The bottom blue clay is not packed yet and pressure from the ground water is pushing it through. You have to pack the blue clay in your keyway. Rent a trench compactor. You should compact that keyway at half Way full point and then fill it and then compact it again. Blue clay is the best packing in helps.
I enjoy the pond project videos. There’s something satisfying about watching you work and comment. Your commentary along with the work, makes me feel like I’m right there with you as you explain what you’re doing. It’s like a personal dialog of; information, advice, concerns, next steps, processes, plans and possible outcomes that make them so interesting. And don’t forget Christy’s great editing and annotations. Fun to watch. Also, I too really, really like my Lube Shuttle grease gun with the Lock N Lube so much! Blessings.
Love to see @letsdig18 get eyes on this pond and offer some advice! Regardless, I'm really enjoying this project and for that matter all your videos. Feel like it doesn't get said enough
Hello Tim, It's too bad that we live far apart from each other, I would love to help you with your projects. Love the videos. Keep up the good work, and God bless.
Tim, you and your channel are so interesting to me! I love watching and looking at your content. You must have ALOT of equipment! Have you been doing this as your profession? How long have you been doing these projects and jobs? It is so amazing to me! Thanks so much for sharing!
Somewhere along the line you said your aim was to do this job with small tractors and you've pretty much stuck to that idea. I'm glad you have and that's why I've been so interested in this project - to see what it really takes to do a job like this. I can now put aside any ideas I had of using my 1025R to remove silt that has collected in my ponds over the years. It would be a disaster so I'll say thanks Tim. I look forward to more videos as you work towards the successful completion of an ambitious project.
Tim, I think you are 100% on the right track. Keep doing what you are doing with the clay cutoff wall. After it’s all done and filled, if you find the blue clay isn’t as impervious as you would like and you’re losing water around that lens at 3-4’, you could get a trencher and make a mini bentonite cutoff wall. This is how a lot of gravel pits are dewatered, a cement bentonite cutoff wall. Have fun and be safe!
I think for the amount of work you are going through on this project you really should get a plate compactor and compact it every 18" or so. Or, if you watch some of Letsdig18 videos, he has a small sheeps foot type roller that goes on his mini excavator. You could get one for your excavator and compact as you go.
Tim, we have been watching for several years and thought we were subscribed. When I want to like this video you mentioned to subscribe and I checked. I was surprised by o find out we were not subscribed. Not sure what happened but we are subscribed now. Thank you for the reminder. Love your videos and you have provided us with several good suggestions and directions on the years.
Not a soil expert here but have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. lol. Watching the show Curse of Oak Island, they talk about the original builders of the money pit using the blue clay as their water seal. It's used for the pit as well as the flood tunnels. Those have worked for centuries. They had Coconut husks to filter out the water in the bay inlet to the flood tunnels. So, if the original "contractors" of that project used blue clay for their waterproofing that has worked for centuries, I would say that you will have it lasting for a lifetime in your pond. Or as you say, maybe until next year. lol. Great videos. Thanks for sharing with us all.
You might check with Dirt Perfect. I’ve heard him say that the blue clay in his area won’t work well in a dam. Yours could be different, though. Thank you again for all your hard work and sharing. Lord be with you guys.
Tim cattails can start in a floating mass of leaves and will create peat moss. The clay has to be compacted or it is very permeable. It is actually a very wicking soil until it is compacted. Rent a sheep's foot compactor. I personally would compact at lifts no more than 9 inches in thickness I would prefer doing a 6 inch lift.
I've helped build a couple of ponds, and we used bentonite as a top layer to hold water. I love watching you work on the pond and figuring it out as you go.
How much of it did you use. I'm building one and plan on lining it with clay, the adding whatever I need once it's finished. Hope to pack it all in with a large skid, I have it set up with steep sides all the way around except the swimming/beach area. It's rather small at 65x85, and the swimming/beach area will be part of my water height control as I'm in sand/gravel with a few pockets of clay although nothing usable for the lining.
@somethingabouttractors241 thanks for the response. Even that thick and with the small size of my pond, that would get real expensive quickly. Iirc 3000lbs delivered is nearly 2 grand. I'm not aware of a local source for it near Grand Rapids Mi.
