ShortCut's structure

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=501217#Post501217

Aside from trimming trees I wanted to keep, having brush cleared and tank dug, these are my first two tank projects.
The 75 year old original tank dam had huge mesquite trees and many had to go in order for the dozer to do its job. The dam was nearly tripled in thickness so the remaining trees are not a concern. I don't need that much firewood and don't have a splitter. Rather than push them into a burn pile I saved the large logs. Sure could've used some help that day! Once the tank was complete I made a fish crib and packed it with cedar. Each corner of the crib has a T-post and all logs were tied with fence wire. The cedar "furniture" is held in with 8 cinder blocks via fence wire crossing over the top of the crib. The blocks hang outside of the crib. If the tank gets low enough I will be able to raise the blocks to add more cedar. The top of the crib is currently about 5-6ft from the surface.
This area is in oil country not far from where it was discovered a 100 years ago. There are active wells on the property and when we bought the land there was unused oil stuff everywhere. Originally I cut up the PVC lines that had carried salt water and intended to burn them...I believe this is a better use. We have several plastic barrels that had been quail feeders. Rats are determined you know?... I first drilled a 1in hole into a plastic barrel, heated the hole with torch and used a softball bat to expand the hole further. While still warm I shoved a short piece of the PVC in the hole until mostly cool. The 6-8ft limbs all float independently so that during a dreadful drought they will stay in the water. Each limb has a single 4in deck screw about a 8in from the end inside the barrel. The screw acts as the hinge and keeps the limb from pulling out of the barrel. Each limb has a little expanding foam in the outer tips to assist with floating. Probably not necessary. I had a 35lb plate that went in the bottom of the barrel before adding the limbs. It still floated so I filled with 4-5 buckets of dirt and gravel. Using dirt and small gravel allows the limbs to move whereas rock would fix them in place. As the tank filled the limbs appeared to work as designed or at least well enough! The buoy is attached to an old window weight inside a vertical 8ft PVC so that it can also rise and fall with the water level.
Now that the tank is full, I wish I had done more. Habitat is much more difficult to add! Now I need a blow torch to cut holes in old deer feeders.
CB

Pics below

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...0317_195536.jpg

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...0318_191415.jpg

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...0703_162757.jpg

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...0707_193432.jpg


http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...0in%20place.jpg

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=14258&filename=Full%20pool.jpg






Last edited by ewest; 01/26/19 10:41 AM.