Spent time with Chris Wright, of Dallas, today. His 8-10 acre flood control lake, built with federal funds in 1965, is rapidly receding due to excessively hot temperatures and low humidity. The lake is north of Dallas, near the small community of Weston. The lake has one main creek feeding it (when it rains). Chris still has six to seven feet of water in the main borrow pit, approximately three acres. But, the peripheral water is less than a foot deep, probably 20% of the remaining water. Silt is cracking in the upper reaches, down to 18 inches deep. The lake is six feet low. Chris has several concerns. First, will his fish survive? Should he do anything? The remaining water is about 15% covered with a mix of coontail and bushy pondweed, most of which is manifested at the surface. Bass, bluegill and redear sunfish are concentrated in the main borrow pit right now. Second, will the dynamics of his fish population be severely altered when the lake refills? Third, are there water quality issues which can be a problem during the drought, leading to different problems when the lake re-fills (concentrations of minerals and metals)? Last, he would like to renovate the dry areas in the upper reaches of the lake and the main creek. By moving 3-4,000 cubic yards of dirt, he can create some great habitat in the upper reaches of the pond. What's the best way? Hire a bulldozer, to push the silt out, mix with existing topsoil, then spread it over a pasture adjacent to the lake? Or, push the topsoil out of the way, dig a hole with a rented trackhoe (he has an operator on site), fill with pulverized silt, then cover it up? Or, rent a track loader, pick up the silt, load onto a dump truck, and move it to another spot on the land? He is weighing those options, calculating how much dirt he should move, where to put it, and how much each option might cost? He would budget $6-10,000. What would you do?
