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Joined: Apr 2015
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Trevor Offline OP
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Hello all,

I am a new member. I've dreamed about having a pond on my property for a few years. I've researched the idea on and off for just as long. It's time for me to get serious.

The pond location is already picked out. I will be filling a ravine. The down stream side of the ravine has already been "dammed" up by my driveway.

My biggest problem is I have very poor soil at my location. According to local soil surveys it is a Martinsville Loam. Every spring during the winter melt, my "low area" fills with water but within a week it is all gone.

The actual pond surface area will be about a 1/4 acre. It's depth will be 6' at the dam with an average depth of 2.5-3'.

The dam itself is very steep. It will be very tough (if not impossible) to till, spread or compact soils.

The pond will be filled by a little by rainwater runoff and my geothermal furnace discharge. The discharge from furnace only occurs when furnace or AC is running at a rate of 6-8 GPM.

My overall goal is to create a wetland habitat that holds water year round for wildlife, waterfowl and birds. I'm not concerned about holding fish at this point.

I've atttached a few pictures to show you what the area looks like when 3/4 full and empty.

My questions for you guys is what is the best way to seal my soil? bentonite, polymer, ESS-13? Like everyone, my budget is limited but I'm willing to take the next step start holding water.

Thanks for all your help. I'm looking forward to beginning this journey with everyone.

Trevor

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wetland retention area2.jpg wetland retention area1.jpg DJI00036 copy.jpg DJI00143.jpg DJI00144.jpg
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Welcome to the forum, Trevor!

You have a lot of potential for something really special if you want! Let me start by saying a pond is not something you want to do a little at a time if you are concerned about costs. It is FAR more expensive to re-work a completed pond than it is to build what you ultimately want, right, the first time!

My first question is....Isn't there a drain culvert under that road??? Could it just be covered and/or plugged? Was the road built up with rock? I am thinking something more than "poor soils" are letting that water out. Bentonite tilled into the top couple feet of the pond basin soil, then properly compacted could be a reasonable cure for not having quality clay nearby. Ask your area NRCS rep at your local USDA office to come out and take core samples for you. the service is taxpayer supported and free to use.

I am thinking at first, it would be easiest to build up and compact the water side of that road and put in drains large enough to carry huge volumes of water under your current road, or possibly even build up the road some to make a larger pond...

Your Heat pump at 6-8 GPM, intermittently, will not even start to keep up with evaporation in 1/4 acre of water surface in the summer months....runoff or a dedicated, larger well would be needed.

Last edited by Rainman; 04/14/15 11:23 PM.


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Trevor,
Welcome to Pond Boss...lots of good helpful people and info here. Your place has a lot of potential...very nice!

Last edited by stickem'; 04/15/15 06:15 AM.

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Hey Trevor,

Welcome to PBF! About where in Northern Illinois are you located? I am near Belvidere/Rockford area.

Looking forward to following your project.

Bill D.


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Thanks guys,

Bill, I'm located in Byron so pretty close by. Did you build your pond?

Rainman, I do not have a tube under the driveway. The driveway was built up using surrounding soil. There is certainly some clay in it but I'm not sure how much. Road Rock was only used under the actual driveway portion which is 10' wide and about 12" deep.
Although I'm not sure where I'm losing the water, its very likely that I'm losing some there where my driveway is built up. However, the other side of the drive way is bone dry and never shows signs of water moving horizontally down stream.
I agree, I'll have to build up the water side of the driveway and add in a bentonite or clay. I also plan on adding bentonite or something to the rest of the pond bed. What are the recommendations adding a substance? Clay, bentonite, ESS-13, aquablok? I think I understand that its important to do apply the material right and compact it properly. I'm thinking the best way, considering my size of area and the steeper slopes is a skid loader with proper attachments.

Thanks for the help.

Trevor

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Trevor,

Yes we built our pond starting in the fall of 2013. It grew slowly as we needed more fill around the new house. Plan is to expand the pond some more this spring as soon as the guy is available with the excavator.

