Thanks guys!
Hamstermann's pond build
- Thread starter hamstermann
- Start date
Well, the only response I got from the local group was "It's hard to say, even with the information given. Your best bet is to look at where you are in relation to the valley floor. If you are very close to the bottom of the valley and near wetlands, there is a good chance you could experience some hippoing during a strong runoff season. If you are right at the base of the mountains there is a smaller chance of experiencing it with an artesian well type situation. The other 90% of the wasatch front should be just fine."
Going from the information I found on Wikipedia, elevation maps, and well records from the state water right site, I'm 100-200 feet above the Salt Lake valley floor, and the closest well to me (a street or two to the south) is over 300 feet deep. I should be fine, but if I have the money to swing it, I could still dig a french drain/drywell type trench to sit under the liner for extra insurance.
I'm currently thinking about the dry well/french drain pit that I'll need to dig off to the side of the pond to handle overflows. I'm thinking to determine the volume of that I'll multiply the length of the pond by width of the pond (should I include the bog?) and 1/12th of the average yearly rainfall. Does that sound reasonable or is there a better way? Maybe I should look into what season is the wettest and prepare for a month's worth of volume from that season?
Edit: Just read that May is usually our wettest month with 2.5 inches of rain, and https://concalculator.com/pond-volume-calculator/ doesn't do decimals or fractions so including the bog, 28 feet times 20 feet times 3 inches is 1,047.27 US gallons. Now I need to figure out the perfect size hole with greater depth and shorter width and length to hold that volume.
Seems like building for an entire month's worth of rainfall might be excessive though - what do you all think?
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The dig continues. Strangely I'm not aware of it raining or snowing lately but the clay is wet and slippery so it must be frost forming and then melting.
The thin trench down the middle is about 10 feet 10 inches from the cement, so it's close to where the wall to separate the bog from the pond will be, but not fully there yet.
I can't dig today and we'll be getting snow for the following 3 days. Should be interesting to see if I can keep going after that or if that will be it until spring. I have a pickup load of dirt to take to the dump too - it'll help with traction until I can get rid of it. I just hope it doesn't freeze solid before I can offload it.
Good lord man are you digging a pond or work on an archlogical historical site in egypt.View attachment 161467
The dig continues. Strangely I'm not aware of it raining or snowing lately but the clay is wet and slippery so it must be frost forming and then melting.
View attachment 161468
The thin trench down the middle is about 10 feet 10 inches from the cement, so it's close to where the wall to separate the bog from the pond will be, but not fully there yet.
I can't dig today and we'll be getting snow for the following 3 days. Should be interesting to see if I can keep going after that or if that will be it until spring. I have a pickup load of dirt to take to the dump too - it'll help with traction until I can get rid of it. I just hope it doesn't freeze solid before I can offload it.
I'll let you know if I find any strange pyramids or cursed objects.
I kept digging up until a couple days before Christmas, but I'm pretty much done for the winter now that there's snow on the ground. Progress hasn't been what I wanted to because before the ground froze it was kind of a muddy mess where it's mostly clay and it's slow going hauling the dirt out one wheelbarrow full at a time and taking it to the dump one pickup truckload at a time. We'll get after it again in the spring.
In the meantime I've been dealing with my mom's death, family illnesses, and demolishing a bathroom so we can have it remodeled. So I'm keeping busy with other things.
In the meantime I've been dealing with my mom's death, family illnesses, and demolishing a bathroom so we can have it remodeled. So I'm keeping busy with other things.
So sorry for your loss. Never easy at any time but especially tough during the holidays.
I also had a lot of rain during my build, no fun. Hauling that dirt away in a pickup is no fun either, thankfully I did not have that issue. Spring will be here soon enough.
Thanks. I'm looking forward to the build. I think. I'm constantly re-thinking the size and shape still. Probably will continue to re-think clear until it's time to put fish in. I have too many goals and ideas!
j.w
I Love my Goldies
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Sorry @hamstermann on the loss of your mother. Hope winter won't be too long so you can get back to your build.
Its all part of the fun. Ends up being like a puzzle that you figure out how to put together. At the end of the day you will love it. It hit home during the holidays how special the pond is. I had so many friends and relatives asking questions about the pond. A couple of times last week cousins asked to stop by so they could see it. Everyone was pretty impressed even though my pond is pretty modest compared to what you see here on the forum. Pond building is not something you see often so I think that is why people are fascinated by them. They are amazed that I built it, which I took as a compliment rather than taking it as "hey, wait a second, you dont think I could do that?" Lol.
That was going to be my take, that a Lawyer built it with his own two hands. Which gives me some hope as . We had a financial guy build a beautiful pond two years ago and now a lawyer. I want to come see it too . Still amazed.
Lol two hands and a Kubota and a very patient wife
YShahar
Enthusiastic duct-tape engineer
I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother. May her memory be a blessing to you and to all those whose lives she touched.