Originally posted by zhkent:
Do you have trouble with the dirt sticking to the shovel?
Yeah it sticks pretty bad too, i'm finding myself the deeper I get the more it sticks, then i hit the sand.
Another problem with the sand is, right when I hit it, there is usually a stump, then the area i have dug out, not matter how big or small it is, it's full with water overnight from the springs im guessing.
Funny too, cause before I installed my liner in my garden pond, i tried to let the spring fill it or though it would keep it filled. Nope, it dropped an inch and hour at full tilt, and i notice 50 yards behind it water running out like a cut jugular.
It seems the uphill side has the spring water running down out always, and as you go downhill, is the undergound channels just run it out into out small wetland creek in the back. I could be wrong. I've tested my entire 20 acres. The soil is all red clay on the top, 5 feet down, then springs all over. The clay is soo hard in some spots, u cannot pentrate it.
I made our driveway by just smoothing out our soil, after a year it was so hard i was like '' dang ''.
Its gonna be tough to find what will work, but as of now it held at 4 feet. I wanted 6-7 to elimate sunlight penetration to the middle, i just hope i dont screw up the entire level by hitting the sand everywhere. I used a pump though, so the intergrity of the dam is not bothered, its just not the matter of getting one side done and working my way up.
On a good note, I caught a bass if you can believe it, 7.8 pounds out of there on a minnow i caught while draining, I put him in the water garden pound, with a few 1 pound blue and a big 8-10 pound cat. I've caught a few green sunfish, which i wanna elimnate, and a couple big 5 pound mud cats. I dont know the state record but i know a certain mud cat in mississippi is under 5 pounds, i think i may be close. Its the speckled kind. I stocked 150 channels 2 years ago, none are there, I guess the crane that was in there cleaned em all out.
When i show the pic, i feel good knowing, that the fish are healthy and well fed and are growing at the rate i predicted. Now its just getting my depth, aeartion plan, and water quality under control, and im gonna have a good hole. Determination is at 10 out of 10 right now.
Cant wait to show yall my water garden pics. Its Awesome, I got a 4 step water fall already built, i made a homade fall system out of plywood, gorilla glued some of the 45 firestone liner i used for the pond in the inside to protect, and saved myself about 1,200. I also fenced in area and bought 2 ducks. lol
Thanks for all the input, ill post back after work and some pics after i get the next level of things done. Thanks again, and peace out- Josh
