The gully to pond project

[jinman]

I'll try to get a better area shot posted. I've just been runnin' and gunnin' the last couple of days to try and beat the rain. The dam is not finished, but I think it is workable if we don't get a monsoon. One thing for sure is that if I have water in the pond, my current method of hauling clay will have to change drastically. I have a plan "B" and Plan "C" to my current plan. Barring a nuclear holocaust, I don't think I'll have to come up with another plan.

 

[jinman]

I couldn't do a whole lot yesterday because of the weather, so I decided to redo my "orientation" photo as requested by beppington. The current Bing Maps photos had to be shot last year. They are so up-to-date they are scary. I didn't have all my excavation done when the photo was taken, but it sure shows the project well underway. I've labelled all the areas so you can see where things are going. The last set of photos I posted of dam 2 are taken from the pond 2 basin looking directly down the gully looking north (or just slightly northwest). Because the gully is a big "V" shape and I had easy access to the opening of the gully, I decided to work from the pond end instead of cut down the bank to make a core trench. As I cleaned out the gully's silt, made it a lot deeper and then refilled with clay. Raising the clay and expanding outward to the sides is my primary plan. Each side of the gully "V" has clay down about 3' deep, so I remove the topsoil and sand and refill with clay. If I get runoff in the pond from these rains, I now have the option of cutting down the sides and coming in that way to bring in clay because my gully has been filled and the dam is firm, solid, and flat. It's also wide enough to drive my tractor on and turn around. Being able to maneuver was goal to get completed before the rains. If it looks like another dry day here, I'll try to get back in there today. Yesterday's rain really only settled the dust and there's no standing water.

 

[beppington]

OK I just about get the picture now :thumbsup:

I assume Pond 2 is lower than Pond 1? And "Gully" is lower than Pond 2?

So "Gully" is the sloped funnel that directs overflow toward the reservoir to the NW?

These questions may be obvious to others, but it's so flat here I've never had to even think about water flow or collection ... even though my property is almost entirely below the 100-yr flood plain!

I don't remember reading - Are you using instruments for this project, or just eye-ballin' it?

 

[jinman]

I don't remember reading - Are you using instruments for this project, or just eye-ballin' it?

I have a surveryor's transit loaned to me by a friend, but when you have these wash gullies like I do, it's pretty obvious what is upslope/downslope. I also have a very good eye for level by sighting references that I know are level like on my house. All my final grades will be checked with the transit, but that takes two people to operate. If you look at aerial photos, it's hard to see where the slopes are located, but if you look at that photo I posted, the drop from my driveway to the bottom of pond 2 is probably 30' or more. I'll see if I can come up with a topo map of this area.

EDIT: I edited the previous post with an aerial photo with an additional topo map with my property outlined in yellow.

 

[jinman]

My rain gage has 3-1/4" in it this morning and I no longer have gullies. I have PONDS. Woohoo! My first pond is about 2' from overflow and my second pond is approaching the height of my partially finished dam. I'm going to have to go to Plan B on access to the dam because I can no longer drive through the pond basin and up onto the dam. I'll have to cut down the bank on each end and bring in fill clay that way. It's more trouble, but you won't hear me complain. This is fantastic to see all these years of planning come together and work so well. I get culverts this next week to install and safely control overflow.

I'll try to get some photos and post them as soon as it stops raining and I can slop through the mud to get them. It's still raining and could top out around 4" if showers continue to move over.

 

[ch47dpilot]

I didn't have time to read 21 pages so if this has been ask I apologize just head me in the right direction. Is there a general rule as to how many acres of run off you need to fill a pond. Or how do you fill a pond if not from natural run-off. I plan to make a small 1 acre pond that is in a natural depression. I'll dam off where the water currently runs out and down a hill.

 

[jinman]

I didn't have time to read 21 pages so if this has been ask I apologize just head me in the right direction. Is there a general rule as to how many acres of run off you need to fill a pond. Or how do you fill a pond if not from natural run-off. I plan to make a small 1 acre pond that is in a natural depression. I'll dam off where the water currently runs out and down a hill.

I'm glad you didn't read this whole thread looking for that info because it isn't there. I'm sure there are general rules, but logic tells me that a 2-acre runoff in Oregon is going to have much more runoff than the same size area in Texas or the Mojave Desert. See what I'm getting at? It's very regional and depends on rainfall totals. Maybe there is a sliding scale for annual rainfall against runoff area and engineers use this to approximate their numbers. I don't know. I'd suggest that your local County Agricultural Agent or NRCS office could give you a quick and accurate answer based on your geographic region.

In my case, I have so much drainage that my design is to get the ponds full from spring rains and hope they last through the dry summer. In the case of my land, the erosion gullies from several hundred years of runoff have left no doubt about were and how much water flows during heavy downpours. All I have to do is build a dam to catch that runoff and then provide a safe overflow for the excess. That way I can retain most of the water and let the rest go into our 15 acre soil conservation lake which overflows into Big Sandy Creek leading to a major reservoir in the area.

 

[bindian]

This is fantastic to see all these years of planning come together and work so well. I get culverts this next week to install and safely control overflow.

It's still raining and could top out around 4" if showers continue to move over.

