Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Creating my Lake

Keith,

Thanks. That must have taken a few hours to read the whole thread!!!!

I gave up on the timeline for the park a few years ago. hahaha I'm working on clearing the land and getting all the dirt work done. When that's all ready, then I'll move to step two. As it is, the land is paid for, my home is paid for and the tractors are paid for. I'm debt free and kind of like it that way. hahaha

Sandbox,

I'm glad you enjoyed that thread. It's really turned out to be a very nice little home that we're very happy with.

Eddie

I received 1 1/2 inches of rain last night!!! Every time it rains, it's a big family event here. hahaha

This is my spillway on December 6, 2006


This is my wife standing on the spillway today, December 30, 2006


Lake Marabou on December 30, 2006


Thanks,
Eddie

Hey Eddie,
How long do you figure that gator is in the second pic? Glad you got some measurable rain!

Wow, Eddie...simply fantastic!
I remember right from the beginning that you indicated a substantial inflow of drainage. Are ya confident that your earthen spillway is ready for the rush? If not, hook up the pipeline and send a bunch to me.
(on a lighter note, is it safe to assume that Texas water is miscible with midwestern water, or any other for that matter, without violent reaction?)

The blue line gives an idea of where the water will be when full. The red lines show the path the water will take when over flowing down to the creek. The arrow shows the location of the creek.

It's very level for over two hundred feet, then it drops off into the creek. Originally, the land was lower before the creek and the water traveled for more than a thousand feet to the place it entered the creek. This is one reason I chose this location, because of the natural bowl shape of the land. There was a four foot difference from the creeks edge to the middle of the lake.

I smoothed and shaped the spillway area to make it as flat as I could to carry the water away from teh lake with very little speed. No speed means less erosion. Or at least, that's my plan.

Eddie

Eddie from reading your post looks like you are in the Red Springs or Winona area. I live in Quitman and would love to come up and look at your lake. I work around the Tyler State Park area. Are you close?

Rich,

I'm just down the road from Winona. Feel free to PM me and give me your email address.

Eddie

I received an inch and a half of rain last night and the lake is up a few more inches. I'm thinking about buying a yard stick and putting it in the ground just to get an accurate measurement of how much water I get compared to how much rain comes down. I understand there are alot of variables, but it would still be interesting to see.

Steph took this picture two nights ago.



This is my silt pit. I dug it out the other day and you can see the dirt pile to the left. Water is still flowing through the culvert several hours after it's stoped raining.



This is why I need a yard stick. The changes are there, but you have to be here to see them. I'm guessing the lake is up another four inches after that rain, but it's just a guess.



Thanks,
Eddie

Eddie,

That's a very useful number to have...when another dry spell hits you will know exactly how much rain is required to fill it back up...or very close estimate.

I'd be interested in your number if you don't mind. The big(relatively)pond I built several years back has a very low amount of drainage....something like 3 acres of watershed for a 4 acre pond. My number for that pond is 2/1, i.e. 1 inch of rain wil produce a 2 inch rise in the water level. On another pond I built with lots of water shed, not surprisingly a 1 inch rain can result in an 8 inch rise, but it fills up so fast that I haven't been able to calibrate it well.

Ok...this is a little "zen" like, but your pond will reach that spillway and water will go over it for the first time only once....for me that was a moment to cherish and always remember.

On the same note, I've watched mine closely after closing the valve and have some numbers to consider. My watershed is about 15 acres according to the topo map. All of it is wooded save an acre or so of small food plots. Last weekend I calculated that my pond recieved an est influx of about 60,000 gallons of water out of about 305,000 that fell on the 15 acres as rain. This is almost 20% which I thought was pretty good. I guess it all has to do with the rain rate and what the ground conditions are before the rain sets in.

If you are still wanting some ideas you can email me at ottosdirtservice.com or call my office mon to fri from 8 to 12 and I'll set up a phone appt.

Sorry I left my office number 940.665.2258

Meadowlark, I'm certain that the most macho of the macho here, the men's men, and there are many here I'm certain, will be understanding if any male pond/lake owner sits down and weeps with tears of joy upon watching what you have described.

This is the common bond most of us share here, despite all other differences, adn it is a strong one.

I couldn't find tears of joy Graemlins, Robinson, or would have used those.

You guys talked me into it. I went to Lowes today and bought a yard stick. I put it in at the waters edge in front of my spillway, then got down on the ground and adjusted it to get it as close to level as I could without getting the laser level out.

It's reading 29 inches low, but we're expecting a storm to get here tomorrow and last for three days. If I get any rain, I'll compare what's in my rain guage to the yard stick.

Across the lake, you can see my truck. I'm adding concrete pieces to my inflow from my culvert. Then I put some readi mix in some of the gaps to make sure the water flows nicely.

Eddie

the first time is the best, moreover, in my neck of the woods (and i'm sure TX too) after a long hot summer and devastating losses, it has become an annual event to cherish the first passing of water over the spillway and a return to full pool

return to full pool

eddie, may you and family enjoy many decades to come of this blessed event

Dave,
I can say for a fact it is the same in my neighborhood. I am on the downward side and probably won't be full again until June or July. I still wonder why I take it all so personally. I am even starting to think about MY snails and My crabs.

Dave,

I was really looking forward to my first time like Meadowlark said, but now I can see the thrill of this becoming a yearly event. You also put the fear in me the way you worded your statement. "Devastating Losses" sure does increase the pucker factor of what I can expect.

On a side note, do you know anybody in Pine Grove or Pioneer? My parents live in Pine Grove and are members of the Elks Lodge and a very good friend lives in Pioneer.

Eddie

well hopefully yer in a situation with more summer water than i am. perhaps a well? a small creek or spring? i could use anything to help especially from august through october. maybe TX summer rains will return for you guys next year. unfortunately i will never be able to count on summer rain unless something like global warming changes our patterns.

the closest i actually know people to that area is somerset....couple friends (including our own jeffhasapond). pine grove and pioneer are beautiful, have driven through several times. its about a 45 minute drive from my place. if you ever come to visit them you more than have an open invite to visit here, just let me know.

Pioneer is just up the mountain from me, been there a few times.

Never been to Pine Grove.

Thanks for the invite. I was there in the spring, but it might be a year or two until I go back again. When I do, I'll send you a pm, I'd love to see your pond.

Eddie

You'll have to stop by and see my place as well. There are ponds-a-plenty in El Dorado County.

Our only request will be that you fill your luggage with Redears. Dave and I are struggling to find a decent source in California.

My rain guage was right at one inch this morning, so Steph and I decided to go down to the lake to see how much the water rose in it.

The math couldn't be any easier!!!

The yard stick is now readng 26 inches low. It was at 29 inches yesterday, so one inche of rain gave me three inches of water.

We're expecting quite a bit of rain over the next two days, and with the ground already saturated, the ratio will change quite a bit.

Thanks,
Eddie

That seems like very good information to track. I like your approach. Keep us posted on the results of the new rainfall. I'm curious about how the ground saturation will effect the results.

More rain yesterday after my last post, plus last night. There is anotehr 4 5/8's inches of water in my rain guage. The water level rose from 26 inches low to 8 1/4 inches low right now.





Thanks,
Eddie