Clay is clay. The word describes “particle size” and color is more a function of parent material. When you say “muck”, I think “silt” which also describes a particle size, one between sand and clay. The way clay holds water is that the smaller particle size creates smaller spaces for water or, a better description might be more surface area for water to bind to. It’s not impervious to water, it just holds more. You’re doing fine my brother. Soil testing would not be out of place for the blue clay…
Not a professional pond digger, but in my experience running equipment use the scoop of clay to pack the previous scoop. With low weight equipment compact a little at a time. Hope this makes sense, good luck and God bless.
My 2 cents is pack pack pack! You need to layer blue clay around perimeter and pad foot the living out of it. I think a pad foot roller is very necessary
Look for. Wacker Neuson dumper to wheel the gray clay to where you need it, ( i have a 1-1/2 yard dumper, but the 3 yard size would be perfect for the large quantity, and for the trench, use an excavator compactor, so it’ll fit into the trench etc, and gives it a plate size compaction and squeeze the clay particles together.
Dont fret the "Doesn't know what he's doing " comments. Thats a keyboard warrior who either hasnt ever done it either or if has done it doesnt remember the learning curve of starting out. I still say you should reach out to Dirt Perfect and Letsdig18. These guys are the pond masters and could give a world of knowledge. Keep on keeping on. You're doing great with what you have. Kudos to you.
Hi Tim, The blue clay will work good. The clay should be compacted in lifts. It's very difficult to compact cohesive material when it's over 2 feet thick, unless you have a really heavy compaction device. A trench roller would be great as it's narrow in width, is remote operated. Christy could be sitting in a chair with an umbrella running it while you fill in the trench! Looks great so far!
Wish I was a clay expert to give you some advice, but I'm not. Your pond has actually come a long way from where you started. I really like the "build it with what you have" rather than just hiring it out.
Tim you've done so well with the pond that I would talk to the Game & Fish guys to have a few crappie in there. If you build a shady dock they will get under it for easy catching and you could have family fish fries. Our daughter is almost 30 now but we started birthday fish fries when she was three. She was married seven years ago and we added another fish fry to our calendar. I thing you would do well with a rock bottom on the north end for spawning and possibly a few logs hanging over those humps for structure. I think 12-15 foot will be deep enough for fish. Just have fun with it and possibly make a more content. "The pond series" how to build a wildlife pond, on Aqua Time With Tim. 😁
Tim, if you really do plan on stocking it with fish, I think it would be very worthwhile to contact your regional state wildlife office and see if they could offer you any advice on what to do for an optimal habitat. Would make for a really interesting video too. Looks great, keep up the good work!
I like your Kubota U48-5 Excavator. In addition to digging I would want brush and log handling equipment including a log splitter for those really big nasty twisty logs!
i have never ran into the blue clay but i was talking to a buddy of mine and he said that blue clay was pretty good for what you are doing. H said it will kinda work like a check valve, it will allow the water in but will not drain out. Hope it works out.
Our pond on out property started out like this with water popping up and yhe dame type of soils/ clays, I just kept digging and shaping and had no issues, were in a bad drought right now and our pond is still holding at a steady level, overflow level is 12 feet higher but it still has water for deer and cattle
you may need to rent a dozer to clean up what you need to and compact some of the bottom clay. It may make your project go a bit faster towards the end of it.
Can you rent a plate compactor for the Kubota? Fill the keyway half way and then switch over to the plate compactor and pack it and then fill? Quite the project you have on your hands.
I have a pond, but it was made before my ownership. It has blue clay at the bottom. Works great. I don't think it is supposed to be water proof. Maybe that would cause it to overflow depending on what the external sources of water is. I think my pond gets quite some water from surroundings that are higher, so it shouldn't be completely water proof.
I wonder if the blue clay is a type of bentonite. The reason i say that is the way you describe it turning to muck, which is how bentonite works i believe. It acts like a sponge in that once it absorbs water, it leaches very little but some. Thats why when you step in it you sink. My point to this comment is im wondering if you need to compact it, like you said. Will be curious to see. I of course no nothing about this, but wish you the best of luck.
Try to "PONDer" the options... I see what you did there. 🙂Is the blue clay bentonite? If so that is what they use for ponds and even drilled well shafts from what I've heard anyway. I've only used it in the process of brewing white wine. Maybe when this fancy pond gets all filled with water I can take advantage of some of the winds I'm sure you get up there in the flat lands and get my RC Sailboat out on it!
