I Can Fix That, Easy. Or So I Thought...

[Eric Patterson]

So the property I hunt has a section with two ponds on it, an upper and lower. The upper pond, which is creek fed, has several water control structures and a drain pipe. One of the water control structures dumps water to the lower pond, called Silo Pond, where we have a food plot and duck blind. The other is a spillway to prevent spring rains from backing water onto the adjacent landowner. It directs the overflow into a creek that winds to the TN River. The drain is to get the water out in the spring that is too low to flow through the water control structures. That drain basically sits in the lowest spot of the upper pond that was dug out to build other levees.

Well the contractor added the drain as an after thought. It runs about 200 feet to a creek and a valve that we open to to empty the upper pond into the TN River. I noticed last spring water was barely flowing though the pipe. So instead of draining the pond as usual we had to wait all summer for the water to evaporate. The problem is the contractor didn't put any sort of guard on the pipe inlet so mud and debris clogs it. To remedy that I decided to add an elbow to get the inlet out of the mud and a guard to keep debris out. What I thought was going to be an easy job turned into an affair that ate up over half a day and resulted in me wallowing in bottomless mud only to have to run back into town several times. I'll spare the details of the job but needless to say was glad when I finished. Killed a perfectly good Saturday but also checked an item off the list so that felt good.

The below pictures show this area from a satellite picture, an aerial picture, and the new drain I installed today. Don't let the drain picture fool you. It is waist deep heart attack mud starting at the water's edge. There is also a picture of the nearby silo, hence the name silo pond, that can be seen for miles. I think it gives the property some charm.

Eric

 

[tod osier]

My jobs never turn out to be that straightforward .

How did you get the pipe unclogged? or was the debris at the entrance?

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Eric,


" resulted in me wallowing in bottomless mud "

What's the saying? Better you than me? [whistle]

Maybe next time a couple floating platforms to work from? I'm imagining a pallet or two supported by a layer or two of foam board.

Hope you don't need to visit the issue again. Although I can see the screen plugging up. At least with the screen, you might be able to reach out with a long pole equipped with a hook for clearing debris.

 

[tod osier]

For the mud and water, they do make a device that uses a lightweight structure to displace water and to offer buoyancy for situations like this. The structure is often made or aluminum or fiberglass or sometimes wood. It often has a streamlined shape that allows it to move through the water or mud with less effort than a pallet with Styrofoam. I forget the name of the device....

 

[Huntindave McCann]

I was thinking of something that did NOT readily move thru the water. More like an inexpensive floating dock which would be left in place, with no concern about the device filling with rain water.

 

[Eric Patterson]

My jobs never turn out to be that straightforward .

How did you get the pipe unclogged? or was the debris at the entrance?

Mud and aquatic vegetation were partially blocking the entrance. I cut about 8' off, back to dry ground, so I could glue a new section in. You can't apply glue to a wet pipe. That's what made the job so hard. Working alone trying to insert a long bulky/heavy stick of pipe in a glue smattered coupler with glue quickly air drying while working in waist deep mud. It sucked!


Eric

p.s. I'm going back there today. It occurred to me the pipe is empty and won't have water until the pond level raises to the top of the elbow. Until that happens the pipe will be buoyant and could break off at the coupling. I'm going to stake it down somehow.

 

[tod osier]

My jobs never turn out to be that straightforward .

How did you get the pipe unclogged? or was the debris at the entrance?

Mud and aquatic vegetation were partially blocking the entrance. I cut about 8' off, back to dry ground, so I could glue a new section in. You can't apply glue to a wet pipe. That's what made the job so hard. Working alone trying to insert a long bulky/heavy stick of pipe in a glue smattered coupler with glue quickly air drying while working in waist deep mud. It sucked!


Eric

p.s. I'm going back there today. It occurred to me the pipe is empty and won't have water until the pond level raises to the top of the elbow. Until that happens the pipe will be buoyant and could break off at the coupling. I'm going to stake it down somehow.

Always something.... Pretty neat setup with the ponds, food plots and the river right there. I can see how that would be a fun project.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Tod

The below picture is of the adjacent field we also hunt. The landowner is a pilot and flies over frequently. He took the picture. We spent quite a bit of time this off-season working on it including building a permanent blind and planting a decent sized food plot. We also are managing it to promote moist soil plants. So far they have responded quite well.

All of this takes quite a bit of time away from working on my shop projects. But most every field task somehow starts at the shop so the shop is a big reason we can accomplish what we do at the hunting property.

Eric




p.s. The cabin on the river on the left hand side of the picture is Thomas's dream house. An elderly man lives there and owns just the lot his house is on. Thomas dreams of buying that place after he gets out of college. The view that cabin has of the river and hills is spectacular.

 

[Huntindave McCann]

p.s. The cabin on the river on the left hand side of the picture is Thomas's dream house. An elderly man lives there and owns just the lot his house is on. Thomas dreams of buying that place after he gets out of college. The view that cabin has of the river and hills is spectacular.

That would be nice if he can accomplish it.

 

[tod osier]

That is super cool, the food plot work sounds very satisfying. If we get the right place in Wyoming (one with irrigation possibilities), we will be growing hay for horses. Rather than growing food plots to bring game to you, growing hay to feed horses to bring me to the game. I'm excited to think forward to that period. Been reading and talking to a lot of people.

Shop is such an integral part of that sort of work, I agree. I think I need to pick up some welding skills too. .

Tod

The below picture is of the adjacent field we also hunt. The landowner is a pilot and flies over frequently. He took the picture. We spent quite a bit of time this off-season working on it including building a permanent blind and planting a decent sized food plot. We also are managing it to promote moist soil plants. So far they have responded quite well.

All of this takes quite a bit of time away from working on my shop projects. But most every field task somehow starts at the shop so the shop is a big reason we can accomplish what we do at the hunting property.

Eric




p.s. The cabin on the river on the left hand side of the picture is Thomas's dream house. An elderly man lives there and owns just the lot his house is on. Thomas dreams of buying that place after he gets out of college. The view that cabin has of the river and hills is spectacular.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Job is complete. Did a little rudimentary metal work and made an anchor. The angle iron on hand was a little light and folded over when I hammered it in but it should do the job. You mentioned welding. I picked up the below MIG welder about a year ago at an auction. Great set-up if you are in the market.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Dave

He'd like to own it and the property we hunt. That land right next to it recently sold for $12k an acre. I think Thomas has his work cut out for him.

Eric

 

[tod osier]

Love it, being able to weld well (key point) would add a lot to my ability to build and fix things. Definitely on my short list.

 

[Mark W]

Waist deep muck to walk around in. Just the sort of thing I LOVE to do. I feel for you. I no longer hunt places where I have to walk through this stuff. I call it heart attack muck.

Looks nice.

Mark