Hate to be negative, coming from a Civil Engineering background while watching this build evolve, the #1 thing I thought was compaction was needed. Sheepsfoot Rollers, Jumping Jacks and 6-12" lifts at a maximum. Especially when building such a large embankment with on site clay. If there was any weak spot in that embankment, the pond would have been lost. I don't think people give credit to how much power water can have. Even with the keyway, the trench should have been dug wide enough for the roller and then compacted in maximum of 8-12" lifts. Nice work getting it corrected. Hopefully it holds and lasts a long time. Thanks for taking the time to record the process. Now it's time get back in that woodyard. I've been busy in mine as well.
Agree 100% I have worked on a couple of tailings dams at a mine site (one approx 1,000 acres). The clay was pre conditioned to get the moisture content correct then applied in 150mm to 200mm layers then 6-7 passes with a pad foot roller and tested daily with a nuclear tester. Adams dam may hold water but will the wall take the load when full? I hope so I’m not an expert.
@@neilforbes1082 Except it's not corrected and its already been leaking in numerous places. In a later video he used a chemical polymer to try to stop the leaks. That may work for a while, but the construction is fundamentally flawed for the reasons you noted.
Civil working superintendent/operator here, that was my very first thought when he started backfilling the standpipe and then shaping the damn as well. Not a stitch of compaction anywhere. I’ve fixed more dam blowouts from careless/wannabe operators and foremen than I care to admit. You are 100% correct on the fact that people don’t respect water nearly as much as they should.
i worked 15 yrs . Field tech at a soils lab , and the roller does not compact as you described , should have made the room for roller as dirt perfect told you .. you humped the soil up taking the 60 inch roller and reduced the load to about 1-2 feet . meaning you properly compacted 1.5 feet . it is easier for ground water to penetrate 2 feet verses the 60 inch roller path . it did look like good clay material . good luck
The statement is absolutely true. Dirt bridges, it doesn't matter if you put 100,000 pounds on it it's only going to compact so far. That's why engineered fill has to be done in lifts, just like it was recommended. I understand the inexperience in building the dam wrong the first time. But then to consult experts, ignore their advice, and spend the money to build it wrong the second time blows my mind.
This whole time he talks about doing it right the first time but yet he gets advice n doesn't compact it in lifts. I think he miss the point of needed to compact it from below ground level n keep compacting it all the all up.
@@carl4043 Yup, and guess what? A few months later he discovered the pond leaked in numerous places and had to use a special chemical polymer to try to seal it.
I enjoyed the video. Hopefully if not mentioned already I'd like to share what I learned many years ago working as a form carpenter on bridge work for state highways. Soil compaction they said (and we did) should be done every 6" of soil to properly compact the soil via tamping or heavy roller. When that compaction isn't done at 6 inches air becomes trapped filling those voids and creates later excessive settlement or erosion of soil. This I learned over 40 years ago working on state highway contracts when putting in the highway retaining walls, but things may have changed.
Adam, you are much more patient than I’d be! Throughout this whole process, your attitude has been what we all should model. You will persevere! Congrats!
@Terry Landis. “Old metal Tonka toys” hit me with a flash back! My younger brother had those. Mom kept them and my sons got to play with them when they visited. THEN, my now 30 yr old granddaughter played with them when she visited me in her younger years! Thanks for the memories! Good times!! 🙃😉. 🇺🇸MesquiteTX
Keeping it real, Adam, as always you have provided some great insight and considerations for others looking to build a pond. We’re still in the demo stages and, given that we usually have a wet Spring, we’re looking at next Summer. By then, we hope your family is swimming and fishing in yours. Cheers, Dan and Elle
Looks and confidence can be deceiving. My first thought at the end of the video when he said it looked great and that this would be the last video talking about the pond's problems, I immediately had that gut feeling this pond would end up leaking. Idk, I haven't seen any follow up videos on this, but from the comments, it sounds like it did end up leaking quite a bit. I really can't stress enough overkill during construction, and humble skepticism when it's "finished". It will only be finished when it's holding water and fish, and discharging overflow properly for many years.
