Building a Pond from a Borrow Pit: Excavator and Dozer Work

Site Preparation and Equipment Mobilization

• 🚚 Equipment mobilization included a dump truck, dozer, fuel trailer, and excavators, arriving amidst cold weather.
• ⛽ Machines were fueled and greased, with efforts to run excavators low on fuel before moving to save weight.
• 🗓️ This pond build project was initiated over a year after the initial site assessment.

Addressing Existing Pond Issues

• 💧 The existing borrow pit only held water to a certain level due to leaks, likely through the topsoil layer.
• 🚧 The original pond dam was never properly completed, necessitating a rebuild to ensure water retention.
• 🌳 A path by the trees was to be preserved as per the customer's request, marking the property line.

Excavation and Soil Analysis

• ⛏️ Topsoil stripping was the first step to access the underlying soil layers.
• 🔍 Test holes were dug to assess the soil composition, revealing a lot of sand with pockets of gumbo clay.
• 🧱 The presence of clay was confirmed as crucial for the pond dam's ability to hold water.
• ⚠️ The sandy soil was identified as the primary reason for the previous pond's inability to retain water.

Pond Construction Strategy

• 🏗️ The plan involved building a new pond dam using available clay, potentially sourced from the hilltop or deeper excavations.
• 🌊 A core trench was to be dug around the pond's perimeter and filled with clay to create a watertight seal.
• 🕳️ Excess sandy material would be used to soften slopes, and deeper excavations would be filled with this material to achieve desired pond depth.
• 🚚 Topsoil was stockpiled for later use on the pond dam and house lot slopes to promote vegetation and prevent erosion.

Challenges and Future Steps

• 🥶 Cold weather affected equipment operation, particularly grease flow.
• 🚧 The team planned to continue excavating the core trench, build the pond dam, and move dirt the following day.
• 🗺️ The owner discussed a revised plan to dig a large pit for clay and use the sandy, wet material to fill it, optimizing the use of resources.
• 🛠️ The goal was to complete the pond dam construction and ensure adequate sealing of the pond sides.