Tim just keep up the great work brother at the end of the day this is yours and your wife’s life and if you are happy with your work that’s all that matters. You will need to pack it in with a roller or some kind of roller attachment that could fit on that kabota. Other then that great vids all around
If you had it to do over again, would you buy the next bigger excavator? I suggest you dig below anything that you think has been disturbed in the past. When I had my first pond dug in northwest Ohio, I wanted it as deep as possible. He was using a pan and hit a sand pocket. He said it might only be a foot or two thick or it might be 10' thick so we decided to stop at 10' deep. He packed some clay back over the sand. When he came back the next day there was water in the hole. He said if water can seep into your pond, it WILL seep back out again.
So this looks like a fun project, but do you have to follow any rules from the DNR? Here in Wisconsin, we have rules and permits that need to take place for a pond.
It has been my understanding Tim that while clay is an excellent waterproof liner, once clay is disturbed it can never have those traits again. It can not be repacked, ever to its natural state to divert or hold water. I suspect the reason is that clay once disturbed and tossed back into a hole, even though compacted will still have crevices water water will channel and run. Therefore not water proof or able to hold water. As always, I could be wrong.
I should have guessed you'd of been going over to Decatur. If I'd a been thinking I would have had you look for my friend Larry from Tipton. He always takes over a few tractors and has one that his father made because one couldn't be acquired at the time.
Wish I was a UA-cam/FaceBook Pond expert, but sadly I am not. Looks like you have a huge task on your hands, that you are well on your way to getting through. At least you will be able to have answers to all your questions, within a year or so, and be able to help others with your knowledge as you move forward.
Question for you. If it’s just dirt and clay along the bottom, wouldn't the uneven surfaces you are trying to create along the bottom end up leveling out overtime anyways? I like your idea but wonder if it will hold over time.
Hi Tim. In the Ottawa River Valley, there is a lot of bluish Leda clay. When it becomes saturated, its fluidity increases. Houses cannot be built in Leda clay zones, as a result.
Am curious as to why you've chosen to fill in the south end of the pond. Isn't that where potential overflow would have exited out via the low slope swale that you previously put in? Also, wouldn't that south end have been where run off would have entered?
Hey Tim. When we lived in Brown County we had someone enlarge our pond and he had a large excavator and had to dig it out when it was full of water but that’s pretty common because they fill back in over time anyway he said if you want a good fishing pond there needs to be a deep area so the fish can over winter. I don’t remember how deep but the IN DNR could probably tell you.
The worry about the water filling the low hole could be resolved if the local Ag Extension can tell you where the aquifers and water table are in your area. Or find out the old fashioned way via a sample well drilling (with a pump to trickle feed the pond if ever needed in drought)? From the pics, it seems there's still plenty of water in the 2nd and 3rd layers of sandy dirt above the clay or from seams within the clay around the pit. Or better yet, it's bubbling up from the aquifer through the lower clay layer (great news for a pond!). Clay "resists" to hold water from above or the sides fairly well, but aquifer pressure on water always wins from below.
You know in your mind what you want..the water you are seeing maybe from an underground stream seeping through sand veins..good sign water traveling up not down once the packed clay contains it ...pond will fill...
I had a bunch of that blue clay on my pond build. I dug past it down about 10ft till I hit solid ground. Then I put good red clay about 12ft wide and packed it with my m7060 with a bucket full of dirt. My dam is 400ft long and it took a lot of dirt but I don’t think that clay would have held.
Either purchase a packing wheel ( looks like a miniature sheep's foot roller but attaches to the excavator and you roll it in to pack it..let's dig has one on his mini. But you must pack in that blue clay at lower level then add clay repack again..it will be major issues if you don't pack it
I wouldn't get rid of any fill dirt you have unless its like 100 truckloads or something. Use it to give your landscape some interest. Build berms that you can plant trees and shrubs into. So you have structure to create some real visual interest across the property. Or build a spoil pile in the back corner of the property. Everyone who trucks their dirt away regrets it.
In my expert opinion, I believe that you're making a Cheeseburger Pond. If you need help learning to fish, I can bring my grandson over and he is becoming pretty good at it.
The bottom blue clay is not packed yet and pressure from the ground water is pushing it through. You have to pack the blue clay in your keyway. Rent a trench compactor. You should compact that keyway at half Way full point and then fill it and then compact it again. Blue clay is the best packing in helps.
I appreciate you taking us along on this pond adventure.
