BX25 for Creating Large Pond

[savaytse66]

After getting my BX25 stuck in our newly discovered natural spring a few weeks ago, I got to thinking that it might be a good idea to use the groundwater for something useful. I am thinking that with some planning and engineering, I could probably re-work the earth to create a natural pond with the spring as it's source.

Does anyone have any experiences to share? Even better would be some how-tos with pictures and video!. And better yet would be experiences specifically with a BX25 or similar sized tractor. After getting stuck by simply brush hogging with Ag tires, I am wondering it the BX is a little too small to tackle something like this. I have the FEL and backhoe, obviously, and I also have a Piranha bar and box blade to assist me.

 

[KennyV]

If you have an infinite amount of time & an infinite number of shovels it is possible to dig any size pond or lake by hand...
after all the Grand Canyon was formed with just natural erosion and a few million years...
... I think if I was going to make a "Large"pond, I would consider using much larger equipment... but then I'm old and likely don't have the time left to make it using small tractors... KennyV

 

[bcp]

Ten foot pond or 2 acre pond?

Bruce

 

[AStanton]

You might want a big excavator or dozer to do the bulk of the work. You can fine tune with your BX. Before I did any of this however, I would check with the county or local building officials. In my neck of the woods, if you have a wet land, the land becomes so regulated that you have to almost check and see if passing gas is allowed near it.

 

[2458n]

You are talking about a job for a track hoe with a real operator. You have bought a small tractor use it what it is for... Nothing worse than a small mud hole choked with cattails. You are lucky to have a spring = please do it right.

 

[dodge man]

Lets look at some numbers, a hole that is 100 feet square that is 5 feet deep, if my math is correct, is 1850 cubic yards of dirt. The end loader bucket on a BX is maybe 1/5 of a cubic yard. That makes a little over 9000 bucket loads of dirt that you would have to move with your BX. Lets say you only have to move the dirt a short distance and it takes you two minutes to move each bucket full. That comes out to about 18,000 minutes, which is around 300 hours. Assume a 40 hour work week, that's close to 2 months sitting on your BX. My guess is it would take longer and a 100'x100' pond isn't very big.

My math may or may not be 100% correct but you get the idea of why people say its a job for larger equipment.

 

[Beavz]

It took multiple days to move this berm...


I can't get this "flat" to SAVE MY LIFE!:confused2:



I've got a "pro" with a skid steer scheduled to arrive on Saturday. He'll flatten it out, then it'll get seed/straw.

I'm completely THRILLED with my BX's performance, but "large jobs" can take longer than you expect.

"Yes," it can take down mountains, and dig lakes.... do YOU have "that much time?"

:2cents:Beavz

 

[Gary Fowler]

I wouldn't attempt to dig a pond with my B26 and it is much larger than your BX. Even with my LS P7010 it took a couple of days to dig out a 50x50x5 feet sized pond without any water from a spring running it. With a spring close by you need to work pretty fast and continuous to keep ahead of the spring flowing water.
My suggestion is get a large excavator that can stay on the bank and dig around the middle of the pond to remove all the required dirt. A large dozer might work also if the soil is not water saturated quick sand.

 

[nc redneck]

I would not attempt it with my BX or Kioti 45 with backhoe. Tractors are ok for moving lose dirt but not good digging machines. If you are going to try anyway get a backhoe for BX, dig with it. move dirt with loader. Get ready to get stuck many times.

 

[Travelover]

I had a small (60 foot diameter) pond put in. The operator used a tracked hoe and knocked it out in a few hours. I spent the next few weeks spreading the dirt into berms with my B7100 since there was no access road to haul the dirt away. I used a box blade, then rented a York rake to smooth it off. Lots of fun.

 

[DianneInVA]

I have a mud hole choked with cattails....visions of a "pond" aren't reality. I tried clearing out one spot with a B2620...and made a real mess. It looked pretty good last fall - but last year was a dry year. This year is wet - and its like I tilled the soil. Cattails moved in like crazy. Need a track hoe with a real operator. Do it right.

