BGKiller, your insight made me LOL! I'm told we did actually get a couple of inches a few days ago...

Dave/Al, I was skirting that issue of extending the riser because as Buzzworth touched on, the local NRCS is responsible for maintaining the dam. Getting approval to modify the piping design that was developed by federal agency in 1960-something would be painful, I think. (I've floated that idea once, and it wasn't encouraged.) Or would it be easier than i think?

And Al, yes indeed, when we get big rains the water level gets several feet above the top of that riser. And yes, you are correct about the cabin being exposed to flooding... but it's just sitting on blocks and not too difficult to move.

Soooo, I was hoping there might be some other approaches that are obvious to everyone but me!

esshup, i like your idea of partially emptying the pond, and then digging out what sediment we can. I'm guessing that the only real way to know if there's sand below is either coring or just dig away... is that correct?

thanks to both of you for the thoughts about the settlement ponds. I don't have much space on my property upstream of this pond, but it could be feasible. That'll have to wait till I can get back there and study it.

Any other ideas? I have plenty of time for planning.

- DVR