This pond build is so fascinating... Thanks for sharing, Rewatched!
Thanks Aaron. I thoroughly enjoyed this project! We're at the 'finishing touches' now.
I enjoy the pond project videos. There’s something satisfying about watching you work and comment. Your commentary along with the work, makes me feel like I’m right there with you as you explain what you’re doing. It’s like a personal dialog of; information, advice, concerns, next steps, processes, plans and possible outcomes that make them so interesting. And don’t forget Christy’s great editing and annotations. Fun to watch. Also, I too really, really like my Lube Shuttle grease gun with the Lock N Lube so much! Blessings.
Love to see @letsdig18 get eyes on this pond and offer some advice! Regardless, I'm really enjoying this project and for that matter all your videos. Feel like it doesn't get said enough
Thanks for the kind words!
Hello Tim,
It's too bad that we live far apart from each other, I would love to help you with your projects.
Love the videos. Keep up the good work, and God bless.
Tim, you and your channel are so interesting to me! I love watching and looking at your content. You must have ALOT of equipment! Have you been doing this as your profession? How long have you been doing these projects and jobs? It is so amazing to me! Thanks so much for sharing!
We’ve been doing UA-cam for 9 years. I quit my day job in 2019.
Happy Sunday . Let’s get started
Great progress!!!! It's coming together, stay encouraged. You are helping me!!!😊
Somewhere along the line you said your aim was to do this job with small tractors and you've pretty much stuck to that idea. I'm glad you have and that's why I've been so interested in this project - to see what it really takes to do a job like this. I can now put aside any ideas I had of using my 1025R to remove silt that has collected in my ponds over the years. It would be a disaster so I'll say thanks Tim. I look forward to more videos as you work towards the successful completion of an ambitious project.
Yea. 1025r would be pretty much over it’s head.
This is awesome..... I feel like I'm watching a TTWT / Goldrush crossover!
Tim, I think you are 100% on the right track. Keep doing what you are doing with the clay cutoff wall. After it’s all done and filled, if you find the blue clay isn’t as impervious as you would like and you’re losing water around that lens at 3-4’, you could get a trencher and make a mini bentonite cutoff wall. This is how a lot of gravel pits are dewatered, a cement bentonite cutoff wall. Have fun and be safe!
I think for the amount of work you are going through on this project you really should get a plate compactor and compact it every 18" or so. Or, if you watch some of Letsdig18 videos, he has a small sheeps foot type roller that goes on his mini excavator. You could get one for your excavator and compact as you go.
Tim, we have been watching for several years and thought we were subscribed. When I want to like this video you mentioned to subscribe and I checked. I was surprised by o find out we were not subscribed. Not sure what happened but we are subscribed now.
Thank you for the reminder.
Love your videos and you have provided us with several good suggestions and directions on the years.
Thanks Paul!
Very enjoyable videos. Keep on going I think you are going to have a nice pond. God bless you and Christy.
Another great video of you pond progress thanks Tim keep up the good work. Cant wait to see the next video of the pond or what ever you have.
Not a soil expert here but have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. lol. Watching the show Curse of Oak Island, they talk about the original builders of the money pit using the blue clay as their water seal. It's used for the pit as well as the flood tunnels. Those have worked for centuries. They had Coconut husks to filter out the water in the bay inlet to the flood tunnels. So, if the original "contractors" of that project used blue clay for their waterproofing that has worked for centuries, I would say that you will have it lasting for a lifetime in your pond. Or as you say, maybe until next year. lol. Great videos. Thanks for sharing with us all.
You might check with Dirt Perfect. I’ve heard him say that the blue clay in his area won’t work well in a dam. Yours could be different, though. Thank you again for all your hard work and sharing. Lord be with you guys.
Tim cattails can start in a floating mass of leaves and will create peat moss. The clay has to be compacted or it is very permeable. It is actually a very wicking soil until it is compacted. Rent a sheep's foot compactor. I personally would compact at lifts no more than 9 inches in thickness I would prefer doing a 6 inch lift.
I've helped build a couple of ponds, and we used bentonite as a top layer to hold water. I love watching you work on the pond and figuring it out as you go.
How much of it did you use. I'm building one and plan on lining it with clay, the adding whatever I need once it's finished. Hope to pack it all in with a large skid, I have it set up with steep sides all the way around except the swimming/beach area. It's rather small at 65x85, and the swimming/beach area will be part of my water height control as I'm in sand/gravel with a few pockets of clay although nothing usable for the lining.
