Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site Un-Intended Pond Site

Very nice place you have here. Cleanest forum I have ever visited. Hat's off to all involved.

I have to make a decision about a possible pond.

What started out as a couple scoops of sand here and there has potentially become a big hole in the ground, which is not that bad right now. I thought of just dishing it out nice and planting grass, kinda like making an irregular ground feature.

Well, it appears that there will be a requirement for some 5000+ yards of sand for various projects planned.

The ground here is a bit of top soil, about a foot of reddish sand, maybe six feet of really nice and clean sand, then you hit gravel.

Based on well drilling's in the area, clay is not to be had for about 18 feet.

We also have a really funny water table. The current hole in the ground is dry as a bone (was about 8 feet deep). 800 feet north you hit water at less than 2 feet, 200 feet east and you hit water at 4 feet.

My brother in law got out his sticks (divining rods that I made from stainless steel, they really work) and found numerous well locations and veins of water, so a water supply would not be that difficult. This particular location probably would not get too much runoff.

I have a source for clay and broken concrete, I just have to pay for trucking. I have some of the intended clay and will do a bucket test as suggested in other posts.

A pond would be a beautiful addition to the property. My dad could easily walk over with the grand kids and enjoy a day of fishing. Would like YP and BG.

I just thought some of you with experience could shed some light and help me make a decision. I have till spring (frost laws) to make a decision to dig "BIG" or not. Sand and gravel could be piled at the end of the new road for later use.

I really don't want to mess this up.


Couple scoops of sand removed. I was just going to back fill with top soil from another location. [img][/img]


The growing hole, while still manageable. Maybe 80 yards removed.
[img][/img]

I know, nice and neat lines. Just to get an Idea.


Dirt guy will be in next spring to do the road, and we will take about 300 yards out for that. I need about 1500 yards or so for building up where the house is going. I don't want to run the risk of having a lake in my basement. Mom and Dad pump all the time and that could be a source of water. A neighbor had it so bad that he had to fill in his basement with sand and concrete. Dry as a bone when they first built it, house was less than 2 years old when they filled it in. We have a funny water table here.

Definitely going to have a hole in the ground. Even with about 2000 yards removed, I still could make an irregular ground feature, but a pond would be preferable.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks



 

Will there be any watershed?
Looks to be on a slight knoll. I think I would thoroughly investigate the ability to get water to the site before I committed to a pond. If you are convinced water wouldn't be a problem I would go for it. Either dig down until you find clay or plan on a liner.

Might get a bit of watershed but I doubt it would be significant.

This is really a puzzling location. This is actually the lowest spot on the property, but it is the driest. A couple hundred feet in either direction, up hill, dig a hole, you got ground water.

One thing the dirt guy might be interested in is excavating the entire thing for the gravel and some of the sand in a partial trade. His stick goes about 22 feet, which would be well into the clay, plus he has some nice CAT dozer's (Please Santa, give me one for Christmas). He is a really nice guy.

I am quite convinced that I will have enough water to keep full pool, be it by nature or pumping, just have to keep it in there.

My wallet just made a noise, Is that common???

If it was a sucking sound that you heard, yes, it's common.

Even if your contractors' excavators' stick is shorter than 22', he can dig deeper than that. They'll be down in the hole digging, it's too much of a danger to dig full depth on soil right in front of the machine; the dirt could collapse from the vibrations of the machine and tip it into the hole.

Remember that you'll want the soil to gently slope from ground level to water level. It will allow easy egress from the pond, and allow you to mow down to the waters' edge. The tricky part will be determining water level.

2:1 is pretty steep, 3:1 or 4:1 is better. Especially with sandy soil.

Hello JKB and welcome to Pond Boss (I've realized you've posted before but just noticed that it did not seem as though the welcome wagon rolled out for you).

Experts, do you think it would be worth while having a Geologist look at the place. Will the strange water table come into play in building a pond?

If you haven't already JKB I would by "Perfect Pond, Want One?" and down load and read the various other pond publications that are in the archives that pertain to building a pond. Knowledge is the key here. You've probably already thought of all of this but I think it's worth mentioning.

No sucking sound yet, more like a whine.

Water lever will be tricky.

Already played on the three (or more) slopes with my Kubota. If you look at the pic., that has snow cover. Directly forward is a 3:1 slope (these are approximate, but close), to the right is a 2:1 slope, and to the left is a 4:1 slope.

3:1 I can drive in, grab a healthy scoop and back out of the hole. 2:1, can't back out with a load, but can drive out forward with a load, either through the 3:1 or 4:1. I can also turn around and go up a 2:1 with a load.

4:1 is the emergency escape if all else fails.

No way the Bobcat is going in this hole with sand. Helicopter would be pretty pricey.

Don't want to get anything stuck, unless I can get it out myself.