*_Clay is amazing when compacted, it forms a waterproof barrier. The trick is controlling moisture and compaction._* Pond liners are nice on smaller ponds. But anything this large using clay is more cost effective. I've seen huge ponds where multiple liners overlap and have waterproof adhesive gluing it all together. I've seen concrete, even asphalt liners. *_Your project is First Class, done right with few compromises._*
I have question....why didn't they covered entire thing with cement? And can you give me idea what do they use this ponds for? Like for farming or just to keep fish?
This is no where near the end of your great pond series. You still have a beach to build, maybe a small dock, fish stocking, first catch.... so much more!
A friend of mine in wales UK. HAD a sink hole. In his lower field.it was only maybe 70ft across. But it was 40ft deep. He dug a trench out the side. Let it drain down. Dug out the sides. So it was only 30 ft deep but 120ft wide. Then it caved in. Flooded out the field but 2yrs later. It settled. Got deeper filled with rain. Ended up. 200ft hole 90 ft. Deep. He had to fence it off because a few cattle drowned. It looked murky. But he put. Baby Trout in . And a basic pipe from a natural spring. A 400ft up the hill. So it filled with spring water which leaked over into a concrete trough . Then ran out into a natural stream. Really great. . Last time we dropped a plumb line down it was crazy deeper the it was wide. Perhaps in a few 1000 yrs. another lake is Born. Lol. 😅😂Full of old cattle bones lol
Great job on the pond project. Repairs look like they should hold up. I hope you get enough water to get your ice skating rink this winter. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe
Adam, this looks great now. have you thought about putting some structure in the pond to hold fish? (eg fish cribs) might be easier to do now instead of when it’s full.
Before it fills too much, you could consider some fish habitat, do you have any big stones, old blocks or tree stumps, you can put in the deepest part.
ADAM, so now all said and done, what will the water depth be from floor to the overflow pipe? And, time now to make and place some 'fish crates' (concrete blocks 'n pallets) for dem BIG bass!!!
Good luck, it looks like it will be a pond soon. An idea! Can you build a few rock or concrete features on the bottom of the pond while it is filling up for fish to hide in from bigger fish. Like concrete blocks 3 or 4 high and cover with a slab of flat rock. Catfish like things like that. Maybe even a plastic drum with holes drilled and a concrete block in it to hold it down. Think of structure to install in around the deep to medium deep end while you can get to it. Fish love structure and it could be inexpensive to do.
It absolutely does. But then again with a bit more experience, a lot of the things and failures could have been avoided. I don't think people realize just how much pressure even a few feet of water can put on a surface
Hi Adam, I am a little concerned about how far the riser pipe was inserted into the joint @ 2:16. I am using several smudges or marks on the inserted pipe end as a reference and it appears the pipe was only inserted 1/2 way until it stopped at the o-ring. Hopefully some more twisting and pressure was used to insert it a few more inches past the o-ring for a proper joint seal. I know that it probably happened off camera, but just wanted to make sure after you did all that work. You could probably sight down the tube to verify. Thank you for all your great videos. Good luck. UPDATE: He may have reset the pipe joint @3:30 but the speeded up video is hard to tell, but the top of the pipe appears to lower several inches.
Place a large flat rock under the spring head feed pipe and build some around it so that it won’t move during heavy inflow periods causing erosion and mud that you don’t want
Hopefully your gasket pipe will work, but the way that designed to work is the pressure from inside the pipe pushes against the gasket and that is how it seals
Im agreeing with this statement. Should have used glue fittings, the stand pipe you used is for pressurized water lines, pressure pushing out, not in. They were designed that way for main water lines to be able to flex. I fear you will be draing this pond again.
Had no idea there was so many things to consider when building a pond. I thought you just kept digging and removing the dirt until you hit water and it started filling up,then it was done!
