This image might give some clarity as to the lay of the land. The dam is right at or within 10 feet of our property line. I did not take the other post negatively but I am a bit frustrated. First I wanted to fix the dam and then everyone said just renovate. Now that I am planning on renovating, the dam is coming into question again. I'm certainly willing to spend the money to make it as right as reasonably possible but I still have to build a house too. If I invest $35-$60K in a complete dam rebuild I will have to occupy the love shack!!
The dam does hold water to a certain level. It is only above that level that it leaks, so if we dig out below that level and patch anything obvious, the dam should be ok we think. At the very least I may have to drop the static water level by a foot or two to keep the leaking under control.
