Thanks for the replies. Maybe these pictures will help.

My pond actually has two regular spillways that flow all the time. Here is the opst that discusses those issues:

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=108112#Post108112

This discussion lead to the conclusion that I needed an emergency spillway. Well if the water keeps rising, I will have a spillway created by an emergency, just not of my choosing.

Here is another thread that discusses some of my other pond issues. It has some pictures as well.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=103339#Post103339


But back to the problem at hand. Here is a picture of the standpipe. I would guess it dates to when the pond was impounded in 1972.



Down where the red arrow is are two valves comming off a "Y" shaped pipe. The valve on the left is rusted in place and simply trickles all the time. The valve on the right can be open and shut and usually is kept in the shut position so that the water flows out the top like shown near the blue arrow. If fact in the summer, if the valve is open the water level will actually drop.

When I arrived at the pond yesterday the water was two feet higher than normal and no water was flowing out of the top of the spillpipe. So I open the valve at the bottom of the pipe and water immediately flowed out. Curriously, it was very muddy and ran muddy for about 10 minutes before clearing. From my other posts you can see my water is currently very clear. Could an obstruction of mud pludgged it from going up the spillway but was freed when I opened it? I never shut the valve to see if it would go back up the pipe. Doh! (And my pond is two hours away. Double Doh!)

bodad, I am not sure I understand your post, but the current water level is about 2 feet HIGHER than the top of the pipe shown by the blue arrow. The water was at the very top of the dam hence my urgency. :)Would this keep it from flowing? I would rather have water flowing up the standpipe because it is twice the diameter of the valve.

BillB
Owner of pond (maybe former pond)

Last edited by BillB; 02/24/08 06:15 PM. Reason: add information