@brettblack7049 if I remember right, it was at least an inch thick, maybe 2 inches where it was the deepest water
@somethingabouttractors241 thanks for the response.
Even that thick and with the small size of my pond, that would get real expensive quickly. Iirc 3000lbs delivered is nearly 2 grand. I'm not aware of a local source for it near Grand Rapids Mi.
Loving this project!!!!
Clay is clay. The word describes “particle size” and color is more a function of parent material. When you say “muck”, I think “silt” which also describes a particle size, one between sand and clay. The way clay holds water is that the smaller particle size creates smaller spaces for water or, a better description might be more surface area for water to bind to. It’s not impervious to water, it just holds more. You’re doing fine my brother. Soil testing would not be out of place for the blue clay…
Not a professional pond digger, but in my experience running equipment use the scoop of clay to pack the previous scoop. With low weight equipment compact a little at a time. Hope this makes sense, good luck and God bless.
Love the Lube system. Far easier. No priming. No rod sticking out. The best.
I really enjoy your pond project videos Tim, great job.
The Kubota is doing a great job
Yep.
Clay doesn't stop water. Nothing does. It just slows it down better than sand.
Great video!
Have you tried tamping it with the bucket as you go? We get pretty good compaction filling holes with our mini.
Keeping digging deeper and you'll be able to put walleye in there. 👍no worries buddy, dig more, dig deep, and you'll be fine.
My 2 cents is pack pack pack! You need to layer blue clay around perimeter and pad foot the living out of it. I think a pad foot roller is very necessary
Look for. Wacker Neuson dumper to wheel the gray clay to where you need it, ( i have a 1-1/2 yard dumper, but the 3 yard size would be perfect for the large quantity, and for the trench, use an excavator compactor, so it’ll fit into the trench etc, and gives it a plate size compaction and squeeze the clay particles together.
Dont fret the "Doesn't know what he's doing " comments. Thats a keyboard warrior who either hasnt ever done it either or if has done it doesnt remember the learning curve of starting out.
I still say you should reach out to Dirt Perfect and Letsdig18. These guys are the pond masters and could give a world of knowledge.
Keep on keeping on. You're doing great with what you have. Kudos to you.
Hi Tim,
The blue clay will work good. The clay should be compacted in lifts. It's very difficult to compact cohesive material when it's over 2 feet thick, unless you have a really heavy compaction device.
A trench roller would be great as it's narrow in width, is remote operated. Christy could be sitting in a chair with an umbrella running it while you fill in the trench!
Looks great so far!
Wish I was a clay expert to give you some advice, but I'm not. Your pond has actually come a long way from where you started. I really like the "build it with what you have" rather than just hiring it out.
Looks good Tim and Christy! I used blue clay and it works great.
Tim you've done so well with the pond that I would talk to the Game & Fish guys to have a few crappie in there. If you build a shady dock they will get under it for easy catching and you could have family fish fries. Our daughter is almost 30 now but we started birthday fish fries when she was three. She was married seven years ago and we added another fish fry to our calendar. I thing you would do well with a rock bottom on the north end for spawning and possibly a few logs hanging over those humps for structure. I think 12-15 foot will be deep enough for fish. Just have fun with it and possibly make a more content. "The pond series" how to build a wildlife pond, on Aqua Time With Tim. 😁
Lots of work and effort! And daily greasing. Some moments when a long stick U48 would be handy!
There is no ‘long stick’ version.
Very true. It was more a "Wouldn't it be nice" thought@@TractorTimewithTim
Great video Tim! Maybe you could look at getting an attachment for the mini to pack that in?
another tips with some these mini Excavator move that boom side shift back & forth so the grease work it self in the pins for the side shift
Tim, if you really do plan on stocking it with fish, I think it would be very worthwhile to contact your regional state wildlife office and see if they could offer you any advice on what to do for an optimal habitat. Would make for a really interesting video too.
Looks great, keep up the good work!
I like your Kubota U48-5 Excavator. In addition to digging I would want brush and log handling equipment including a log splitter for those really big nasty twisty logs!
😄 I am the kind of guy that would spin the excavator around in circles just for fun!!!
i have never ran into the blue clay but i was talking to a buddy of mine and he said that blue clay was pretty good for what you are doing. H said it will kinda work like a check valve, it will allow the water in but will not drain out. Hope it works out.
