layman agrees.

It's good your system pulls the bottom water, GW. Turnover is not a given, it's dependent on several factors including temperature differential.

Thanks Theo, I've got a lot of babies to think about nowadays.

Water just started flowing over the e. spillway, not that it's uncommon for my pond. The water flowing out of the siphon is almost fresh smelling now.

Automatic back up generators sure are a nice luxury at times. We haven't had grid power for over 20 hours. Without lifting a finger we still have well water (hot), microwave, half the lights, TV (4), computers online (2), refrigerator, and 1 of 2 AC units.

3" from the top of the dam. I really need to raise the height of that dam!

Get some pics or video.

"NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATED
IMPRESSIVE RAINBANDS WRAPPING AROUND THE EAST SIDE OF TROPICAL STORM FAY INTO THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA. THESE RAINBANDS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA. THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR...WITH TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 INCHES OR MORE POSSIBLE."

Here ya go Sunil, this is the water going over the e. spillway. You can see the step I made in an effort to limit fish coming upstream into the pond. It's not there anymore though, I had to break it up with an ax because water started going over my dam.



It's my fault, I let myself feel safe "for now" because heavy rain days haven't been problem, but today is heavier.

if my 14 inchs is any indacation i thing yer fixin to get plenty wet oh ya im in macclenny fl but most of ya know that.
only lost power for about 6 hrs thanks genarac.
under a tornado watch rite now so i got to go .....

I hope to test the outflow at my pond, 50 miles due north of Pontchartrain. Too bad I wont be there to observe.

I emptied my rain gauge Friday morning and through 4 PM today (Saturday) I collected 10.8".

After breaking the e. spillway step I'm holding steady at 1-2" (that's inches) below the dam.

I think you will get that test Burger. Its headed right for your pond. We , being north of you , are going to get very wet also. We have already had about 5 inches over normal for Aug.

Thanks GW. I hope it all works out for you, and you also Burger.

There's a pack of somethin' or other (fish or leaves?) that goes over the E spillway. What was that?

Those were leaves I think.

11.9 inches and counting. It looks like we're getting a break for a while.