Jim,
I hope you get these overflow culverts in before too much rain washes you dreams and planning away.
hugs, Brandi

 

[jinman]

Jim,
I hope you get these overflow culverts in before too much rain washes you dreams and planning away.
hugs, Brandi

Thanks Brandi. The rain has stopped now and the sun is out. It is really obvious that I need to add another foot (at least) to the middle of my dam. I better get out my nylon twine and line level. I thought my temporary overflow would be fine , but now I see it is not deep enough to prevent water going over the dam. Oops! :ashamed: I hope to have some photos by no later than tomorrow.

 

[bcp]

a 2-acre runoff in Oregon is going to have much more runoff than the same size area in Texas or the Mojave Desert.

I'm not in Oregon, but I can see it.

We have around 50-70 inches a year and almost no runoff except roads, etc. I can turn on a garden hose full volume at the end of a garden furrow, and it won't run a foot down the furrow--just soaks in.

When I lived in the southwest desert, I could furrow irrigate a garden, but not here.

Bruce

 

[jinman]

I'm not in Oregon, but I can see it.

We have around 50-70 inches a year and almost no runoff except roads, etc. I can turn on a garden hose full volume at the end of a garden furrow, and it won't run a foot down the furrow--just soaks in.

When I lived in the southwest desert, I could furrow irrigate a garden, but not here.

Bruce

Yes, but the Columbia River gorge and Multnomah Falls is proof that not all areas there are the same. You do get runoff. Vancouver, Washington has lush vegetation and deep topsoil which tends to absorb a tremendous amount of water. If I add your variable to the equation, it becomes even more complex. How much land you need for runoff depends on average rainfall, terrain, and soil types.

 

[Western]

Jim, good thing the water stopped when it did then:thumbsup: May have taken out some of your hard work. Good thing you spotted that now.

 

[jinman]

My rain guage topped out at about 3-1/2" for the weekend. By any measure, this is the biggest/best shower of the year for me, but I know many folks in the heart of DFW didn't get but a little over 1". I got out yesterday and carefully drove around so as not to make muddy ruts and get some photos.

The 1st & 2nd photos show my little pond is almost full to overflow. I think I'll raise that dam another 18" just to be on the safe side. I want to make sure I still have that much freeboard when the pond is overflowing. From the history of my other ponds, 18" should be plenty. The water in the pond is sure muddy. Before the rain, it had become crystal clear and I'm hoping it will do the same in a few days. My rip-rap worked well to stop erosion.

The 3rd & 4th photos show the back side of the dam and how well the clay sand mix worked. I am thrilled with the result. There's one spot where I didn't get the mix to cover and you can see how it eroded with the water. I don't care how hard this is to do, it will be my standard for the back sides of all my dams.

 

[jinman]

On the 2nd pond and my dam construction, I feel like I dodged a bullet. The water just came high enough to trickle over the dam. I have to go up another 8' with this dam and anymore rain or a heavy downpour would have done some serious damage as it is, there's a pool of water about 4' deep in front of the dam and I will have to come in from above to finish the rest. It's time for Plan B to come into action.

The 1st photo shows the dam between ponds and gives an idea of the difference in levels. The 2nd shows the pool of water at the dam and the 3rd is a closeup to show the water trickling over the dam. The 4th photo shows the dam from above. The final photo shows the whole 2nd pond basin. The water will rise to the level of the white caliche in the background.

 

[ronjhall]

Looking good Jim. Going be interesting when we stop by next month.

 

[jinman]

I gotta be ready before you get here. You always bring a big rain storm with you.:thumbsup: I hope things are a bit greener around here. The trees sure look bare and drab in winter.

 

[beppington]

Jim, I don't see any spillways - Isn't a spillway needed to control overflow 1) from the higher pond to the lower pond, and 2) from the lower pond into the gully?

You mention needing to raise the little pond's dam 18", but isn't that just delaying disaster, & maybe worsening it (more water to bust thru during overflow & dam wash-out) ... unless you have plans for a spillway as part of that 18" height increase?

It's amazing how fast your ponds filled up! :thumbsup:

 

[jinman]

Jim, I don't see any spillways - Isn't a spillway needed to control overflow 1) from the higher pond to the lower pond, and 2) from the lower pond into the gully?

You didn't notice, but I mentioned earlier that I dug a temporary trench across the area behind the first dam. It's shown in red in the 1st photo below. That will get an 18" culvert. I thought about putting in two 15" culverts, but decided a single 18" would be better/easier and sufficient.

In the 2nd pond, the overflow will be far away from the dam and through a 24" culvert as shown by the red wireframe cylinder in the 2nd photo. That culvert will empty into the bigger gully area and before the next big dam project where I will dam a major area and have lots of gullies filled with water. I'm gonna call it Fishy Fingers Lake at Rockin' Anchor Ranch. All this stuff is just a warmup for that B-I-G project. I just laugh when folks ask me how I keep busy in retirement.:cool2:

 

[beppington]

You didn't notice, but I mentioned earlier that I dug a temporary trench across the area behind the first dam. It's shown in red in the 1st photo below. That will get an 18" culvert. I thought about putting in two 15" culverts, but decided a single 18" would be better/easier and sufficient.

So you'll set the 18" culvert on the red oval & then add material on top of the dam until the culvert is covered? That outta work :thumbsup:, as long as 255 square inches of spillway area is enough :thumbsup:

 

[bindian]

Looking most excellant. I think you were real lucky with this storm.
hugs, Brandi