Coming right along. Looks good Tim. I think the clay liner will work
Our pond on out property started out like this with water popping up and yhe dame type of soils/ clays, I just kept digging and shaping and had no issues, were in a bad drought right now and our pond is still holding at a steady level, overflow level is 12 feet higher but it still has water for deer and cattle
you may need to rent a dozer to clean up what you need to and compact some of the bottom clay. It may make your project go a bit faster towards the end of it.
Grease is a tractor or excavators best friend. Makes them feel better
Can you rent a plate compactor for the Kubota? Fill the keyway half way and then switch over to the plate compactor and pack it and then fill? Quite the project you have on your hands.
WOW! That is deep I think it will fill up with water no problem
I have a pond, but it was made before my ownership. It has blue clay at the bottom. Works great. I don't think it is supposed to be water proof. Maybe that would cause it to overflow depending on what the external sources of water is. I think my pond gets quite some water from surroundings that are higher, so it shouldn't be completely water proof.
Tim if you do the compression compaction every 2 feet you should be more than good to not have voids in the clay layers
I wonder if the blue clay is a type of bentonite. The reason i say that is the way you describe it turning to muck, which is how bentonite works i believe. It acts like a sponge in that once it absorbs water, it leaches very little but some. Thats why when you step in it you sink. My point to this comment is im wondering if you need to compact it, like you said. Will be curious to see. I of course no nothing about this, but wish you the best of luck.
Looking good to me old boy 😅.
To get the best compaction it needs to be done in lifts, preferably one foot or less.
Compaction is the Key!
I hope Dirt Perfect will give you a call.
Try to "PONDer" the options... I see what you did there. 🙂Is the blue clay bentonite? If so that is what they use for ponds and even drilled well shafts from what I've heard anyway. I've only used it in the process of brewing white wine. Maybe when this fancy pond gets all filled with water I can take advantage of some of the winds I'm sure you get up there in the flat lands and get my RC Sailboat out on it!
Tim just keep up the great work brother at the end of the day this is yours and your wife’s life and if you are happy with your work that’s all that matters. You will need to pack it in with a roller or some kind of roller attachment that could fit on that kabota. Other then that great vids all around
If you had it to do over again, would you buy the next bigger excavator? I suggest you dig below anything that you think has been disturbed in the past. When I had my first pond dug in northwest Ohio, I wanted it as deep as possible. He was using a pan and hit a sand pocket. He said it might only be a foot or two thick or it might be 10' thick so we decided to stop at 10' deep. He packed some clay back over the sand. When he came back the next day there was water in the hole. He said if water can seep into your pond, it WILL seep back out again.
No, I got the largest I can haul legally with my truck/trailer.
A old farmer told me that the best way to seal the bottom of a pond is to put cows in it and they will stomp it down.
You're right about what you are trying to get done, go slow, never get in a hurry... how deep are the water holes? 😊. Keep going .. 🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔👍🙏🙏🙏🙏
Time for another attachment! A hydraulic plate compactor for the excavator! 😉
So this looks like a fun project, but do you have to follow any rules from the DNR? Here in Wisconsin, we have rules and permits that need to take place for a pond.
Consider making a few minutes of the video a time lapse! That way you can show the process a little better
I would suggest renting a plate compactor for the blue clay
It has been my understanding Tim that while clay is an excellent waterproof liner, once clay is disturbed it can never have those traits again. It can not be repacked, ever to its natural state to divert or hold water. I suspect the reason is that clay once disturbed and tossed back into a hole, even though compacted will still have crevices water water will channel and run. Therefore not water proof or able to hold water. As always, I could be wrong.
I should have guessed you'd of been going over to Decatur. If I'd a been thinking I would have had you look for my friend Larry from Tipton. He always takes over a few tractors and has one that his father made because one couldn't be acquired at the time.
Interesting on the boom reach. I am guessing everyone with an excavator would like and use a long reach boom at some time
Down here in NC they use pigs to seal ponds. Fence it off until it holds water. Discusting, but hey ... if it works ....
Wish I was a UA-cam/FaceBook Pond expert, but sadly I am not.
Looks like you have a huge task on your hands, that you are well on your way to getting through.
At least you will be able to have answers to all your questions, within a year or so, and be able to help others with your knowledge as you move forward.