You have come to the right place for advice. There are a lot of folks here that can help you develop a good go forward plan for your project.

Bill D.


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I would stay away from the "Polymer Sealers" They can't last or remain useful, long term.

Bentonite needs to be disked into the soils at least 12" at a varying concentration that will depend on your soils, moistened, then well compacted using a sheepsfoot roller. The thicker the better to avoid something digging/punching through the sealing layer.

Have you dug any test holes to see if there is good clay under the current soils? Even 10-15 feet deep in a borrow pit near the pond could save money.

As for compacting, a self powered, vibratory sheepsfoot can climb straight up and down a pretty steep bank.

Last edited by Rainman; 04/17/15 03:01 PM.


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Thanks Rainman,

I have an acquaintance who happens to be in the excavating business who also happens to have good clay and good hydric soils nearby. I think that is a feasible option for me but I don't understand how you can spread the clay well enough to know there isn't any holes or missed spots.
I feel if I disked it and added bentonite in the soil I could have more control and make the coverage more uniform and precise? Is this logical thinking?

Bill,
Have you rented a sheep foot compactor in our area? Where could I find one?

Thanks,

Trevor

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Sorry Trevor,

My pond is a water table pond so did not do any compacting. I have not really found anybody in our area that specializes in ponds. You might try one of the construction equipment rental places.

Bill D.


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Trevor Welcome aboard
Do your homework on the dirt before you spend any real money. Your friend that has the good soil may have a small dozer to spread the soil. That is not a hard job at all.
See how much you will be charged to have the clay hauled in.
Then check on bentonite prices.
You are going to enjoy building this pond, but make sure you do it the best you can.

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Thanks Otto,

I talked to the my excavator friend. He says the clay is some sticky stuff. Its so sticky it takes a machine to drag it out of the dump truck. I asked him how hard it would be to spread in my 1/2 acre site. He said it could be done with a big dozer which they have.

I need to get serious about an over flow tube. Right now I have nothing in place other than some concrete "rip rap" on the back side of my dam for my spill way. In the 4 years the dam has been in place, it has overflowed one time during the spring melt. I have about a 15 acre area the would provide me runoff. However, I only collect runoff on the very hard and sustained rainfalls. Plenty of well drained soils and vegetation to collect it before I do. Any recommendations for an over flow tube size? I've provided a picture of my watershed area. The light blue area is approx. 15 acre. The dark blue area is actual pond surface area. about 1/4 acre.

Thanks for the help

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Last edited by Trevor; 04/19/15 12:47 PM.
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That is a good picture angle and really shows the potential of what your pond could be compared to the previous pictures. Looks like to me by putting in a taller dam the area to be flooded would make a very nice pond indeed.

If it were in my area where we have an abundance of good clay (at one time a clay tile company, a ceramic clay pot manufacturer, and a clay brick manufacturer were all less than 10 miles from my house - the brick company (ACME) still is open) a person could just dig a core and create a properly compacted dam below your current road (dam of sorts) and flood the whole area including the old road. But where your have leaky soils, having the current "pond" looks like to me to be a hindrance rather than help. Looks like to me you will need to drain it and start over to get a properly lined and compacted bottom to the whole pond. Otherwise the old portion may well just go on leaking out the bottom.

I'm no expert. Just a farmer with some construction equipment. Mike Otto is. Listen to him and not me. Just my 2 cents from building a few farm ponds.

Last edited by snrub; 04/19/15 03:33 PM.

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One other thing, looking at your picture again and seeing most of your runoff will be coming from farm land, it is not too early to think about a sediment pond or area of the main pond to help keep sediment out of the main pond and keep your water clear. By incorporating a sediment basin in the design of your main pond, it would be cheaper and easier than doing like I did and build one later.

Just a thought.

My sediment pond with lots of links to other examples


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good idea snrub for sure keep as much of the grass as possible in good condition between the farm field and the water.


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