Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site Possible way to save on escavating costs

I am having my local Vocational High School dig my pond for me, its 3/4 of an acre all escavated. All the clay is being moved to another site on the property to raise and flatten for a Horse riding arena. This work is being done by the "Heavy Equipment" class and is a great project for the Junior and Seniors in the class. My cost?? Nothing.....Class provides the equipment, ( 2 skid loaders, backhoe, compactor, small dozer and small track hoe.)the gas, and all the expertise from the teacher who used to run his own escavating business. I live about 15 minutes from the school and when the weather is nice, they bring a school bus out and the Juniors work on it for about 2 hrs in the morning and then the Seniors come out for about 2 hrs in the afternoon. Last Spring he had a Night class of adults who were working on there journeymen cards out doing work. If you have the time, it may work out for you.
Speaking of Time, its been so wet the last year that they have only been out a few times to work, its been a torrential flooding about every 6 days here in the Ohio valley and that has killed the project. Im now waiting for freezing ground after 3" of rain in the last week. Last year we were almost 40% wetter then normal, Im getting tired of pumping the water out each time they come out to work.

Just thought Id pass it along in case others are having a tough time affording the work, the quote the teacher gave us unofficially was for about 34K worth of work. (had we paid to have it done) of course it would have been done in a few weeks versus the 1.5 years it will take now if mother nature ever lets up, but then again, the price was right...

Salmonid (Mark)

Mark:
That's what we did with the dirt from the last 1/3 of our pond. 400 dump truck loads and my wife got her outdoor arena early.

Bruce, Sunil, Brettksi, et. al.:
I would like to deny it right now. Mark is NOT one of my alter egos.