I have never built a dam before but I do have adequate amount of equipment operating experience. The location of my ravine is the very top and beginning of a conjunction of other ravines that eventually goes to a little creek about a mile away. I've done the test holes they all hold water, I've done the compacting of soil(clay) in my hand and it's sticky, holds shape and holds shape in a bucket of water. Literally I have endless amounts of clay soil. I checked on it today and the very bottom of the ravine actually has water holding in it and running a little current thru it. Where my dam is going to go at(the lower part of the ravine) the loggers put in a road at the bottom so it's packed in tight and water is now flowing across it today. It's been wet so I get all that. I have what I can see 7 GIANT rocks like 4ft+in diameter down in where I am going to put the core in. I'm going to pull all the giant rocks out as I go. I'm going to vote as wide as the d6 blade and im going 4ft. Or deeper if need. If i have to pump water out i will. Is a little bit of water going to hurt anything as i build the core up? Do I need to compact the entire pond floor as it's practically trying to hold water all ready? Do I need to push out all the top soil in the pond floor? I appreciate everyone's advice, I like taking on big project and will do this on my own if it epically fails, zero worries I'll hire someone to rebuild it. I wish I knew how to post pictures to give a better idea, someone knows how im all ears.
