Finally decided to bite the bullet and try to solve my leaking pond/dam issue by building an additional dam and flooding the old dam and pond and making one larger pond approx 6 acres or so. Thought I would post some pics to show the progress or on some days lack of progress.
Google Earth View - Before project Started
Day 1 -- Not a good start
View from Dam 1 toward existing pond and toward new pond site
Work progresses -- stripping top soil - working on core...
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more to come...
3 questions.
It looks like a new machine, was there any damage?
How long did it take and what did you use to get it out?
At what point did you say Oh SH..!!!!!
1.) The machine is practically new... 180 hours
2.) Got it stuck about 9:30 am on a Monday -- Got it out Tuesday afternoon -- Worked till about 2 in the morning Monday night / Tuesday morning, then gave up until reinforcements came Tuesday. Took two more track hoes and two bull dozers to get it out. It was quite the production.
3.) Luckily I was not operating it.... But I did try to tell the operator that the area he was moving into was very soft...
After two days of working on the machine everything is working but the heat and air, and you have to turn it off manually.
Great looking project. What part of AL are you in - I'm near Roanoke/Wedowee.
I feel for you. A friend who manages the family farm had one of the workers bury their new combine. Muck ground, operator wasn't paying attention. It took at least a large trackhoe and 3 days to get it out. It happened almost 3 weeks ago and he's still steamed about it. I was out of town and had limited cell service so I still haven't heard the whole story.
Nice pics . Thanks for the update. Glad you got the equipment out in one piece.
Looks like you hired some of my kin to operate the excavator.
There is some Alabama red in that there dirt.
Looks exciting, in more ways than one!
Way cool place...I can see how flooding the old dam would work if there was a leak in the dam or tube, but if the leak is elsewhere in the old pond wouldn't it still leak? By the way I gotta say for a leakin pond it looks pretty good...I'm down about 3 1/2 feet here in drought country with no leaks.
Ghost... The dam is leaking and the pond is leaking into the swampy area below the dam... which will be part of the new "superpond" hey I like the sound of that!!
Tums, where are you in Alabama??
Just in case anybody noticed the Smartscouter game camera strapped down to my atv... I was putting it back out with a fresh battery. I have had it set up overlooking the project set on a time delay taking a picture every 30 minutes during the hours we are working on the pond. Plan to change it to one picture a day once we are done with the dam and pond itself to document the pond filling up. Plan to put all the photos together to make a video when finished. Wont that be COOL!!! i have around 500 plus pictures so far. All shot from the same spot!!
Just in case anybody noticed the Smartscouter game camera strapped down to my atv... I was putting it back out with a fresh battery. I have had it set up overlooking the project set on a time delay taking a picture every 30 minutes during the hours we are working on the pond. Plan to change it to one picture a day once we are done with the dam and pond itself to document the pond filling up. Plan to put all the photos together to make a video when finished. Wont that be COOL!!! i have around 500 plus pictures so far. All shot from the same spot!!
Great idea!!!!! That would be fun to see.
Tums, where are you in Alabama??
I am in Rural area between Troy and Enterprize in Pike County. Dear Old Dad was from the Carbon Hill area.
Very impressive project and great pics. Thx for sharing.
Pinetar that is a great idea. Post a link here when you get it done.
Have a question for you, in Alabama did you have to pull a permit to do that, we have some lakes in NW Florida and the process has really gotten crazy to even get permission to get one, when they decide to let you, the size of it can't be very big. I'm guessing <5 acres. Not sure if Alabama has the same restrictions. We have property in Alabama, and would like to put one up there, dad was told he would need a permit that would run 10K just to get it, WOW!!!!!!!
dad was told he would need a permit that would run 10K just to get it, WOW!!!!!!!
That's ridiculous if that's true.
That's waht i thought as well!!!!
There is not a universal set of rules or laws. It will change from one ditch to the next. Do your homework—The permit will last longer than the pond, and may be very valuable when the property is sold.
Not all work will require permission—ask around—A neighbor with a pond is a good place to start.
Otto