Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam My Second Pond: Ground Breaking!

WooHoo! The excavator finally (2 weeks delay from rain) finished his prior job and hauled equipment in today. They cleared trees for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon, and got about 3/4 of that part of the job done:


We did a quick rough transit shoot after shutting off the trackhoe and the dozer. My SWAG from walking off the major and minor axes on the ground agrees with the excavator's eyeball figure and the estimate from topo map evaluation. It should end up about 1/3 acre. Intended use is for breeding populations of SMB and RES, plus male-only BG.

My wife keeps repeating "How much is this going to cost?" So far I'm following the DLYWKHMTPC philosophy; it's doubtful it will hold up since she writes all the checks.

two thumbs up from el dorado theo!!

that looks like a beautiful secluded spot. how deep is it gonna be?

Somewhere from 9 or 10 feet to as deep as is needed to get enough clay for the dam (dam pretty much covers 2 sides). We don't need a huge amount of depth (compared to El Dorado) here for evaporative loss; my main pond has been down 11"-12" at most during this rather dry year - that's the lowest it's ever been.

You can see the site (and the trees being removed) in the green-marked area here. Both ponds are blocked from the view of the subdivision by the ridge that runs South (below, in the aerial photo) of both of them. We will be using extra topsoil from the pond and some contouring to improve the haymaking potential of the three fields next to it (this, of course, is the real reason the 2nd pond is needed ).

so it sounds like its not a 100% dug out pond, yer using some of the topography, and will you core in both lengths of the dam?

any structure besides rootballs planned? or leaving it smooth for ease of seining?

We'll get about 4' of the depth from the dam. It'll be cored for the whole length. Actually, the dam is kind of one whole side (next to the woods), one 1/3 side, and one 2/3 side - the short sides aren't as tall, but still need raised.

I will be putting in spawning structure/beds for SMB (rock beds, log "walls", and perhaps root ball "columns" - see the Archive thread on SMB Beds for the general idea), some pea gravel over an area for RES spawning, and a Condello-esque BG Condo. But I want to leave maybe half of the bottom free of obstructions for safe & easy seining, to be able get small RES (& SMB??? - have to see) for transfer to the main pond.

Yepper...s'bout time for groundbreaking at Theopolis. Lookin' forward to the progress photos and updates, pal. Hey! Who's takin' the pics? With what cam? Is that thar one o' dem photo stitch fotos?

Way to go Theo. Looking forward to the reports and pics. Take some of the SMB spawning structures.

CONGRATULATIONS THEO...
Know you have worked long and hard planning this project.....fun stuff..

That explains why that cow is looking on/supervising the work in progress so intently...she has a vested interest!

Enjoy every step of the journey, my friend.

Where's the cow? I must have missed her.

I'm jealous.

Just FYI, start saving up for your B.I.S.A. initiation fees.

This, from the guy that still reads every copy of Child Highlights...?
(check the trees, man)

Is the cow upside down or something like that?

I still can't find it. #@%&!!!!

There is no cow in the color photo. ML must have REALLY good eyes (or maybe access to that famous NASA image enhancing software) to be picking any cows out in the B&W aerial shot.

I see what ML is looking at in the color photo, it might not be a cow but certainly could be mistaken for one. It looks like the guy standing to the right of the bulldozer is standing directly in front of a cow with it's neck streched out, ears laid back, the fence post could be mistaken as the cows back leg. Nice optical illusion.

Theo, did I mention I'm jealous! Boy would I love to have a SMB/RES growout pond.

That's a couple of root balls, Shorty. Amazing thing is, it looks much more like one of our polled herefords than one of ML's Brangus/Brahma/Brandied Belgian cattle.

All the trees are out and the worst of the roots removed, ready for the pan (scraper) to come in tomorrow and remove topsoil:


Note for Brettski: Photos are from a Fujifilm FinePix A500, picked up on clearance for my Son to take on vacation (our Canon died while he was gone). All these so far are just cropped from distance shots; I have raw material for splicing big composites, but haven't had time yet.

Note for all: For a short time only, we are giving away firewood. Tell me how many logs you want - you pay the shipping.

Now I can't see the cow. I could actually see it until you said there was none.

Congratulations Theo. There's nothing like starting out on a big project to energize your bones.

Wow Theo! It's like you snuck into my dream and improved upon it.

Last March I started making plans for a very similar grow-out pond, just a little smaller -- about a quarter acre. Five months ago I scheduled my vacation from work so I could start excavating as of this Friday.

It is staked off. About two thirds of the water (4 to 5 feet, avg.) would be in an excavated basin, while the top third would be held behind a dam extending only four feet above present ground level -- or about a foot above a natural spillway. I know I've got good clay down as deep as my backhoe will dig. Even in this drought, my test hole has good water in it. Lots of big trees to clear.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, several other priorities have taken precedence. It will be real interesting to learn from your experience.

I'll think about you over the next several days while you are slaving in the hot mud, fighting mosquitoes and wood ticks, as I attempt to save some saltwater fish from drowning.

Good luck,
Ken G.

After about one day's worth of pan operation, the root-infested part of the topsoil is pretty much off the pond site and ALL the topsoil is off 85% (all but the far end) of the core trench area.

I made a Command Decision yesterday to drop the water level by a foot, which great reduces the length of the core trench (due to the shallow slopes at each end). We'll have to excavate a foot deeper to get the same water depth, but it will be less work and have smaller footprints sticking out into the field on each side than the higher water level would have been. We got a really good laser transit shoot (no obstacles) of the lowered pond area, with good measurements (i.e. not me pacing off distances while dodging trees) - the reduced pond area is about 20,000 sq. ft., a little under 1/2 acre. This made the Command Decision easy, since the smaller pool is still bigger than my prior rough estimates.

At the dark streak in the middle of the trench area, the topsoil was between 3.5' and 4' thick!!!

This is awesome! Hardly a "growout" pond. This is a full-fledged serious real life pond.

I can see the cow. Can't you see the cow?

Theo,

So what are your plans for the second pond in case I haven't been following this close enough? Dong anything different than the first one? Is this going to be a smallmouth pond as Sunil seems to suggest? If you need a source for feed trained smallmouth I know a good one. Could even pick them up for you and meet you half way.

Cecil:

CURRENT PLANS

It WILL fill this Winter.

FHM & Gambusia and my (20 still captive) feed-trained RES - Spring 2008.

More adult-sized RES throughout next year as caught & transferred

I think I will get a RES spawn there next year, as at least 2 of 6 feed-trained RES I returned to my main pond in April this year were on spawning beds there a couple of weeks later.

August-Sept 2008 - Transfer of fingerling RES seined from main pond - This should give me 3 (year ) classes of Redears - adults, 2007 YOY, and 2008 YOY.

I have previously planned to add small fingerling SMB (& some HSB to growout and transfer) in Fall 2008 or Spring 2009, depending on their availability.

Male-only BG added over time as they are identified.

Theo, did anybody ever tell you that you obviously have a wonderful and understanding wife?

Guess who's driving the vibrating sheep's foot roller compacter as an unpaid assistant to my excavator.

...believe it!

Congratulations Theo, what an exciting event!

Beautiful countryside. Everything is so green. Heck this time of year in El Dorado all the grass is brown and dry - I'm just not use to seeing vibrant green looking grass in August.

Keep us updated!