I know of a Helicopter incident. It's funny because no one was hurt, but they were morons for building a log road over a marsh trying to dig out some muck to create a pond off of Spring Lake.

Anyway, the contractor built the base up with logs over the swamp. Worked it pretty good for a while and all was OK while in the same position.

He moved just a bit, while on his log foundation.

YEP, went down into the muck. (you have to understand that the muck was somewhere close to 20 feet down at this point)

A Red helicopter was called in, "Heavy Lift".

The excavator was just hoping to get his "New" equipment out at the time.

It was pulled out, kinda soggy.

Not fun for anyone. But was kinda of the sight that most will never forget.

Don't know what happened after that, with the contractor, but next spring they had quite a few juvenile Northern Pike in the pond. That is really cool...

Thanks Jeff,

I have read everything on the internet plus.

I put in my stocking stuffer request (Pond Boss Stuff) into the hands of the appropriate authorities, Lets just see what
they decide.

Based on that, a loofah brush or something like that might happen.

Ahhhh. An Evelyn Wood graduate with high-speed download!

Just got a directive from the Boss.


Pond is going in, and I have to make it work, no matter what.

This is sort of what I am planning for my Dock. Cantilevered Construction.


Retaining wall will be a good 60ft long at about 8ft deep. Then it shallows up for about a hundred or so feet on each end. Not straight, but has curves. The whole pond level is being sunken down another 4-5 feet to meet up with our approximate ground water level. I need to do a bit more work on this. This is primarily a groundwater pond. I may even make the dock 16' wide.

I have an overall plan in mind, but want to take it piece by piece on a developmental level.

Laughing and Jeering is appropriate at this time!

Tell me what you think.

ambitious...I like it, but very concerned for the length of the cantilever.
-
roof?

Thanks Brettski,

Ambitious, maybe, but I can sell the gravel to offset the costs.

I am not worried about the cantilever length, and rigidity (bounce, flex, springboard type of things. Plus it being secure in the ground on the other end).

That is why it is in the planning stages. And I want your opinions.

I know a wee bit about Engineering (wait till incoming rounds cease, to poke your head up)

At least it is only 16', I thought about longer, but my mind buckled at a certain point.

I can also go wider, as an option. But don't think that is necessary.

Roof: Over the entire dock, steel framing, (I know how to fab steel, not too confident in wood), I can see that as a possibility, plus it adds to the strength.

How will it be attached to the counterweight, and what will the total static weight be (with roof)? I'm going to assume that the static weight will be distributed evenly over the whole length?

What size I-beams and channels? What's the design of the roof including supports and cross bracing?

Did someone mention “Cantilevered Construction”?
16’ Cantilever might be pushing it… unless your going to be using some mighty beefy I beams.

How much does 2 feet of wet snow weigh?

Suddenly I don't care about your project anymore.

I don't know squat about engineering and very little about construction (well unless you are taking about percentage of completion construction accounting - on that topic I am fairly knowledgeable). So I'll leave the construction & engineering discussion to those folks.

I deleted that part Jeff.

I haven't got everything calculated out yet.

It will be attached with a series of 4140 anchor rods that will be set before the concrete is poured.

I think if I put a roof on it will only be about half the length.

This is just the basic idea to start with. I am going to run the numbers starting with 12" I beams and channels. I have a Mathcad program for this but I have to go dig out an old computer and see if it is on there or else I'll have to write a new one.

Don't want that to happen. 16' might be a bit long, but I'll start there and shorten up as required.

Thanks for the pic.

Quite a bit. This monitor displays Autocad drawings rather elongated so it looks a bit disproportionate in the pic.
Thanks.

You guy's spawned some new ideas today with your comments.

I am just trying to come up with something I may like to live with for the remainder...

Thanks All, Here is a new concept, which I like better.




I still want a cantilevered deck/dock, and this seems more (not pushing it) Comfy. The building would only be 160 sq-ft, which is large enough to escape for a while. Although I show a 4:12 roof pitch, I will probably re-work it with a 12:12 pitch, and that would add a loft, and the door will probably be a slider. I would have an access door on the land side, not on the dock.

Feel free to giggle and criticize, It helps

This is an evolutionary project, so changes and improvements are the basic protocol.

Just for convenience and easier housekeeping inside (not walking on the dirt/grass right before entering the building) you might want a door on both sides.

I like this plan better, I was worried about the lever arm on the last one. Maybe make the roof overhang big enough on the pond side so you could sit outside if it was raining out.

Thanks esshup,

The one shown will probably be a slider and I'll have a entrance door on one of the ends.

I am also going to change the roof pitch, then I can put an overhang to the edge of the dock.

Maybe a retractable awning for rainy days?

If I keep the building under 200 sq-ft I wont need a permit or have to get zoning approval.