Meeting my Dirt Man today to sign contracts, He is going to start working first of next week. Ive been dreaming of this project for a long dang time and am glad to know that it is finally gonna happen. Here is a pic of the future lake.
Always amazed at looking at TX topos with all of the hills, and NO natural bodies of water. What gives? Is the topo so old all of the natural bodies filled in with silt long ago?
Zep, Caddo is the neatest and spookiest lake I've ever been on. I was fishing there about 20 years ago. I saw a HUGE beaver laying on the bank with its head missing. It hadn't been severed. Something had eaten just the head off. It wasn't bloated so we figured it had happened the previous night. No idea what happened to it.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
Zep, Caddo is the neatest and spookiest lake I've ever been on.
Dave, Caddo Lake is something very special. Like a step back in time. It's wild when you get in some of those sloughs where several come together...almost like an intersection on the lake and there is literally street signs that tell ya which way to go. I caught a toothy chain pickerel on Caddo Lake which I had not ever seen before. Ya think a gator ate the beaver? Did you ever meet "Frog" at Johnson's Ranch? That guy was a real character.
I thought that lake was a swamp once, but long ago was artificially damed up to make it larger? So being "natural" really isn't quite accurate. But that aside, Texas geology really is pretty cool, and really needs people like you guys to get some ponds in it.
I thought that lake was a swamp once, but long ago was artificially damed up to make it larger?
Caddo started out as a series of bayous, creeks, swamps, and low lying areas that became a natural lake. A dam was added in the 1900's to control the water level after the lake had been there many years...but however one wants to define it.....we sure love it!
Well I recieved some Bitter Sweet News yesterday. As it turns out the lake is going to end up being 9 acres instead of 6.8. Apperantly topo maps aren't completely accurate. I love the fact of it being bigger. Only thing is that its going to cost more money. I got the Dirt man down half of what he started wanting so im ok with it. Now im having to relocate everything. Where I originally planned to build my house pad is now going to be under water, lol. But being as that I live for this stuff I dont think that I will mind spending the next few days walking the land reconfiguring everything. lol Construction began this morning clearing trees. Ill take some pics this evening.
The natural depth will 12 or 13 feet deep in center by the dam, but he is running his scrapers on sides so it could easily get deeper on sides than in center .
David....I am no expert but deeper sides can really help prevent or reduce certain kinds of moss and pond scum being along your shoreline. Of course most people dont want to step off into 10 foot of water either. I guess there is a happy medium.
I bought a place that already had a pond and have some trouble with moss/aquatic vegetation along my shores.
Mike Otto the pond building expert came out and he said part of the problem is my banks don't drop off quick enough. Mike stated a shallow gradual bank allows the aquatic vegetation to grow easier.
Mike said it's relatively cheap to make steep banks when building a pond, but once a pond my size is built it can be pretty expensive to go in after the fact and make the shoreline have a steeper incline. Mike said some people that don't want a steep shore dropoff on their entire pond can build half or just parts of their ponds with this steeper slope feature and thus prevent/greatly reduce the shoreline aquatic vegetation. If I had it to do over-again I would love steeper shorelines on at least 75% of my pond/lake.
See below the aquatic vegetation along my shore:
This pic shows my buddy standing in my shallow shoreline and Mike said that gradual slope makes it too easy for the aquatic vegetation in east Texas. This was earlier in Spring, it got much worse.
David, that's going to be a fun project. Is the lake going to be in the same area? This is none of my business, and feel free to say so if you wish: but, what's the story concerning that that area (about 100'x500) on the road? Do you own that too?
Zep, Yes he is going to scrape down the sides for dirt for the dam, I put it in our contract for him to do this all the way around the lake. Im not so concerned about up in the shallow end as it will mostly bee swamp "Hopefully duck heaven also". Rmedger, If youre talking about the small section that the boundry line goes around. It wasnt mine 2 years ago when that drawing was made, but this past year the crazy idiot that lived there moved out and i was fortunate enough to buy it. It has a small frame house on it which we rent my wifes aunt and cousin. It worked out well for us. The guys got almost all of the trees down today in the main part of the lake. Pics wont show much yet
David...I have seen those rakes and thought about getting one. What did your buddy do with all the vegetation once he raked it out? Burn it? How long do you think it stays pretty clear? I guess if done right it may last half the summer of being a lot more clear of the vegetation? It would seem like pond mgt companies would offer this service, but it seems like they go a different direction and that makes we wonder how effective raking really is. But hey does your buddy need extra work? I will hire him..LOL This is my first summer with the property, besides stocking lots of Tilapia I was kind of just watching to see what happens. With the scorching heat during July/August I don't spend a lot of time out there. Hope to have aeration in place by next Spring along with more tilapia and maybe some grass carp. Can't wait to see some pics of your place. Sounds like you have a great palette to start with.
Before using it just make sure that the plants that you are raking are the type that don't propigate from cuttings or you'll just make the weed problem worse.
