Thanks for all the comments .. To answer your question Todd .. yes .. we only had enough daylight to finish the main spillway .. there will also be smaller emergency spill ways to catch and divert excess runnoff on either side of the main spillway .. there just wasn't enough time to get them in today .. the idea will be to cover all of the clay with geotextyle fabric and stone so as not to have erosion problems .. I do expect some seepage so you may notice I elevated the first rock over the bottome pipe .. I will fill this void by hand with stone to allow for drainage without loosing the base soil above ..
I will also strategically place smaller flat stone by hand to keep the waterfall contained so that it does not run off the edges .. It should look pretty cool if my plan comes together.
I am running on borrowed time up here in Northern NY as the weather has been unusually warm and dry for this time of year .. My plan is to make sure the pond has sufficient drainage ability for rain, snow and a significant thaw in the spring .. then bring all the equipment inside for service work this winter
