Met with NRCS to discuss freeboard, spillway, overflow pipe, emergency spillway, etc, etc. Jest of it is they recommend by the book having a overflow pipe, spillway and 100 year rain event emergency spillway. How practical this is and how much this is actually put into practice by your average joes who have a pond and a budget is another question... I know my frustration will show through a little here, but it seems all these wonderful guidelines are written and engineered by someone who takes not a care to being able to build a project like this on a reasonable budget.
I would rather spend a little extra now and not have issues with a leaking overflow pipe 15 - 20 years down the road. I am already having to build this second "super pond" to account for sloppy work done when this original dam was built prior to me owning this property.
Met with my builder and a consultant. Consultant is adamant against an overflow pipe as "they are a leak that will eventually happen, regardless of anti-seep collars etc". Builder can be swayed either way...
The plan we are considering (at substantial additional $$$$) is to skip the overflow pipe, use the planned spillway as the overflow and construct / excavate a 500 foot ditch that will engage at the 100 year flood event, line this ditch with rip rap etc.... This ditch will shed into my back 40 (if ever used).
Couple of my concerns are of course the additional funds... (probably the ones I have allocated to use for my aeration system) and how much of a maintenance issue is this ditch going to be? If we line it with rip rap, I wont be able to mow it, so its going to be a bunch of spraying etc to keep it from becoming a snake den, etc.
I just am having a real hard time even considering digging through this awesome dam we built to put a pipe through it...Been a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this and digging through it at any level to put this pipe in just chaps me big time!!
Any thoughts??
Last edited by Pinetar; 12/27/12 01:05 AM.
