To fix a mud hole!

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I don’t see an option other than a porous fill. The ground looks like it is below water at high water, in flood years, and has small shallow flow channels between large clumps of woody vegetation. For a pipe to work and not just silt up, you have to have some where for the water to flow freely once it leaves the pipe. I’m not seeing that in the picture. I don’t see anywhere near enough gradient to design a self cleaning pipe. Thus a porous large rock fill, is probably the “least worst”, solution which can be constructed economically. Anything else is going to involve more cost to construct than benefit returned.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Only time will tell!

I am staying the course; starting with larger concrete chunks and then progressively getting smaller. I might sprinkle some dirt and or crusher run into the mix to bind it all together before I put a layer of 2"- crushed concrete as the final top dressing.

This is not a super highway, I will be driving my tractor and SxS over it a couple time a week max to a couple times a month min. In my opinion anything is better than the state it is in now.

I promise to keep you all updated.

 

[mx842]

Only time will tell!

I am staying the course; starting with larger concrete chunks and then progressively getting smaller. I might sprinkle some dirt and or crusher run into the mix to bind it all together before I put a layer of 2"- crushed concrete as the final top dressing.

This is not a super highway, I will be driving my tractor and SxS over it a couple time a week max to a couple times a month min. In my opinion anything is better than the state it is in now.

I promise to keep you all updated.

Just for poops and grins, how long is this road and is it all like what we see in your pics or just this one spot? Does it dry up in the summer or does it stay wet? Not that it matters because you seem to have made up your mind as to what you plan to do but I'm just generally curious.

 

[Eagle1]

I would no call something that only sees tractor and SXS traffic a road and there is no need to build something that will handle cars all day long. Raise the low spot and repeat as necessary. Guess I'm lucky I get fresh creek gravel every time is rains a bunch.

 

[sd455dan]

Only time will tell!

I am staying the course; starting with larger concrete chunks and then progressively getting smaller. I might sprinkle some dirt and or crusher run into the mix to bind it all together before I put a layer of 2"- crushed concrete as the final top dressing.

This is not a super highway, I will be driving my tractor and SxS over it a couple time a week max to a couple times a month min. In my opinion anything is better than the state it is in now.

I promise to keep you all updated.

Haven't read all of the thread but see you have filled in where the driving will be done.

Just wondering if several feet away at the lowest point if maybe a guy could use his tractors post hole digger take it all the way down- maybe 2 or 3 holes and then dump some river rock in so that water can drain to a lower level.
May help maybe not depending on the "true" water table.

If the table is high this could make things worse.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Just for poops and grins, how long is this road and is it all like what we see in your pics or just this one spot? Does it dry up in the summer or does it stay wet? Not that it matters because you seem to have made up your mind as to what you plan to do but I'm just generally curious.

I have not measured this stretch, maybe 50 feet. There is another piece of mud around the corner that is only about 20 feet long. It does dry up in the summer, but it takes a minute.

What other advice do you have? It's not that I am being stubborn, some of the advice I am getting is just not an option. I am not sure some people completely understand the situation.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Haven't read all of the thread but see you have filled in where the driving will be done.

Just wondering if several feet away at the lowest point if maybe a guy could use his tractors post hole digger take it all the way down- maybe 2 or 3 holes and then dump some river rock in so that water can drain to a lower level.
May help maybe not depending on the "true" water table.

If the table is high this could make things worse.

Well that is part of the problem here. The water table MIGHT be a foot or 2 below the surface here. In that picture I am standing about 100 feet from a creek and this is a little swampy area between my pond and the creek. Pretty much flat, very minor elevation change.

That is an excellent idea though if the situation was different.

 

[sd455dan]

Well that is part of the problem here. The water table MIGHT be a foot or 2 below the surface here. In that picture I am standing about 100 feet from a creek and this is a little swampy area between my pond and the creek. Pretty much flat, very minor elevation change.

That is an excellent idea though if the situation was different.

