Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? My front yard cow pond

My front yard cow pond - part 5.

8/23/18
Third, and last time getting Nanner stuck. This spot has had a tiny seep for quite awhile now. Not much, but I know that anyplace
water comes in it can also go back out. I had intended to pack over it with a couple feet of new clay/bentonite mix, but now that
I've had another stupid attack and dumped all of my good clay that option is out the window. I have no choice but to dig through
and past this spot to get the clay I need to close the dam. When I was cleaning the slop and water out I discovered the source of
the seep - a little patch of red sandstone. Not good! Not good! NOT GOOD!!! So at this point I'm scratching my head and wondering
how this is going to shake out. After everything I've been through on this project the last thing I want is a leak.


9/15/18
I have one place to get clay for the dam now and this is it. The upper end of the pond. I'd intended to leave a good bit of shallow
water area up here. Fred G. still on my shoulder and he won't shut up. For perspective, Nanner is 9' tall at the top of the cab.


9/15/18
Staging clay for the dam, and that doggone seep just keeps seeping.


9/15/18
Inside view of the dam, packing clay/bentonite in shallow lifts, and making a point of wrapping the repack around the face of the dam.


9/16/18
Back side of the cut. Adding clay to the inside, then coming on the back side adding dirt and grading.


9/16/18
On top looking in. Pack, pack, and more pack.


9/16/18
#2 Son Clint and Jr. Red helping out with the landscape dirt on the back side.


9/16/18
Inside view, getting closer to done. Pack, pack, and more pack.


9/17/18
Back side of the cut starting to look like something I can get over with the zero turn and not die in the process.


9/18/18
That looks more better. Of course it will settle, and I'll have to do another topping layer, but I'm determined to get grass on it
before winter and avoid a really nasty mud mess.


9/18/18
I know, the inside face of the dam isn't pretty, but it isn't as bad as you might think. That side of the dam has never leaked,
and I didn't disturb it during the cleanout. Took the muck off and dumped good clay back into the toe. It's a little rough, but
that should help to hold the crushed limestone that's going to be dumped on the inside face of the dam.


9/18/18
Ready for seed. I tossed down 2 bushel of feed wheat, 20lbs of dutch clover, and ten pounds of fescue to hold it over the winter.
Now I can take the Mrs. to sunny Florida for a nice beach vacation and not worry about the pond.


10/3/18
At this point in time I hadn't found the PB web site and forums. I was thinking typical Missouri pond fish mix of BG, LMB, and CC.
So after pulling all the guts out of my ancient, dry-rotted, Monark tri-hull, I deep-sixed it for a catfish hide. I didn't really
intend for it to wind up against the side of the cut like that, but I hit a pocket of red sand when I was mining clay for the dam.
There had been a tiny seep up there for quite awhile, and when I uncovered the sand the seep got bigger. Bad, bad, and more bad!
Nothing to do about it now but see what happens when it goes under. Obviously those vertical cuts are going to slough back quite
a ways. Will it be enough to sufficiently cover that little bit of sand lens? Time will tell.


10/4/18
That's about 25 ton of crushed limestone on the shelf. We call it surface rock around here. It's 1" and down with all of the
fines left in. Should make for nice BG beds.


10/4/18
More cedars. I have enough cedars to fill every pond in the county and I'm starting with this one.


End part 5.