Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Re doing old golf course pond

I have a 1/4 acre pond that I grew up with. It was built over 50 years ago and was taken care of well neighbors in the 80's tore there yard out and all the silt washed in, and a pond that used to be 8ft is now about 6. Then they fertilized the new yard and all kinds of scum and plants grew killing off all the bass. I rented a large pump and plan to start draining it tommorow. My qustion is do you think I will be able to remove the silt with a bobcat. I can rent one for a weekend for $200 and my finances are limited so large equipment is outa the qustion.

Is the bobcat gonna be tracked? If not I would recommend that be the type you rent. It would suck to get it stuck and not be able to get a VERY heavy piece of equipment out of the bottom of the pond. Do you know if its clay or a dirt bottom? Will u b ablt to let it dry out any b4 driving around in the bottom? A decently powered bobcat is gonna weigh alot more than what you may think.

The pond has a clay bottom. I was planning on letting the pond sit a week before digging its supposed to be dry all next week here. My thought was scraping down to the clay and working out from there. The pond has a hard ramp I can start from. My friend has Ford F-350 so I am pretty sure if I would get it bogged down that will pull it out. I am doubting for $200 its a tracked one. But if they got one I will get it.

The tracked one will go over and work in ground that' about 50% (or more) softer than ground that will support one with wheels. Just getting stuck once or twice with it will cost you $50-75 in rental time - I wouldn't even try it without tracks.

Cody, With all due respect that f350 will "most likely" not be of any help. It will be pulling from an elevated position, which gives a chain an EXCELLENT chance of coming right through the front OR rear window when it breaks. Angled pulls will get you every time, chains come up then down when they break under tension and at a other than straight pull. It also puts 75% (or so depending on angle) of the weight on only one axle, not both which is hard on a vehicle and makes a f350 4x4 esentially a 2wd heavy half ton. Save your money for another month and get the tracked vehicle. You will work faster since there is more traction and you will be less likley have a friend break truck parts (or worse). Best of luck and be safe!

When I drained my pond it was about a month in the hot august sun with no rain before it could be worked on. I would think a month at a minimum to dry if it has a lot of silt

You get still get very stuck with tracked vehicles. And they are even harder to pull out. Don't ask me how I know that.

Yep, and the repair bill can go out of sight. Been there, done that.

I have a Bobcat 963, and outside of ripping out trees and stumps, plus moving some heavy stuff. It is worthless! It will probably get the boot this summer. Maybe get a small Komatsu Dozer so I don't have to wear a kidney belt.

Unless I could not get it out myself, I would never run it into a hole.

Red Helicopters are really Expensive!

Just like Dave D., -- been there, done that, don't wanna do it again.

About 6-7 years ago, over Memorial Day weekend, I drained a pond. A friend with a pretty big tractor/frontend loader opened up the dam to let the rest of the water out. My intent was to fill it in. The next weekend he attempted to push the dam and the edges in to begin landscaping the area. We both learned that it takes a lot of "crabbing" to extricate a 100 hp 4-wd tractor.

The following October, I attempted to do a little leveling with my tractor. It looked reasonably dry, and I was able to walk on it. First pass, and the tractor was belly deep in muck, just about dead center in the old pond.

I waited until late December when it froze solid down at least 12 inches. I was able to level it over several weeks, never wanting to go very deep. I got grass seed on it in late February before it thawed, and just before a snow storm. The grass grew, and I was able to mow it with a lawn mower -- but I didn't dare try to mow it with my Cub Cadet.

We sold the place to people we knew. It did eventually dry out. The new owners were able to get a permit and expand the septic tank drainfield into the area when they added a bedroom to the house. But, that was at least four years after we drained the water out of it.

Good luck,
Ken

I got a guy who gona do it with a 28ft extendable backhoe. Now Im just working on getting the trees and brush all out so he can work. I got it drained there is about 10ft of sludge. Only a handfull of bluegills but frogs! Never seen so many over 500, and well over 10,000 tadpoles it was like out of a horror movie.