Tim you hit the water table if you were down where I live at in Texas usually you have to keep it pumping 24 hours to get the sand out
Should compact in 6in lifts and at least 2ft deep or more depending on pond size, compact it self you wish 🙏 😂
Question for you. If it’s just dirt and clay along the bottom, wouldn't the uneven surfaces you are trying to create along the bottom end up leveling out overtime anyways? I like your idea but wonder if it will hold over time.
Agreed. I'm afraid he is going to create leaks
All you can do is trust the experts and hoper.
get greasy first thing in the morning....yep I know what you are talking about.🤣🤣
Wow! The first view for once! 16 seconds after it was posted. Hi Tim!
Another resource idea, your county probably has a soil and water office, they may have someone that is willing to talk to you about soils to use. ?
I cannot help but wonder if using a mixer to homogenize the sandy clay mix and add a binder would make a good liner.
Hi Tim. In the Ottawa River Valley, there is a lot of bluish Leda clay. When it becomes saturated, its fluidity increases. Houses cannot be built in Leda clay zones, as a result.
Am curious as to why you've chosen to fill in the south end of the pond. Isn't that where potential overflow would have exited out via the low slope swale that you previously put in? Also, wouldn't that south end have been where run off would have entered?
North end would be exit.
Ground pressure will push water through anything even blue clay .but blue clay is nature's way to hold water
Tim would you please consider doing a giveaway with the lock n lube/grease the winner supplies their own battery.
Hey Tim. When we lived in Brown County we had someone enlarge our pond and he had a large excavator and had to dig it out when it was full of water but that’s pretty common because they fill back in over time anyway he said if you want a good fishing pond there needs to be a deep area so the fish can over winter. I don’t remember how deep but the IN DNR could probably tell you.
Also, +1 for a letsdig collaboration to get some advice from him. That would be a great video too! Even it it was just a Zoom call with him.
You need dirt perfect to come and give some expert advise on the pond. On what works and what doesnt work for a pond not leaking
having a pond might help with your fire insurance, having a water source will help the fire dept in case of an emergency for you or your neighbors
you should be compacting every couple of feet of rise
The worry about the water filling the low hole could be resolved if the local Ag Extension can tell you where the aquifers and water table are in your area. Or find out the old fashioned way via a sample well drilling (with a pump to trickle feed the pond if ever needed in drought)? From the pics, it seems there's still plenty of water in the 2nd and 3rd layers of sandy dirt above the clay or from seams within the clay around the pit. Or better yet, it's bubbling up from the aquifer through the lower clay layer (great news for a pond!). Clay "resists" to hold water from above or the sides fairly well, but aquifer pressure on water always wins from below.
You know in your mind what you want..the water you are seeing maybe from an underground stream seeping through sand veins..good sign water traveling up not down once the packed clay contains it ...pond will fill...
Tim ya just drive forwards and back wards with tracks. and back drag with your jd bucket
I had a bunch of that blue clay on my pond build. I dug past it down about 10ft till I hit solid ground. Then I put good red clay about 12ft wide and packed it with my m7060 with a bucket full of dirt. My dam is 400ft long and it took a lot of dirt but I don’t think that clay would have held.
Either purchase a packing wheel ( looks like a miniature sheep's foot roller but attaches to the excavator and you roll it in to pack it..let's dig has one on his mini. But you must pack in that blue clay at lower level then add clay repack again..it will be major issues if you don't pack it
I’m still waiting for a guest appearance from Dirt perfect or letsdig18 to give some advice on the pond dig
I wouldn't get rid of any fill dirt you have unless its like 100 truckloads or something. Use it to give your landscape some interest. Build berms that you can plant trees and shrubs into. So you have structure to create some real visual interest across the property. Or build a spoil pile in the back corner of the property. Everyone who trucks their dirt away regrets it.
If you have dirt left over you can build some berms by the road.
Great progress Tim! How many hours on the mini-Ex now?
50/60 hour review coming out tomorrow.
Have over 80 on it now :-)
Epic amount of work Tim. Even with a mini ex.
Waste of time, you gotta compact in lifts if your gonna fill the keyway 😂😉🤔
In my expert opinion, I believe that you're making a Cheeseburger Pond. If you need help learning to fish, I can bring my grandson over and he is becoming pretty good at it.
Hey tim try getting in touch with Chris from let's dig he knows a heck of alot about ponds and which soils work best