Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? 40 Y.O. pond with a dilapidated spillway

Hi Guys. Brand new to the forum. I have a feeling I came to the right place.

Last year we bought a home on this old pond - they named it Misty Lake. I think the original lake was about eight acres, now it is probably down to four. I think the original water depth was 6-8 feet, now with the broken spillway herons are walking all the way across it, so it's maybe a foot deep.

There is no homeowners association and that is one of the reasons the lake was allowed to go to pot. About half of us give a rip enough to get some repairs going. Side story, the spillway is owned by one of the residents, and obviously he deferred maintenance.

The dam has a concrete spillway which eroded from underneath. We had some torrential rains this spring, and the whole thing has collapsed. The lake is at at all time low and it has been smelling rotten for the last week and a half.

We have a pretty good watershed and with a good 2" rain the lake will fill overnight - then drain just as quickly.

I was told some civil engineering students did a study a couple of years ago and they said there was about two feet of silt on the lake bottom.

Since the dam owner doesn't want to bother, I have volunteered to do the project groundwork and help set direction. If we can get agreement, we will see which homeowners are willing to contribute to the effort. One item high on the agenda is to convince the dam owner to cede that property to the homeowners association so we can maintain it properly.

What would be the best way to repair the dam?

What type of overflow would be appropriate. Would this be a good application for a siphon?

What would be the feasibility of dredging up a couple of feet of silt? Who would want it? We are in a semi-rural area.

Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Thanks!

Here is the Google Maps aerial view. The dam is in the upper right. Misty Lake

How much money is the budget for the dam repair?

Good question.

I would think we could scrounge up $25 - $40K for the dam and excavation of the silt. Just a rough guess. Maybe $50K.

Have you had any contractors out to look at the spillway and do bids on repair or replacement?

No, not yet. I was hoping to educate myself a bit here, before talking to any contractors. I want to learn about current standards and methods so I can have intelligent conversations with anyone else.

I am not up to date on current standards nor am I an expert on outlet structures. It might be a good idea to have an engineering firm look at what you have an make recommendations. You will need to take into account how large your water shed is and design/repair the spillway to accommodate the volume of water it may receive during a future torrential rain.

Just for some general information here is a link to different types outlet structures from Nebraska's online Pond management book. It has a lot of good information to get you started on outlet structures.

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/Fishing/guides/pondguide/pdf/construct.pdf

Once you feel you have enough information to ask the right questions, look up Dave Sefton - Mongo on here. His e-mail is in his profile. Talk to him - he is a good pond dirt guy.

Thanks to all!

Lots of issues to be addressed.

I would get everything neat, tidy, legal and in writing with the resident that owns the spillway before I do anything or spend any money.

Absolutely!

Keeping an eye on this thread. I live on two lakes in a subdivision. When we first moved onto the lakes in 2006, the fishing was outstanding. Over the past 7 years the lakes have REALLY started to silt in. The dams/spillways are in excellent condition, but I feel like the fishery has been mismanaged as far as the species within the lake and there is nothing being done about the silt. Interested to see what the suggestions are for this.