Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Rimming the bank

Ryan, you not have seen my previous thread which shows my proposed pond contour: Considerations for a dual level pond

My diagram looks very similar to your second rendering.


I think that often people do design their ponds similar to your second example. The problems I've observed result from lower than optimum water levels, either from drought, design issues, or from pond liners that might slowly leak making the planned water level unrealistic.

That's the reason I'm currently considering a gradual slope beginning well above the highest waterline and continuing straight down to maybe 5 or 6 feet below the highest level.

One clear advantage to that consistent slope is that regardless of the water level, the bank can be maintained easily and the above water environment made to look "natural". In other words in an extended low water situation someone wouldn't look at the pond and realize that it was low. After all, who hasn't had to deal with low water? Why not design a pond to anticipate that?

I know that by eliminating the fast drop off into deep water other problems may be encouraged, but I'm looking for some good evidence that that's true. If I'm going to give up the easy maintenance of a gradual slope, I want to try to quantify the advantages I'm gaining. Also, it's not that I'm prioritizing looks over function, but before I give up a good looking pond with an easy to access shoreline, I want to know what functional advantage I'm gaining.

Does anyone have clue about what the cost might be to have 100 yards of rock delivered, maybe 2 inch or bigger?

I figured it this way:

1200 linear feet by 8 feet wide = 9600 sq.ft.

9600 X .25 feet (3 inches) = 2400 cubic feet

2400 cf. divided by 27 (cf/yard) = 88 cubic yards

I wouldn't be putting 1-2" river rock on my place now. It was $50/yd in Tyler this past week.

GW, I don't think aggregate prices necessarily travel well around the country, especially since so much of the delivered cost depends upon how far they have to truck it to your site.

If I were you, I'd inquire at the different gravel-tyes places near you and see what their delivered prices are for different materials that would be suitable for you (limestone, sorted bankrun gravel, etc.).

Would there be a preferred type of rock, or certain ones that wouldn't work?

GW:

I am actually in the process of raising the water level which will help this problem. The lengenthed dam will raise the water level several feet, eliminating this slope in most areas. The person who built the pond located the spillway much to far below the pond's optimal bank. The increased slope will hopefully make weed cleaning much easier.

So robo, you're eliminating the gradual slope and replacing it with a steep slope? Did you say you had other parts of the pond where you already have steep banks into the water? If so, I assume you've had better luck with the steeply graded banks in terms of aquatic weed control.

GW - we have steep banks along our dam and the milfoil grows all the way to the surface in 7-9 ft of water.

Did I mention that the weeds also grow inbetween the the rocks on the dam too.

Shorty I concur. The hand books says to cut the banks down steep to 3 ft to control weeds. My experience has shown it don't matter weeds are going to grow no matter what and as you pointed out weeds will find there way thru rocks. If your putting rocks for weed control I whould think you need to put down some sort of mat or weed barrier before the rocks go in. I built a retaining wall that is straight down to 3 feet and the aquatic weeds are now thicker in front of it than the natural 3:1 sloped banks next to it. I just spent 275$ on aquatic herb from one of the nice vendors that support pond boss. I haven't used it yet it still hasn't quit raining in our parts. The best defense in my mind for keeping the bank mantained is gentally sloped banks 5 to 1 or less as pointed out above so that you can safely mow as close to the edge as possible.

Anyone have any cool toys to mow steep banks on a large scale? ie 20 acres.

Bob standard equipment and lots of guts

rt - keep in mind that our pond is 40+ years old, there is sediment that has collected in the crevices of the rocks that the milfoil can root itself in. We also have regular sechi disc readings in the 7-8ft range which promotes deep weed growth. I have been trying to figure out how to keep the water clarity down so the weeds don't grow so deep in our pond. BTW - the water clarity and weed growth in our pond is an "anomaly" in eastern NE.

Here are some of the reasons our water is so clear and why the weeds grow so deep our pond.

1. Large cedar trees line both the north and south shore which prevents strong winds from stirring up the sediment along the banks.

2. 2/3 of our pond has rock lined banks that prevent sediment from getting stirred up by the wind.

3. We have prairie grass and broam grass surrounding the pond before any runoff enters the pond.

4. We have Eurasian Milfoil which over time creates a self feeding loop in which the water calms and clears, as it clears, this weed grows out deeper and deeper. Excess nutrients feed the mildfoil and coontail growth rather than feeding an algea bloom every year.

I hear you on the weed control, we just poured almost $1200.00 into the water in the last month.

Bob install training wheels on your tractor...still need lots of guts though

Related to this subject, I have found on my new pond some of the banks are too flat. The contractor started cutting at the full pool staked waterline which is norm. I have an area where the natural grade is only about a 1/2 inch above pool. In this area about 60 yards long or so it stays muddy about 10 ft from the waters edge, Not enough to kill weeds but too wet to put the tractor on it to mow. So I have this strip that I can't maintain. I'm either going to have to build it up or cut the edge with a back hoe further back to higher grade to fix this issue.

GW:

Oh yes, I have a section of the pond next to the dam that is currently steep, before the water level rises, and have no weed problems. The weed can barely grow at all. It is really steep, 1 to 1, until it levels off at about 3 foot. Much too steep, it is very hard to wade in it, I've lost my balance many times and fallen in.