Hello all,

Thanks for your input here. I thought I would add an update to my stand-pipe issue.

I received some valuable advice from Meadowlark on another post - come to find out, this lake does not have an Emergency Spillway. They built the dam with a 6’ riser - I suppose they got lucky in that it has never over-flowed.

I have decided to combine the 2 issues to solve my rusted stand-pipe issue. I am installing a new earthen emergency spillway + eliminating the existing stand-pipe and adding a new 12” Siphon System. The spillway will give me the run off capacity I need and the 12” pipe will give me the control I need at a lower cost than replacing the current 24” system.

Photos of leaking pipe:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/darnold01/Standpipeleakcloseup2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/darnold01/Standpipecropped.jpg

So far I have learned if contractors “smell” an opportunity they will bid it up. AKA, the dumb big city guy (me) coming out to the country must have lots of money to spend mentality. I had 3 bids; $32,000, $25,000 and my last bid $5,500. The $32K and $25K bids were only for fixing the leak. The $5,500 bid provides the fix above + clears all the brush off my lake, takes the trees off both sides of my dam, repairs roads + installs a new bridge in a washed out creek. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The guy who bid $25K ball-parked the same work for $50K - $60K + he wanted to “re-do” my dam for up to $100K total.

My low-bid contractor started last week and it is obvious that he knows how to do dirt work. I figured at worst case if he does all the above work and if the repair doesn’t hold – I can still hire someone to repair the leak and I will still come out ahead on the total price.

Thanks PB, I will update as the work is completed.

I am now working on a survey and have a post going in corrective stocking.

- Smoke 'em if you got 'em

[Linked Image from i4.photobucket.com]