Well, since I can no longer add replies to the message, I'll restart it.

Building a 2nd pond (1.5 acres) and here's the progress in just 2 days.

From this
[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444574723232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E2323956%3A%3B5453ot1lsi[/img]

to this
[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444574723232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E2323967%3C898%3C3ot1lsi[/img]

to this, as of this morning
[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444574723232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E2323967%3C898%3C4ot1lsi[/img]

Still trying to get him to shave off that knob where the fuel tank is sitting so that we can see more from the porch. Finally dragged him up there last night to show him what I was talking about and he says "...ya can't even see half the pond from here!" Yep...move some dirt. (These pics are from our bedroom on the 2nd floor.)

Should finish today, except the pipe won't be here til Tuesday...drat. Now to start the rain dances...

Awesome. Please keep updating. Thanks.

NEDOC:

I will...now if I could just keep my postings from going away, never to be seen again!

Matt,

Hows the project going?? Any updates?

Russ

Well, the dang thing's built. Dozers pulled out yesterday. Gotta get some pichers of the finished project tonight. Wife's got the digicam in her Escape, and swears she's headin' to the auction house tonight as softball's officially over for us . Wildcats got beat in 9 innings by Wapello....dang it, anyway.

If she leaves the camera behind, I'll get some shots...

Well, it's done. Now for the seeding, but it's so dry, I gotta wait for some rain.

[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444%3B79523232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E232397%3B5%3B%3B%3A52ot1lsi[/img]

and here's a view of the house from the dam...

[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444%3B79523232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E232397%3B5%3B%3B%3A4%3Aot1lsi[/img]

Finally, here's the view from the porch...

[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3444%3B79523232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E232397%3B5%3B%3B%3A49ot1lsi[/img]

A bit deceiving, as it's only about 50 yards to those little trees in the ditch. Those gotta go, says wifey. Just a couple of willows and a cottonwood. I'll wait til it cools a bit and then get Tony in with the backhoe to clean that ditch up a bit...lovin' it.

Matt,

That looks like a heck of a nice spot to have a lake. What are your next plans? Structure, fish...ect? Keep the pics coming.

Yeah pictures sometimes are hard to tell things...how deep is it?
Great view, keep the pictures coming please.

Well, it was scheduled at 1.25 acres, but ended up being closer 1.6, after he stole enough clay to build the dam.

Deepest point is about 20 feet, again only due to having to gather enough dirt to build the dam (it is substantially longer than the first one). With a large area (50x75') that ranges from 0 - 3 feet in depth...marshy spawning area. Rest drops off quickly to at least 4-5 feet...shouldn't have to fight the fil. algae as much.

Will start adding structure (trees, concrete blocks, stones and 3 large concrete culverts) soon as the temps drop a bit.

He left several steep ledges dropping from 4-10 feet and some others, in step form, from 4-6-8 or 10 feet. Looks pretty cool.

Pictures are great, but, they don't really do it justice. Last pond was finished around Thanksgiving, '03, so really no time to get some water and add minnows til following spring. Hopefully, it's early enough this time to actually have enough water before freeze-up to actually put some life in this one yet this year!

This one will add tremendous value to the view from our home. Even the wife is excited about that! Now...she'll never see me in the house.

Matt,

The pond project looks great, thanks for the update. When not physically at the pond I'm guessing you'll be spending alot of time on the porch enjoying the view.

Russ

Russ:

Oh yeah..............

We spend near every evening out there. We are (planning to quit next month when kiddies move off to college) smokers who don't smoke inna house. The porch is the smokers' lounge for us, so we hang out there alot. This heat has cut down on our smoking substantially.

Very nice.

How do you add pictures to a message?

By the way looks like it is going to be a nice view from your front porch!

We finally have started getting a bit of rain over the past few days. 2.5 inches since Tuesday night, and misting right now. I really wish I'd gone with my instinct and sown my winter rye and clover seed last weekend. It would've really gotten a good start with this moisture, but it may not last long anyway. Maybe next weekend, as it's supposed to be wet all through Sunday...there's worse problems to have, I guess.

Matt, In Texas, both winter rye and clover are planted on top of the ground. I'd go ahead and toss out what I could. If the ground is wet, I would think it would be OK, especially with more rain possibly coming. That assumes that you aren't using a tractor which will make big ruts.