If possible you should pressure check the overflow before finishing. It did get broke the first time after all. Crazy this is all needed to hold some water. I would of just dug a big hole and thought it would work.
Damn, at first I did understand you did loose the memory card, but the GoPro? Ouch! Big projects create sacrifices. Thanks for your videos and keeping it real. And Hi to your mum for giving a shoutout to Germany via your German grandma born in Cloppenburg. If you´ll visit Germany again someday in the future, perhaps there is a chance to meet.
Curious, what is the ridge of soil on the bottom of the pond. Opposite end of the stand pipe. I have noticed it in several videos. I enjoy your content. Thank you
Hi from Lithuania, I'm binge watching your pond series and right from start was wondering why wouldn't you dig down half of depth and build up half of dam (height and length) to get size of pond you wanted. I'm not a dam/pond engineer, but almost every pond I now is made this way here rest just digs a hole 🤦♂️. Not saying it's the best way to go, but asked couple of friends who does that for living and they both said "smaler dam = less headache".
How many acres is the pond going to be.. Maybe its a camera issue. But it looks like the water is going to run out over the yard, before it gets to the spill pipe. Its probably just a optical deception on my part. With your spring feed. You might be able to hold some trout, if the water stays cold enough
No, because the water had to get there. The tee was buried multiple feet under the damn. If the water hadn't found the tee, it would it found itself through to the other side. If the pond had been full, the results would have been disastrous.
seems like a very different approach than Bama Bass pond build.....seems like some corners were cut, just hoping this latest fix actually does the trick!
Loved the series of videos. Completely transparent, including the problems. I was laughing when you said the previous intro was buried under 9 feet of dirt. I thought it would be a time capsule to some future species that won't be able to play it because they only have invented betamax.
this is pretty cool.not tryong to he rude or shady im just curious as much time and effort put into why not put a liner in? i know it costs $$$$$$ just curious cause you have spent Lot of time on this. love your vids!!
Honestly after all that work I would LINE it if it still did not hold water! Never give up never quite! Other question how much investment did it take to build? Ball park of course!
Hate to be negative, coming from a Civil Engineering background while watching this build evolve, the #1 thing I thought was compaction was needed. Sheepsfoot Rollers, Jumping Jacks and 6-12" lifts at a maximum. Especially when building such a large embankment with on site clay. If there was any weak spot in that embankment, the pond would have been lost. I don't think people give credit to how much power water can have. Even with the keyway, the trench should have been dug wide enough for the roller and then compacted in maximum of 8-12" lifts.
Nice work getting it corrected. Hopefully it holds and lasts a long time. Thanks for taking the time to record the process. Now it's time get back in that woodyard. I've been busy in mine as well.
Agree 100% I have worked on a couple of tailings dams at a mine site (one approx 1,000 acres). The clay was pre conditioned to get the moisture content correct then applied in 150mm to 200mm layers then 6-7 passes with a pad foot roller and tested daily with a nuclear tester. Adams dam may hold water but will the wall take the load when full? I hope so I’m not an expert.
@@neilforbes1082 Except it's not corrected and its already been leaking in numerous places. In a later video he used a chemical polymer to try to stop the leaks. That may work for a while, but the construction is fundamentally flawed for the reasons you noted.
Civil working superintendent/operator here, that was my very first thought when he started backfilling the standpipe and then shaping the damn as well. Not a stitch of compaction anywhere. I’ve fixed more dam blowouts from careless/wannabe operators and foremen than I care to admit. You are 100% correct on the fact that people don’t respect water nearly as much as they should.
i worked 15 yrs . Field tech at a soils lab , and the roller does not compact as you described , should have made the room for roller as dirt perfect told you .. you humped the soil up taking the 60 inch roller and reduced the load to about 1-2 feet . meaning you properly compacted 1.5 feet . it is easier for ground water to penetrate 2 feet verses the 60 inch roller path . it did look like good clay material . good luck
Agree 💯 %
The statement is absolutely true. Dirt bridges, it doesn't matter if you put 100,000 pounds on it it's only going to compact so far. That's why engineered fill has to be done in lifts, just like it was recommended.
