Front Pond Area Improvements

[xtn]

Well I spent plenty of the last weekend and the day off work for New Years on this project.

Have a little pond at one corner of my property along the road frontage. The "outlet" for the pond was a 20' width of low area around a small natural ditch that mostly always stayed muddy and was full of brush and dead trees/branches. I only tried crossing with my tractor once... it didn't go well. So, not wanting to do the work totally by hand, I've never gotten in around this pond and cleaned the area out.

My solution was to give the pond a new, dedicated outlet, bring the surrounding low area up a bit higher, and put in a crossing. Now I'll be able to get in and out and start cleaning up the other side.

Sorry, I never thought to take any pictures of the before condition. But I'll show you all the crap I dragged out of the way before I started moving dirt.

 

[xtn]

Some of the stuff that was in the way... yes, that's a yardstick against the big trunk...

 

[xtn]

And here is the results of our labor... still plan to put down some rip-rap at the inlet and outlet areas of the crossing.

 

[EddieWalker]

Nice job. Did you drain the pond to do this or is it at it's normal level?

Eddie

 

[xtn]

And finally my tractor... the Ratchet Rake was very helpful.






Okay... I did have a little bit of help... mostly just to dig the ditch and move that big honkin' tree trunk...

 

[xtn]

Nice job. Did you drain the pond to do this or is it at it's normal level?

Eddie

Thanks! It's just really low right now. Only about a foot of water down in the bottom. That plus the holiday days off from work is why I decided to tackle it now. The flow line of my tinhorns are about a foot lower than the natural outlet was. I'm hoping that by reducing the full level a foot I can prolong the life of a few trees that are bordering the pond. That big walnut tree was killed by root rot I think.

 

[xtn]

My wife took this one of me and my helpers.

 

[EddieWalker]

Not sure if I would have lowered the level of the water to save a tree, but where I'm at, trees are like weeds. Stop mowing an area for a year and it's overgrown with new trees!!! Since evaporation is such an issue for me, the more water I can have in the pond going into summer means more water in there by the end of summer.

I like the rock. One day I hope to create a walkway all the way around my pond with rock very similar to what you did.

Eddie

 

[xtn]

Got some more work done with my sons this weekend...







I wouldn't have lowered the level, but my wife prioritized the trees. It's the older, bigger ones she wants to save. Growing new shade takes a lot of time.