Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Spillway help

Rocky, I opted out of the car bodies. I am in Oklahoma now working on the pond all this week. I decided to go with limestone boulders, earth terraces, 6" diameter mesquite trees cut and anchored in concrete, and the partial burial of 20 huge tractor tires. I got them for nothing, and they seem to be working out great. I wanted something that would not hurt a swimmer or a boat when the pond is low. I have young kids, and this pond will be next to the house. I'm trying to take pictures as we go along.

As for the watershed, the NRCS says I have 152 acres of watershed, which should be more than enough (according to them). But it really depends on the annual rainfall in your area. SW Oklahoma rarely gets enough. If you are in east Texas you wouldn't need near that much, but you might need even more in west Texas.

I'm learning a lot, and will start a completely different kind of pond on the same property as soon as I finish this one. Hopefully this winter. This one is very deep, and the next one involves damming a creek. I will be very long, nearly a half mile, but not so wide. It will flood oak forest, so I think there will be little need for additional structure. And it is a different watershed. Hope I live long enough to wear these ponds out.
Regards, Tom

Canepole Are you building a new home on the new pond or is the house already completed? I'm just curious. When we started our dream place I designed a home that was to be located with 7 acres of heavy wooded oaks as the back yard. I have always wanted to be my own pond boss sense I was a kid, any how the first project after buying the property was building the pond. About 3 days into the dig I realized the house need to be on the pond and redesigned to fit that location. Anyhow we are now about 20 feet from the ponds edge. Here is the result if you wish. http://www.rockytoppers.com/the_pond.htm . If you haven't picked a house plan I'd be glad to help. Good luck with your adventure and pray it rains. The hardest thing is getting the pond finished and having to wait until it feels up. We stared at a big hole in the ground for about 3 months until the first rain feeled it to the brim.

Very nice, Rocky.

There are alternate universes where I live in an A-Frame, but they aren't as nice as yours.

Theo thanks, I spyed on your profile, looks like you and I have the exact same occupations, I too am an aerospace engineer & cattle man. This is getting to weird, beam me up Scotty.

Rocky:

I'm a test and repair engineer on inertial navigation systems and attitude/reference sets and run Polled Herefords. You?

Theo, I'm a mechanical designer in airframe system installation currently working on the next generation fighter. I run a mix breed of cattle.
I am close friends with the president of the polled herford association. (Johan & JC) you might know them. It's getting to wierd again, next thing I know you'll be a long lost relative.

Did someone say aerospace engineer, cattle rancher, pond builder and manager?

Meadowlark I left out home design/builder & inventor. I did'nt want to start bragging.Check out the custom camper on my website I design and build these. Any of you into camping? p.s I'm not much of a pond manager, I sort of let nature take it course, I too stocked crappies put that's another argument, I mean topic.

"I also walk dogs!"

Theo,

This deal about you having internet conversations with yourself is getting just a little "out there". I realize you're pretty excited to discover this third personality, but I think you, "Bill", or "rockytopper" or whatever you want to call yourself should get some professional help.

Sincerely,

Bruce

Condello, if I pay for three different ISPs, what's it to you? :p

P.S. I can hardly wait until you post a picture of "Rockytopper"!

I'm not all that impressed. Real techies like me have perfected the science of alchemy. I have finally mastered the long lost art of turning gold to lead and bluegills to green sunfish. Wanna see my disappearing bass trick?

Theo and Rocky,

Big, fat glass jars of any liquid placed on the upper most shelf in the cabinet taught me all I needed to know about inertia, navigation, airframes, gravity and fluid dynamics. "Stupid" science!

I'm afraid I've got you all beat.

I know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich and
how to turn everyday luncheon meats into weapons of gastro-intestinal destruction.

Just try and top that.

Sunil, you just started my day with a smile.

I think I can beat that.

As far as I know, I am the only person in the world that's smart enough to be trained by cats.