Big machines are in and have cleared the all brush and are starting to work their way towards the clay. Given the depth of clay mentioned in the original post we are moving the dam slightly to tie it in better to the north valley wall. The original creek bed is going to be much closer to the south shore than the initial drawing where it is centered in the lake. This should save us some significant $$$ but will likely reduce the overall size (primarily width) of the pond.

A few photos from the project:

Looking South - the water will be framed beautifully against the southern valley wall.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Looking North - The dam will now tie in to the rise to the right of the telephone pole draw (Far cleared corner in middle of frame)
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

A flock of Geese decided to watch the progress. This pond could very well be a new stop on their migratory journey. Especially if we put the 30 acre field east of the dam into wheat.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/0WFElbg.mp4[/img]