After building our own 3.5 acre pond and reclaiming a 40 year old farm pond on our own property recently, decided to tackle our son's old pond on his property. I think it was built about 50 years ago by the then owner with an RD7 Cat dozer. I'm guessing it is about an acre, maybe 1.5. It was basically dried up but very mucky in the bottom. The overflow pipe had been destroyed and washed out of the dam in one spot.
Very mucky in the bottom. Trying to work down to hard clay for enough traction to push it. The problem I run into on both this pond and the old one of my own I renovated is the deepest place is near the dam, the exact place I wish to push the material. But it is also the wettest so can not get traction to push that direction. So like on the other pond, I have to push the muck out the side of the pond, then again push it around to where I want it. Long slow process, but it gets there eventually. We used our 12 yard carryall dirt scraper pulled by a 65E Cat farm tractor on my old pond to move the muck from the side around to the back of the dam. Not sure on this one how it will work out. May just use the dozer for it all.
Luckily I am blessed with nice equipment to do the job. The D6N XL is our farm dozer that we use to patch terraces and waterways and make other improvements around the farm. We also have a 12 yard scraper and a JCB TLB along with an IT28 Cat loader. So one way or another, it the weather cooperates, the muck will get moved.
Only stuck once so far and the JD9300 4wd tractor and 4" diameter rope pulled it out easily. Decided I could not start on the lowest point. Have to work my way to it. May have to leave a spot in the middle. That is what I did in my old pond. So shallower water near the dam and the deep end opposite. You can see the old dam in the top of the "stuck in mud here" picture.
I guess this will be my Christmas present to my son and his young family.
