Building Lake Corona

[pmsmechanic]

And now back to jk96 and the wonderful Lake Corona.

All the best, Peter

That sounds good but all there is left to do is watch it fill up with water and plant grass on the bank next spring. It could also get stocked with fish at some point.

But then there is the emergency overflow..... so I guess it's got a ways to go yet.

 

[Jstpssng]

Timber rattlers ranged all of the way into southern Maine, although I don't think there have been any found in years. Working power line maintenance in New Hampshire many years ago the utility rep called one morning and told us to be careful between a certain section of poles, known as "Rattlesnake Hill" for a reason. He should have called about 2 days earlier...

 

[s219]

True story, have a buddy who lives on the upper end of Coleto Creek reservoir (between Victoria and Goliad Texas). He was working on his boat dock, and a mocassin bit him on his ankle 3 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE. He had just bought his wife a Z06 vette, and she was a nurse at the hospital. So she hauled his arse to town FAST. They live about 30 minutes out in the country from the hospital. She was calling the ER to get them ready with antivenom. He was in the hospital for days and was on crutches for a while.

Yeah, I can believe it. We're afraid to swim around our dock because of them. Seen too many cruising around. I've only gone swimming when I drop something important/expensive in the water. Occasionally I will put on hip waders to do maintenance at low tide and I feel like I need eyes in the back of my head.

I have heard stories of water moccasins falling out of trees onto docks and boats. That would make me jump into the water!

 

[bindian]

Booger after getting bit by a cottonmouth. Pretty sure it was a cottonmouth, as we have tons of them with two ponds and a gully. Now as to Copperheads, I haven't seen more than a handful in 27 years here. Copperheads bit more here, as they blend in real well with all the pine needles and sticks on the ground.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Molalla1]

Booger after getting bit by a cottonmouth. View attachment 684012 Pretty sure it was a cottonmouth, as we have tons of them with two ponds and a gully. Now as to Copperheads, I haven't seen more than a handful in 27 years here. Copperheads bit more here, as they blend in real well with all the pine needles and sticks on the ground.
hugs, Brandi

Poor Booger . . .

 

[sld]

The pond continues to slowly inch up as we loose what little snow we had. Good sign as it means the bottom of the pond that penetrated the bedrock is sealed up well.

2021-01-20_09-50-27

Looks awesome! I was worried about our pond at first too. We were losing quite a bit of water the first year it seemed like. My theory is the ground between the bottom of the pond and the water table finally saturated and the level was more constant after that.

One thing to keep in mind is I regularly saw an inch per day in evaporation on the hot windy days. Two weeks of no rain and you'd lose a foot of water. We finally tapped into our irrigation well and ran a line to the pond and made an aerator. That helped stabilize the levels quite a bit and the aeration was a bonus.

 

[fried1765]

Booger after getting bit by a cottonmouth. View attachment 684012 Pretty sure it was a cottonmouth, as we have tons of them with two ponds and a gully. Now as to Copperheads, I haven't seen more than a handful in 27 years here. Copperheads bit more here, as they blend in real well with all the pine needles and sticks on the ground.
hugs, Brandi

He looks SO..oooo sweet!
Is he OK now ?

 

[Molalla1]

He looks SO..oooo sweet!
Is he OK now ?

You can tell . . . "did I do something wrong" I feel terrible.

 

[jk96]

Looks awesome! I was worried about our pond at first too. We were losing quite a bit of water the first year it seemed like. My theory is the ground between the bottom of the pond and the water table finally saturated and the level was more constant after that.

One thing to keep in mind is I regularly saw an inch per day in evaporation on the hot windy days. Two weeks of no rain and you'd lose a foot of water. We finally tapped into our irrigation well and ran a line to the pond and made an aerator. That helped stabilize the levels quite a bit and the aeration was a bonus.

Thanks. Calling for some rain here Sunday and 5-8" of snow on Monday at the moment. With the ground frozen it should provide a little water runoff. Would be great if the bottom of the pond would fill before the heavier spring rains to prevent some silt in during the fill.

 

[sld]

Thanks. Calling for some rain here Sunday and 5-8" of snow on Monday at the moment. With the ground frozen it should provide a little water runoff. Would be great if the bottom of the pond would fill before the heavier spring rains to prevent some silt in during the fill.

Funny story. My Dad and I had worked on our pond for around 8 months and it was close but we still wanted to do a few things. Well, we got an 8 inch rain and it not only filled but we also got to see how our spill way worked. I remember standing next to my Dad looking at all the water and he just said, "I guess we are done with the pond."

That pond provided over 20 years of family fun. After he passed and my Mom could see I was struggling to maintain their 5 acres (as well as my place) finally sold out and bought a patio home. I still miss that pond.

 

[dodge man]

You need to get get anchors in for you ski boat slalom course in after you get your dock built and before it fills up.

 

[JethroB]

You need to get get anchors in for you ski boat slalom course in after you get your dock built and before it fills up.

Don't forget the submarine races. Watching them was a popular pastime for teenage couples at local ponds years ago.

 

[jk96]

We recieved about 3/4" of rain yesterday. Pond level in creaping up into the flats now.
2021-01-31_09-38-55

 

[ovrszd]

Anxious to see it full Jeremy. Thanks again for sharing this project.

 

[jk96]

Anxious to see it full Jeremy. Thanks again for sharing this project.

I am as well. This was an enjoyable project for me. Will post some additional updates when things thaw out and dry up enough to start on the emergency spillway. Will cut it into the hillside on the far end of the dam in the last pic. Will use this dirt removed to bring the slope out on the backside of the dam a bit more also.

 

[ovrszd]

A very, very small percentage of readers of this post would have the fortitude and stamina to do what you have done.

Few years ago I laid a drainage culvert in a deep ravine and filled it 20ft to the tops of the banks so I could fence across it. Did it with a CTL. Have no idea how many trips with a bucket full of dirt. Days. Not even close to the magnitude of your project.

Very fitting name. Just goes on and on.

 

[BigBlue1]

Any idea how many hours of skid steer operation it has taken you to do your project? I have to imagine it has been a ton of seat time!

 

[jk96]

Any idea how many hours of skid steer operation it has taken you to do your project? I have to imagine it has been a ton of seat time!

Pretty close to 230-250 hours I believe not counting additional time putting tracks back on, cutting logs, multiple stuck situations, etc.