COE has determined our wet low spot DOES NOT qualify as a wetland! Therefore, I am back to the planning stages for our ponds.
However, I need some expert help from the earthmovers on the forum.
Project is an excavation type pond in south-central Kansas. A little bit of a depression exists, but there is no chance of an embankment pond because the slope is only 32'/mile.
I did some more test holes with the mini-excavator last weekend. Average results are 1.5' of topsoil, then 4.5' of sandy clay, then water-saturated blue clay as deep as I could dig.
The plan is to make a 1-2 acre pond essentially just below the existing grade. The spoils will be used to make a contoured embankment about 20'(?) beyond the perimeter of the pond. The watershed drainage area is only about 65 acres. I have an existing waterway upstream of the pond where I will place a wide, level check dam just above normal pool elevation to serve as my emergency spillway. (I AM NOT worried about a "dam breach" due to heavy rains for this mostly excavation type pond. My problem will be not enough water.)
The sandy clay horizon easily balls up in hand, but you can feel sand (even up to a coarse grain size). I believe I can seal this horizon, if I scarify and then compact with a sheepsfoot roller. If not, I can always add some lifts of the blue clay that is to be excavated from the deep portion of the pond.
The blue clay horizon is saturated in every single test hole. I wanted to excavate the pond using mostly dozer work.
Question for forum: Can I use a dozer in wet clay that will have free water on top of it?
I suspect not, but I am not an earthmoving guy. zhkent has previously informed me that a dozer with rippers will be required to excavate the wet blue clay.
More info - The blue clay is wet because there are some sand stringers in the sandy clay horizon that act as springs. Usually, there is one just above the blue clay horizon. However, some test holes had additional sand stringers higher in the section.
These stringers transmit enough fluid that water visibly runs into your hole through a distinct layer in your cut bank. Overnight static water level is about 6-12" above the sand level.
I DO NOT think I can excavate this pond with a dozer with this much water on location.
