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Need help with pond!
#8354839
08/18/21 02:04 AM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,784
RobertY
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I have 10 acres south of Seguin In Guadalupe county. I’ve got a small pond on my property that’s maybe 30-40’ in diameter. Always has water because I believe there is a small underground spring that bubbles up beneath it. The pond is located on top of a hill, believe it or not, so there has to be something keeping water in it. Water is only about 1’ deep. Behind the pond, I want to build up a large dam and sides, then remove the existing dam and create a larger pond. So today I dug all the muck and grass out of the pond with water. Beneath all of it was a red/copper dirt, but it didn’t look yellow like pure clay. I then went to the back side of the dam and dug a test hole. The hole went 3’ and I hit a solid shelf of golden colored rock. My question, is the dirt pictured clay? It seemed to have a high sand content when I felt it. This is consistent with what’s under the pond above, that has water. Should I just dig my pond and line with clay? I want the pond to be stable and hold well. Don’t want to do it twice. Plan on feeding it with an ag well to keep it up.
Last edited by RobertY; 08/18/21 02:05 AM.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8354895
08/18/21 03:08 AM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,582
68rustbucket
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,582 |
That’s sand country south of Seguin. They call it the Sand Hills.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8358630
08/21/21 10:03 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 68,999
NORML as can be
^^Cut the Cord^^
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^^Cut the Cord^^
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 68,999 |
Would this be considered a tank when your done?
(R-TX) .-- " TCNN CURL CRLB VFF VRNO AYR SNDL CGC TLRY MSOS "
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8358866
08/22/21 12:49 AM
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Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 650
booskay
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Tracker
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To say your project is ambitious would be an understatement -------- my pond (I mean my tank) leaked ( underground, never saw water behind the levy) until it finally silted in enough to stop the leaks.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8359133
08/22/21 11:56 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Get with your local NRCS office and ask for help. They can guide you on what you need to do. Also find a reputable farm tank construction company in that area. He can look at the site and give you advice on what you can expect from the site. You can also do a perc test on your own. There are areas south of Seguin that will have a lot of clay and some areas in the Sand Hills that will have clay underneath the sand layer. An experienced tank builder might be able to find some clay on your place, if there is any there. Also drive around the area to see if there are any tanks built on the places next to yours or close to it. That will tell you what you can expect. Lastly, you can buy bentonite to seal the pond with also. I have done a small tank in the hill country that we hit a gravel layer in when it was just about done. It leaked out that vein of gravel after filling with a well. We bought bagged bentonite(since it was a smaller pond about 8' deep). It took 8 tons of bag bentonite to seal it, but it worked very well. Just labor and a small FEL tractor with disc to incorporate the bentonite into the soil. All told it took about 2 months of time to seal it. We put in 3 tons first then filled it. Then waited 3 weeks, then added 3 more tons. Last time we waited 2 weeks, then added the last 2 tons. Filled the pond again with well water and it held water. Never leaked again. We also had an 8" drain pipe/valve in it so we could drain the pond into a larger pond. It was built as a bait pond to stock the larger tank below it.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8360090
08/23/21 01:54 AM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 5,025
jetdad
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STX, what is the per ton cost of the bentonite? I have a pond that leaks. Is it the same as drilling mud?
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: 68rustbucket]
#8360373
08/23/21 12:50 PM
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
Hudbone
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That’s sand country south of Seguin. They call it the Sand Hills. yeah, but that's not sugar sand in that photo.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: Hudbone]
#8360447
08/23/21 01:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,582
68rustbucket
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Posts: 16,582 |
That’s sand country south of Seguin. They call it the Sand Hills. yeah, but that's not sugar sand in that photo.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8360496
08/23/21 02:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 169
PigMoney
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 169 |
The top 12 inches or so appear to be a sandy loam with clay below. Ribbon the clay out with your hand and see if it feels gritty. +1 on having the local NRCS out. They can provide a soil map, and most of the offices have soil augers.
“We don’t rent pigs!”- Hat Creek Cattle Company
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8360660
08/23/21 03:50 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 6,695
Cochise
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NRCS Web Soil Survey WebsiteTakes a little bit of use to figure out how to use - but is a helpful tool to at least get you in the ballpark on your soil types. It is highly accurate (within 30-40') on our place in VZ county.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8360848
08/23/21 06:06 PM
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 14,027
Hudbone
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Send a PM to Cibolo. He does this work and from his screen name, I believe he is nearby.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8368309
08/30/21 01:21 AM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 6,096
pdr55
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Looks like iron ore to me.
If you`re running down my country, man, You`re walking on the fighting side of me. (Merle)
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8368384
08/30/21 02:19 AM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,251
cibolo
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
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Posts: 3,251 |
Just finished this little one in Kingsbury. Completely Lined with bent on it. Got 5 more going AMD we are going to mix the bentonite with soda ash to cut down on cost
"Error of Opinion may be tolerated where Reason is left free to combat it." - Thomas Jefferson "If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8375004
09/04/21 10:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 19,129
Biscuit
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8376014
09/06/21 01:03 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 5,659
erathar
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Wow, that is a little one.
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: RobertY]
#8386017
09/15/21 05:37 PM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,784
RobertY
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Awesome, thanks for the info fellas. I began cleaning and digging the organic matter out of the existing pond. I went to a clay pit (located about 4-5 miles from my property) and asked them to show me the clay they were harvesting. Sure enough, it matched the clay shown in my picture. I went back and was able to harvest a considerable amount of clay out of the property and began building my dam. My intention is to not take any chances, but to bentonite it from the get go at a substantial coverage rate. I don't want to go through the saga of leaks. The clay has a high sand content, so the bentonite should aid in sealing it quick. A truck load of bentonite was quoted at $3800 delivered, which seamed like cheap insurance.
Please let me know if my train of thought is off track here!
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Re: Need help with pond!
[Re: Cochise]
#8386027
09/15/21 05:45 PM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,784
RobertY
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OP
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NRCS Web Soil Survey WebsiteTakes a little bit of use to figure out how to use - but is a helpful tool to at least get you in the ballpark on your soil types. It is highly accurate (within 30-40') on our place in VZ county. That is super cool. Used it and you're right, its pretty dang accurate. It didnt identify the ribbon of clay on the property, but I would expect it too, since the majority is exactly what it called out.
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