No Dave, I'll probably use the ATV with either the drag or the packer. Little over an acre, so I'll have a good day or so in it. Was figuring on sowing the rye, harrowing it in then sowing the clover and just packing. Sound right? They tell me NOT to bury that clover seed at all, in any fashion, but to just pack it well...

Matt,

A suggestion which works well for me...drag a few tow chains behind you and behind the seeder. The chains will help insure ground contact without covering the seed too deeply.

Thanks Meadow. I'm going to try to get this done tonight (rain this eve, and tomorrow) but not sure I've got enough time.

I drove the ATV over the majority of the dam for the first time last night, spraying 2-4D for the button weeds, which are coming up like mad.

I've discovered that this latest dirt mover was not nearly as detailed on the finish work as the first, so it's quite a bit rougher. Therefore, tonight, it's the small harrow to try to level things up a bit. Then, seed the rye and harrow it again (it needs to be a bit deeper than the clover.)

Finally, I'll spread the clover and trefoil seed, and drag a chain link section over to (hopefully) just cover that up...phew, I ain't got enough time.

Seed dealer suggested the chain link...think that'll work? Too much? Not enough? Here I go, stressin' too much over stuff. Might just have to wait til the weekend, but wife wants to go fishing Saturday...what dilemma. Fishing with the wife or putzin' around the pond...

Chain link will work fine...and go fishing with your wife, pond will still be there when you get back, wife might not...

How many days did it take to build?

Well, managed to get both things accomplished. Took off 2 hours of vacation, and a buddy came out and helped to finish off that seeding. It did rain just a bit (0.3 inches) Friday night, so was glad to get the stuff sown beforehand.

Saturday, wife and I spent 6 hours on the Mississippi and she managed to catch every dang fish that made it into the boat...her first was her personal best @ 6 lbs, 15 ounches (channel cat). She was really pumped and can't wait to go back out. I caught nada.

[img]http://images.snapfish.com/3447954%3B23232%7Ffp3%3B%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D847%3D556%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3A5578%3A562ot1lsi[/img]

BDavid:

Actual working days was, I believe 4. 3 days first week, then waited for 5 days on the pipe to show up, then they finished the next day. Pretty quick, but I'm finding that fastest isn't always best.

This builder (while, overall he built a fine pond) didn't go way out of his way to enlarge the pond or really spend lots of time on his finish work.

We all know deeper isn't necessarily better, and when he had the option of going deeper to get his dirt for the dam or widening it out a bit, he chose deeper (easier). This hole is approximately 18 feet deep, and I would have rather he hogged out the east side a bit more. Regardless, it's a good project and I can't wait to see it fill up.

Matt,

I couldn't agree more, but I also think a lot of prospective first time pond builders don't understand that concept. It is very difficult, also, to get the average equipment guy to understand that concept. They will always try to go deeper rather than spreading out across the entire pond to get clay and thereby eliminate very shallow areas.

Great point that is often not considered.

Hey Matt - how is the new pond looking now with the rain? Do you have any new pictures?

We are bone dry in my neck of the woods...at this point just seeing someone witha full pond would be better than nothing!

Gator

Well, gator...the much needed rain came a bit too late for the farmers around here. Overall, about 2.5 inches in 2 days. No runoff, but ended up with a couple large puddles in the bottom. Hoping to get enough by Oct or so to add fatheads to the pond to get them jump started before next spring. Hopefully, next summer will be a bit better for filling the pond than this one has been.

First pond gained maybe 3 feet over last winter, and has lost about 2/3 of that this summer. 3 steps forwards, 2 steps back...gained a bit, but was hoping for more. Oh well.

Got the rye, clover and trefoil planted, but as I feared, it started to sprout and it's gotten dry again. That put the kibosh on the growth. No clover yet, only rye.

Hope there's enough seed left to sprout later. Whatever the doves don't eat can grow for me. Wish Iowa had a dove season. I could really fill the freezer.

Matt,

Sounds like the our story down here. Dry-Dry-Dry, then we had 1 big rain but wanst enough to make a difference. We are waiting on the fall weather patterns now.

Dove hunting is the strangest thing. I see thousands of them around town (Dallas), but paid $50 and drive out to the dove lease - nothing!

Gator

Well Gator, at least you have the option of hunting for the dang things. I've got hundreds every night flitting back and forth between the existing pond and the dry hole...scratching up and eating all my rye seed. Oh well, at least it's cheap seed.