That is what I did around my garage,
One spring we had a very cold snap froze the ground about 9 inches deep then it rained cats and dogs for ~ 3 weeks.

Water got to 2 inches deep in my 30x48 garage. In a panic I Pulaski hand chiseled a couple holes in the frozen ground and then used the PHD to drill a couple 12" holes at low spots.


So far no repeat flooding nightmares since. Eventually going to put in a french drain with perforated pipe and run it down to a big low spot now that I have the 550 TLB

Good Luck on the Fix , At least you now have a Good road base to cross at.

High water tables can be a real pain.

 

[charlessenf]

This mud hole has existed for the entire 4 years I have owned this property. I would welcome and advice, questions, concerns, comments about this project that has been a long time coming.

Well, I had collected 'distressed' bags of concrete mix from LOWES against some future need as they were asking less than half price and once or twice, two dollars a 'bag.'

Turns out I don't know my concrete storage solutions very well and, over time (Months? a year?) the packages seemed to have hardened/solidified.

I had a small issue with erosion behind the shed they had been stored in and decided to simply lay the bags in the depression because "couldn't hurt" right?

After first reading your post I thought to suggest big rock (Rip Rap) first layer, then Ball Rock (3") then washed ABC. Also, that, if you succeed, the low spot will become a high spot and the water will collect 'elsewhere.' So, think of where it comes from - how it gets there - and be sure now to impede the new flow path to the new retention pond (mud hole).

Then, I thought about the sacks of sakrete. It is my understanding that keeping 'the pour' moist helps cure teh concrete - making it stronger still. So, laying unopened sacks about the desired pathway might help create a relatively uniform base of even better quality than the Rip Rap etc. As the bags are of uniform size and shape, they could be place almost like super tiles. Given the quantity needed, you might be able to qualify for a wholesale price.
A Super 'cobblestone trailway!'

 

[mx842]

I have not measured this stretch, maybe 50 feet. There is another piece of mud around the corner that is only about 20 feet long. It does dry up in the summer, but it takes a minute.

What other advice do you have? It's not that I am being stubborn, some of the advice I am getting is just not an option. I am not sure some people completely understand the situation.

From what I see in the pics it's pretty clear. You have gotten some really good ideas but I understand the "just a woods road thing" and I also know the "fix it with what I have thing". Sometimes the last is a good thing but at times it may not work in your favor. The big concrete chunks may be one of those things. You said there is a hard base below and that's going to be the problem with those big blocks of concrete because they are going to move around and you will never get the compaction of the top layer that you want. If this was a mud hole that was 5 feet deep with a real mud bottom then those large chunks would be an option......anything to get some kind of solid base so you dont spend a ton of $ trying to fill it with crushed stone. But from what I see you only have a spot that is maybe a foot lower than what is around it. If it were me I would wait until it dries up a little then scrap as much of the loose mud as I could then build it up with that crushed concrete if it is available there.
Here they have what they call #3's which is a little larger than the #1's and I would put the 3's down first about 8" deep and leave it alone for a week or two and let it settle. Take your tractor and run over it to help pack it down a little. The reason I say let it sit for a week or two is to give any mud you leave behind time to settle also. If you do a lot of driving especially with a car or truck right away that mud will work it's way to the top and you will always have a wet spot there. If you put 8" down first layer and let it settle after a couple weeks you could drive a tank over it and it wouldn't leave a mark. After that you could stay with the #3's and build it up until it's above the surrounding area. When you put the 2nd layer down you don't have to be as particular as you need to be with the first layer just lay it down as even as you can a couple inches at a time and then drive over it to seal it off and on to the next layer until you are above the edges. To do this you would probably be better off renting a small skid steer to work the stone because hauling and spreading it with that trailer you have will be a big pain. Don't ask me how I know that but i'll say I have one just like it and most of my projects are done with that little trailer.
I don't think you have as big a problem as you think you do. It probably wouldn't take but 2 or 3 loads of material to get you in the ball park but you already should know that it will be an on going thing to keep it up. Any gravel drive takes work to keep it up even in prime conditions.