Update! I went to pickup the shear gate from a local plumbing supply house. After much discussion it was decided that the 10” barrel should be reduced to a 8” Knife gate valve positioned above the bottom of the pond to prevent silt/debris buildup from stopping closure of the knife. That was the initial concern for the possible failure. I will position the bottom drain 3-4’ above the pond bottom with a triangular debris guard to open and close it a couple times a year reducing debris buildup. For the triangular debris guard I am thinking of fabricating the 4x16 foot sheep/goat panels from Tractor Supply. The 4 gauge panel has 4” openings and can be cut with bolt cutters. Much better plan???
Thanks!
Heppy