How to Build a Mud Pond

[dOHd]

Well even though we have two pumps that we started last evening, it is raining again this AM. Not much, but with what we had yesterday, a real mess. Looks like we will have to wait till the first of the week to finish

Got some extra clay comming in to patch up one spot that washed away a bit. This stuff when it gets wet, swells, then bonds to the granules next to it. Kinda like if you have ever left dog food out and it gets wet.

Anyway, it is so slick, you can not walk on it on any type of slope.

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[zek]

Thanks for posting the pond pics. That isn't something you want to take shortcuts on. I'd be a little concerned about a few million gallon pond prone to blow-outs uphill from my spread too.

Please post some pics of the log house. I'd certainly like to see them.

zek

[dOHd]

I got back just a few minutes ago from the pond. It still has too much muck in the bottom to mess with. Set up a warehouse fan near the bottom to aid in air movement, hopefully it will dry up some by monday. Also hauled back the gas pumps used to suck out the water. Boy, Cleanup was a chore, that stuff does not want to come out of hoses, pumps or motor housings.


Will post photos first of the week when we can get back in (I hope)

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[dOHd]

Well we are just about done. Today was beautiful for what we are doing. Not a cloud in the sky, and upper 80's.

First thing we did was to pick up the roller. At almost 650 a day, we did not want it sitting around. Nice thing about this site, it is really close (9 miles) from where we are renting the machine.

We pushed the dirt into the pond and rolled it into place. The fan really helped dry the muck a bit, but the dry dirt absorbed a lot of the moisture as well.

The first shot shows rolling the dam. Since we are wanting compaction, but also a smooth finish, we are using the smooth drum roller.

The second shows the whole pond, via several shots put together. You can also see the log home and where it is in relation to the pond. The home is the next shot. We did roll/push the tree back into the pond, it will give the fish some habitat. The dam is not wet, it is shiney because it is clay that was moist and has been rolled several times.

The dam is also visible, about 2 1/2 times thicker and taller than the one before. And it is also sloped properly.

We are in the process of cutting a walking path around the whole pond. Then comes grass seed and straw. But we are just about finished. Maybe 1/2 day more work.

As a side note, his son in law came out while we were rolling today. He mentioned he can feel the vibrator in his home, close to 600 feet away, below the dam. That is compaction. And that is what we are looking for.

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[dOHd]

Today was finish day. Clean up, and spread some grass seed. And that nasty straw. The customer did not want to spend the money to hydo seed the area, so we did it manually.

Also finished the contouring that we were not able to finish yesterday.

We also started putting water into the pond, to give the deer a place to drink. Using city water till tomorrow morning, photo shows how much went in in under 1 hour. The white object is the diffuser. Keeps the water presure from the hose from eating a hole in the bottom of the pond. Actually what it really is is the bag that the grass seed came in, but it makes a really nice diffuser for the water.

We actually have a chance of rain today and tomorrow (it sprinkled while we were shooting straw), so we are done except to trim the overflow and mount the debris cap, which we will do tomorrow. And cut off the city water and treat the water for chlorine. Fish probably within a month or so.

Next pond is a bit more challenging, as it has had no less than 10 people/companies messing with it over the last three years. IT is a fairyland setting, lined with large quaried stone from an ancient train tressle, and hobbit huts lining one side. Will post photos when we start on the project. Getting the proper permits and clearances, EPA, TVA, and on and on. Each one gets to have their say in what and how we proceed.

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[gcuss]

Looks really good!

May be a dumb question, but wouldn't that tree add a bunch of crap to the water? Or does stuff like that not matter much in a pond of this size?

Nice work, and a very interesting read. Thanks!

Grant

[dOHd]

Grant

The tree and the smaller ones put in with tires are something he wanted done to provide shelter for the fish that will be put in the pond first of the month. Providing we get some rain.

In a pond for koi, you would not really want something like this, but in a pond with bass and bluegill etc, you need something to shelter the fish and give them a place to hide. And a place for the minnows to spawn.

As far as the water quality, the pH of the water in the pond when we drained it was low, and the water was very sour. There were several life forms in the water that I had never seen before, so it was interesting and healty for them, but deadly for fish. Since most of the water that will go into the pond will be runoff from the rain, we discussed ways to boost the pH cause we have real issues with acid rain.

The aeration system will be in on Friday I hope, so that will finish the project. Found out this AM that the cap for the overflow was the wrong type, so they ordered the right one, it should be here then as well.

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[dOHd]

Well I had my camera on monday, but the card was in the puter back at the office. It dont work too well that way.

anyway, today we put in the air lines and the diffusers. Four of them, and a 3/4 HP pump. We let the water run about 14 hours, and there is about 2 feet or so of water in the pond. Suposed to rain between now and this weekend. Hope so.

We also installed the cap or trash barrier on the overflow. We could have done it cheap by welding rebar over the top, but to me that is a bad choice, as trash can very easily mat the flat overflow and plug it up. The one we put in takes care of that problem and is steel that is powder coated, not plastic. And it is not that much more than the cheap welded version.

Anyway, will post back photos of when it gets full.

Grant, as for the tree adding a bunch of crap into the pond, sorta. IT will decay over the years, but with the water volume and the extra air from the bottom, it should never be an issue.

Now, before we started, the water that was in the pond was sour. And I do mean very sour.

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