 

[Cherokee140]

Never give up....no matter how painfull

 

[AStanton]

How did you ever free that BX?

 

[Cherokee140]

How did you ever free that BX?

That is what neighbors are for, Big Mahandra.

I was pretty worried about it, at one point it had sunk into the mud to where the nose was in the mud to the head lights. We had to leave it there for the evening and when we came back the loader had gone down as well as the loader and the stabilizer arms. I had to start it up while the tractor was nose down at about a 60deg angle. Figuring that oil would be no where near the pickup I had great fears, I made a call to Kubota (not the dealer) and asked about it. They said the engine had a low oil cutoff and if it had no pressure it just would not run. So still worried, but with the idea I had the Kubota (I am a total f-ing idiot) insurance and hoping it would help pay for a new engine if I did blow it to bits, I started it up. No warning lights (I think I am going to install a real read out for some of these fluids) I hate idiot lights...but I am an idiot. Raised the arms raised the backhoe and the bucked and pulled it out no problem.

Now how did I manage this:

Well this is a drainage ditch, I was trying to scoop out the edges with the front loader and started to slide in....as I started to back up, and I was backing up, the angle was so steep my butt came off the seat and the engine died. after that I just slid right into the ditch.

I tried moving it with the loader, backhoe and arms, but the ground was just way too soft.

I don't really fault the machine for this, or think I was trying to do too much with the machine....I think this falls into the category of S**** happens.

A little time with a power washer and she is good as new, but with some new stories to tell.

 

[Cherokee140]

I was going to post the entire story in the day in the life thread, but just had not gotten around to it yet.

 

[DianneInVA]

I am agreeing with you. You are a brave idiot with a sense of humor and reality. Too bad there wasn't a video. I also got "stuck" (understatement), and tried to dig myself out; then I had the brilliant idea to pull the Kubota out with the F-150. I was backed into position to hook the tow strap - when God hit me on the head. I called my for help - and my pastor came over and drove the truck while I drove the tractor. THEN he gave me a lesson on how to dig a drainage ditch....I got stuck at least 3 more times. (Really laughing at the "We had to leave it there for the evening and when we came back the loader had gone down as well as the loader and the stabilizer arms. " At least I didn't have a witness!) Thanks for sharing....

 

[EddieWalker]

If all you have is a small tractor, then that's just what you use to get the job done. Nothing wrong with taking a little longer to get what you want.

Springs are tricky things. What they are is an area on the surface where the ground water has worked its way to the surface. Some are at the base or side of a hill where the water is leaking out of the hill. These are the best types of springs to use for a pond because the water level is above the pond location and the water will drain down into the pond. The other type of spring is where the ground water is so high that it is coming up to the surface, or close to it. These are the worse kind of springs to create a pond with because the pond will rise and fall with the ground water. The water that fills the pond will also be the source of the leak when the water table drops.

Think of a creek that runs most of the year. Even if it hasn't rained for weeks or months, where is the water coming from? It's leaking into the creek from the sides and bottom of the creek from springs. Once the table water around the creek dries up and lowers, the amount of water in the creek decreases and sometimes stops completely. A water hole might remain in certain areas all summer long because that is how high the water table is in the ground around it.

Just digging a hole or building a dam does not mean that you will have a pond.

Eddie

 

[Green Power]

As others have said, hire the bulk work done and do the rest with your little BX.

 

[bcjmmac]

Here is what I "created". The area is part of a natural swale below the house - there are a few small springs behind where I dug + a lot of run off goes through that area. The excess water from my artesian well also went through the area. I started by digging a diversion ditch so that the area dried up a bit, then pulled all the trees, etc, and removed the topsoil (lot of fun). After that I dug down as I built up - there is a drop of about 4 feet from the front left to the rear right in the pictures. The picture was taken today - pond has been filling for ~10 days albeit with a good downpour from Gonzales (lawn drains into the pond + artesian well). Took about 2 weeks for most of the work - pond is 100' long, widest point is 80', max depth 6'. All done with the bucket.

 

[oldpilgrim]

if this guy can do it with a 20hp Kioti, you can do it too.