I finally started my pond

[kenmac]

Great job ! let me know when it's time to fish

 

[Bindian]

Great job ! let me know when it's time to fish

Kenmac,
It's always time to fish. Just in this instance we know there is no fish.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

Last weekend we got two large posts set for the pier or deck. I say that as it will be a wide short pier or just an 8 x 12 foot deck. Either way, it should be real nice with middle of the day shade by the cedar and in the sun in the morning or afternoon for sun bathing. The first photo shows the view from the driveway over the pond. Booger was always nearby waiting for attention, especially when I cranked up the Mahindra. He always is ready to go for a run when he hears that thing crank up. The photos of the large cinder blocks are what I plan on banding with straps and sinking in the deep end of the pond. I lucked out and found these in Giddings, Texas at Walmart. They are locally made and are 12x8x16 inches. Quite a bit bigger than the normal 8x8x16 inch cinder blocks. Anyway, they were only $1.43 a piece. So it will be a cheap fish hotel!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

The rains last week really helped the pond.

I was out in the rain watching water draining off of the property.

I have a lot of work to do to direct all that run off into the pond. The pond is about 4 feet from being full.

You can see the new overflow pipe just under the pier's frame. We have bull frogs in the pond now.

I have seen a bunch of them jumping in the water when I approach the pond, but today I saw one in the water floating and it was about 4 inches long. Counting down now..............20 days until I go pick up the Blue Channel Catfish.

Oh yeah, the cinder block fish hotel is taking on water.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Doc]

Good for you Brandi, the pond is coming right along.
Won't be long now.

 

[olcowhand]

Those Channel Cats will love those frogs! Pond looks great!
I need to restock our pond that went dry in drought last year. As the water dried up, cranes flew in & ate all the fish as they had nowhere to hide.

 

[Bindian]

Oops! I meant Blue Catfish. They are a little different from Channel Catfish.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

It's official, Lake Marie is full (first photo). The second photo shows how it finally got full. On the 17 & 18th of April, 5 inches of rain raised the water 2 feet. I saw all the run off missing the pond. So on the monring of April 27, I quickly dumped loads of clay every 7 feet down to the pond from the back of the front yard to make a diversion berm or dike. It worked, but it muddied up my driveway. The 27 & 28th storms dumped 3.5 inches of rain and raised the water another 2 feet, just two inches from the overflow pipe. The afternoon of the 28th, it was full. As you can tell in the 3rd photo, the level needs to go higher up the pier posts. So I will block off 8-10 inches of the 12 inch overflow pipe and cut the top of the pipe out to put all the black of the exposed pipe under water. Then I can install a flat grate over the overflow pipe opening. The last photo shows the yardstick which is by the cinder blocks almost under water.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Doc]

Congrats. She filled right up, rather fast with the extreme rainfall you guys had.
Looks GREAT Brandi. Good job.

 

[Bindian]

Congrats. She filled right up, rather fast with the extreme rainfall you guys had.
Looks GREAT Brandi. Good job.

Doc,
Thanks.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Gerard]

Nice work!

 

[Bindian]

Thanks Gerard!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

Well, the pond's water level is down about 3 feet.

We are behind about 6 inches in rain. Please send your left over rain this way.

hugs, Brandi

 

[Doc]

I sure wish we could. We have another weekend with rain in the forcast. The river is trashy ...and this time of year I like to spend my weekends boating. Trash in the river and rain both make that hard to do.
So I'd be more than happy to send it to you Brandi. Wish I knew how. Weather is crazy lately. It's feast or famine.

 

[Doc]

I sure wish we could. We have another weekend with rain in the forecast. The river is trashy ...and this time of year I like to spend my weekends boating. Trash in the river and rain both make that hard to do.
So I'd be more than happy to send it to you Brandi. Wish I knew how. Weather is crazy lately. It's feast or famine.

 

[Bindian]

Today's rains put Lake Marie in overflow for the first time since I finished raising the overflow level. These photos were this morning with about a 3 inch rain in the rain gauge. Now the rain fall is over 4 inches. The overflow is working great. With the concrete being about 1/3 inch below the pipe level gives some pause to minnows swimming over.
hugs, Brandi

 

[OhioTC18]

Brandi,
I like the idea of that concrete thingy.

 

[Bindian]

Brandi,
I like the idea of that concrete thingy.

Ohio TC18,
Jinman over on TBN suggested something to secure the overflow pipe and end cap down from the lifting forces the raising water would put on the end cap. So I put it in concrete and it turned out way better than I expected!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

Okay, it rained two days ago. Usually my driveway that curves around the back side of the dam is dry by two days. I have a little water and lots of mud in the driveway at the center of the curve by the dam. I flagged two wet spots about 2 & 1/2 feet from the top of the dam, but can not find any water seepage now. I then pulled the flagged stakes out of the dam and the hole didn't take on water. I opened the faucet I put in to fill a stock tank (about 30 feet past the driveway and about 5 feet lower than full pond level) to lower the level to dry that area out and bentonite it. Then closed it thinking if it was still seeping I should see water trying to bubble out when I raked mud aside with my boot. What do y'all think? Oh yeah.......the dam is core trenched and only 3 feet high. Should I build it up for more mass?
hugs, Brandi

 

[Bindian]

With 3-5 inches of rain coming tomorrow and the backside of the dam still being wet this afternoon, I decided to bite the bullet and open the faucet to drain down the pond below the overflow pipe's concrete. I found good evidence of seeps about 1 & 1/2 feet below the top of the dam. Sadness prevails.
hugs, Brandi