Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam New Pond - Seeding/Erosion Control on Dam

We are in the finalization of our new pond in East Central Indiana and hubby and I will do the finish grade and seeding next week. As we're extended the dam and levee out to the front of the house (we're probably trying to seed about a 70 degree angle and need about 1305 syds is what we came up with for erosion control matting if we go with that (we're thinking DS150 straw mat, biodegradable). What have you done as far as erosion control when you seeded? Is there a better? or cheaper? --method with same results? Want your input. Still checking all angles.

Cecil Baird puts down burlap over his grass seed and has such good results others have adopted the practice.

I see you list farming on your profile. If you have access to hay or straw cheap in bulk, you should check with your local soil & water conservation office (NRCS) and see if they have a mulch chopper/blower for rent. When we seeded our pond and outdoor arena after completion, we rented one for a day (gas powered, $50-$60/day) to mulch the sloped areas (as steep as 2:1 at the arena) with about 150 bales of 2-3 year old hay. We didn't mulch the flats at the arena; the mulched areas grew about 5 times as much grass that Fall, even on the steep slopes.

Thanks for the input, you're right inline with what my hubby was first thinking. We were concerned about erosion even with the hay (trying to get a good start of grass growing this time of year and no rutting). A vendor from my work suggested the DS150 but we are trying to keep costs down some but not jeopardize the fine pond we're in the mist of completing.

Sept. 15 is the optimal date for seeding in my area and I assume the same for yours.

Some recommendations based on mistakes I made. Areas you can't water and slopes will be the most vulnerable to erosion. Get the best erosion protection you can for these areas if you can. Get the finish dirtwork as perfect as possible before seeding. Buy quality seed, the cheap stuff I bought was full of clover. Straw/hay works good, don't skimp on the mulch you'll regret it later. Straw can blow away in areas that get wind.

it is a good time of year to plant warm season native grasses, but getting late. i really like blue stem and indain grass and all of the flowers from the mix that come and go. can you use pond water yet to irragate?

oooo..
not to question your wisdom, Cliffbrook, but I am in a similar region and have been officially waved off by the NRCS office for planting WWNG this time of year. I am targeting next Spring. Until then, I have the cool weather options, annual or perennial.
Past that, though, I agree with your vegetation preferences. It would be worthwhile for MarkECin to talk with the local NRCS office for some advice and input. Look into W.H.I.P.....ya never know.

well if you wait for the best time, it may never work out. the last weekend of july is late but it is a long long way until the first weekend of June when your guy would say to do it. so I say go. it is difficult to seed the levee/dam because of the slope so why plant oats twice before the warm season stuff and not to mention repeated cultivation. i would try to do it once and that is now, get the seed and get it on. if the pond has started backing up water it is not far for the honda powered pump to irragate the levee and i can loan sprinklers. this time of year will not have alot of erosion. there are advantages to doing warm season now.

This week we are planning on seeding (CO-OP rep helped -- seed mix: 50% perrenial rye grass, 20% Kentucky bluegrass, 15% creeping red fescue, 15% annual rye grass) and mulching nice with straw, no skimping. Maybe not ideal time of year, but Mark is pretty good with his green thumb when he did our yard). We are renting the machine that chops and blows hay. The straw method is about 1/2 the costs of the erosion blanket. Hey, y'all, we already have 3+ feet of water in it on the deep end and a large snapper turtle (hubby thought i was kidding, but he saw it now)! Do you think I can introduce some minnows to the pond now or wait for the 4' plus? We also have to put our windmill inplace later this week. Hopefully we don't have to water, otherwise farmer hubby will have to bring a tank on down or your idea was good using the pond water. I'M..., NO, WE'RE SO EXCITED!

I think it sounds great. I really like your plan with the hay chopper/blower.
Not that it would matter for your project at this time, but Cliffbrook is due a level of apology from me for mis-articulated, mis-guided information. I got tuned up by the farmer in our area that is helping us with our perimeter and vegetation development and will also be handling the W.H.I.P. work this coming Spring. He agrees with Cliffbrook that WWNG can still be planted all the way thru August, but the average risk for best germination is lower in the Spring. This, combined with the fact that I cannot get the WHIP funding for this year "waves ME off" for this year for the full blown WWNG, shrubs, forbs, and trees. In the meantime, we will stabilize the banks with Rye and Ryegrass.