Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? 2.5 Acre Pond Gone! work/restroation thread

Used 79 of these little rascals... brought 100, used 69 in the hole and kept 10 to put around the mouth of the seep tomorrow with 60' x 120' of 6m industrial sheeting.



I didn't take a pic of the highwall on the county road but it's about 60-70d vertial slope up about 50' and you have to use a rope to help hoist yourself up and let safely down. I did that about 9-10 times today...

we started the work at about 1200 noon, first truck shows up, I not exactly sure what to expect and Jerry pops outa the Cab, "man! just off the pluging job yesterday - got called out and worked all night at a rig, just drove up here..." great American! I'm thinking, and over the next hour the other guys show up and a couple trips up and down the slope to guide Mose the excavator into position.

Now Mose, Short for Moses builds ponds for a trade now.... very interesting. Well we're working on the project over all, pumper team was slated for around noon... We chatted at the new East overflow location. and he got to work. It's hilly.


got the North and South roads connected - Kinda felt like sinking the last tie into the last rail to connect them - in some small way


The dude that orchestrated the entire deal Arron Austin, Black T shirt - great guy. Pump truck shows and Jerry pops out, looks he shold be at a Dean Martin gig, then the Amish Mose shows up and the pump helper - we look around and all start cracking wise - we have +250 years standing around 5 dudes and it's not lost on us that many folks have just given up... we chew the fat and the water truck comes up .




Soon we had the config down and got pumping - clay- I didn't know what was supposed to happen and never used Bentonite before so I'm running Mose around, pumpers are doing their thing and I'm also in the pit watching the mud flow... well about now 50 bags into it... I think I better check the neighbors seep... to see if we were right or there was a big void we were pumping my money into- so up the high wall on my side, down the high wall on neighbors side to see the seep and what's going on... a flow thru had just started. Bentonite is the gray tan...


I knew were the source was and early I had taken a pick ax down and cut a couple hundred pounds into/onto the outflow seep on the far side. When I went over this time I stomped the mud down but could see the flow still outflowing into the other pond.

This contingency was thought about prior and we figured "if" se needed to staunch the outflow we'd do it when it needed it not take time away from the project before there was a "target ID'd"

Mose got over there and up and over spoil pile, across a muck tough and put 10 yards on the seep... in about 30m. We let the first 50 bags swell and the water pump truck went back for another load while Mose gotrdone.



Pumped a bunch more bags into the hole, 29 after the 50 bag run from the first run, and it came up to and filled up... putting that plastic and 500# more bentontie on the opening in the AM and 4' of clay fill over the entire mess....


Once we got that all done I came up and a nice tstorm rolled in after everyone had left -


The hole is as plugged as it's gonna get.

Each bag is 50# of bentonite clay.

Yesterday 69 bags of bentonite mud flowed into the crevasse, reserved 10 bags to use this AM to seal the deal. For a total of 79 bags or 3950#'s clay.

So this AM about 0700 Four bags opened and put directly in the end of the hole, then smooshed a couple yards of clay over the hole and area right around the cravasse. We cut sticks and pounded them into the wall over the now patched hole and proceeded to cover the entire area with 6 mil plastic, cutting holes with the machette and hanging the plastic sheeting. Then covered the plastic with 3-4 yards of pond clay and all over the face of the hole. Couple yards of clay smashed on top of the plastic. The plastic was 60'x120' we went with multiple folds keeping it tidy.
Three bags tossed on the wall and areas around the edge of the plastic liner and over the clay. LOTS of plastic liners thicknesses over that and three bags around and behind the plastic after 10 yards or so of clay on the center of the plastic, directly over the hole.

Mooch getting a ride with the pump and gear across the moat..


Mooch rolled from working with the 180th Fighter Wing, a unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, stationed at Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio. He does Datalink, digital death we like to call it. Anyway, he was close and came in last night to pitch in to the chores and work here at the farm for Aug chores. Made the clay packing go real nice with an extra set of hands.






Then about 4' of material over the 'hole' mess to seal it in.