permaculture

[FranksFarm@aol.com]

G'day Darren,

Oops ...I hit the send now button before I finished the last post ...sorry!

<<This can only be
overcome if the dam is large enough for exit and entry batters from the
island to shore to bottom out to a level close to the maximum.>> Oh, oh..I'm 
afraid I'm out of my depth :) on this. Please enlighten me further.

<<What we prefer to do on dams less than 5 Ml is to make penisulas instead.>> 
What size is <<5 Ml>> ?  The total pond area is about 1 acre with a depth of 
8'3" in middle. also like gentle slopes along edges.  What do you think?

<<"pond configuration and edge effects".

Its OK to try and do this however you are limited by 2 things: the
landscape/shape and money. I would love to do all of those idealised edge
features but at $150/hr its often difficult to do to a budget.>>  This has 
got to be a relatively low budget affair...or it's not going to happen.  So 
how do we control the costs?

<<We would use a dozer to make
most dams and they are capable of creating flowing linear edges.>>  Would a 
loader be better than a dozer? The xcavator would do the work...he 's done a 
lot of farm ponds. Charge is $70 an hr...claims he could dig it in a day? Is 
that possible? Seems like a lot of dirt, shaping, top soil moving etc. for an 
acre. I don't have a clue:)

<<If the dam is of a fairly decent size (ie. 5Ml +) then their is
usually enough edge area for a dozer to cut out well battered curves.>>  ?????

<<we need to speculate all options though to return back to the
what's possible - a point often missed....>>  Agreed!

<<Very possible however needs consideration of the flood flow rates to develop
sustainable engineered widths/depths>> How does one determine these flow 
rates which are probably contingent on rainfall off the steeply forested 
ridges at the back of the pond site? And what are sustainably engineered 
widths?

<<I find it better to develop drainage
depression into forestry/wetland systems so that we don't have water running
over bare ground and for nutrient/sediment trapping,>>  This is actually what 
is happening now as water flows through various drainage ways and channels to 
creek, wet land areas. Some areas have lots of crawfish...good sized. What 
happens when water dries up..do crawfish die out or can they survive in their 
holes?

<<Sometimes where we have to take out large trees to construct a dam we will
push them out prior to topsoil stripping then push them back into the dam
where they will provide multiple functions.>>  We won't need to take out any 
trees in the pond area...but if it's desireable I have plenty of downed 
trees, and limbs piled up nearby. Please describe how to use them effectively.

<<By having topsoil stripped as a starting point and then pushing it back over
the excavated areas you will get vegetation coming back after the first few
rains. Also try and make the water level so that it comes onto unexcavated
grass, so that you get shallows/wetlands that resemble a ephemeral
floodplain.>>  Yup:)

Great post, and insights Darren. Thanks. Look forward to executing this.  
When I get back to NY and learn how to use a scanner I'll scan some pictures 
for the group.

Look forward to continuing thread. Should be a great FAQ for anyone building 
a PC farm pond.  Best to all.   Cheers.  Frank


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