I understand the inexperience in building the dam wrong the first time. But then to consult experts, ignore their advice, and spend the money to build it wrong the second time blows my mind.
Third time's a charm.
This whole time he talks about doing it right the first time but yet he gets advice n doesn't compact it in lifts. I think he miss the point of needed to compact it from below ground level n keep compacting it all the all up.
@@carl4043 Yup, and guess what? A few months later he discovered the pond leaked in numerous places and had to use a special chemical polymer to try to seal it.
I enjoyed the video.
Hopefully if not mentioned already I'd like to share what I learned many years ago working as a form carpenter on bridge work for state highways.
Soil compaction they said (and we did) should be done every 6" of soil to properly compact the soil via tamping or heavy roller.
When that compaction isn't done at 6 inches air becomes trapped filling those voids and creates later excessive settlement or erosion of soil.
This I learned over 40 years ago working on state highway contracts when putting in the highway retaining walls, but things may have changed.
Looks way better now. Me and my wife are envious that’s a dream we have one day .. it’s been over 25 years now . So … it’s nice to others do that ..
Great insight to building a pond and the problems. Now for the dock, water stocking with fish and much more. Have a Safe Day
Seeing such a coordinated effort between man and machine, all working together brings a tear to this old man's eyes.
Adam, you are much more patient than I’d be! Throughout this whole process, your attitude has been what we all should model. You will persevere! Congrats!
Those boys loved to play with the old metal Tonka toys when they were young. I enjoyed watching them work. Great job guys.
@Terry Landis. “Old metal Tonka toys” hit me with a flash back! My younger brother had those. Mom kept them and my sons got to play with them when they visited. THEN, my now 30 yr old granddaughter played with them when she visited me in her younger years! Thanks for the memories!
Good times!! 🙃😉. 🇺🇸MesquiteTX
@@caroledney3919 I just wish I would have kept mine. My kids and grandchildren would have loved them too!!
Enjoy!
Way to go Adam! I feel 99% confident too! Man to be so young and have nerves of steel, you will accomplish whatever you set out for
Keeping it real, Adam, as always you have provided some great insight and considerations for others looking to build a pond. We’re still in the demo stages and, given that we usually have a wet Spring, we’re looking at next Summer. By then, we hope your family is swimming and fishing in yours. Cheers, Dan and Elle
Never would have known so much goes into a pond.... until I would have tried it, and find out all this on my own. Thanks for the education Adam!
Admirable determination Adam, well done my friend.
Looks great
Great to have the confidence this time. Good job with the fix!
Looks and confidence can be deceiving. My first thought at the end of the video when he said it looked great and that this would be the last video talking about the pond's problems, I immediately had that gut feeling this pond would end up leaking. Idk, I haven't seen any follow up videos on this, but from the comments, it sounds like it did end up leaking quite a bit. I really can't stress enough overkill during construction, and humble skepticism when it's "finished". It will only be finished when it's holding water and fish, and discharging overflow properly for many years.
Looking good can't wait to see it in the future being enjoyed
this was super enjoyable to watch!
*_Clay is amazing when compacted, it forms a waterproof barrier. The trick is controlling moisture and compaction._*
Pond liners are nice on smaller ponds. But anything this large using clay is more cost effective. I've seen huge ponds where multiple liners overlap and have waterproof adhesive gluing it all together. I've seen concrete, even asphalt liners.
*_Your project is First Class, done right with few compromises._*
I have question....why didn't they covered entire thing with cement? And can you give me idea what do they use this ponds for? Like for farming or just to keep fish?
@@shubhampatil.6861 Thanks for comment. Good question, maybe due to small budget.
Nice teamjob. All the best from Finland.
This is no where near the end of your great pond series. You still have a beach to build, maybe a small dock, fish stocking, first catch.... so much more!
I think your comment is most positive one I've ever seen.
Where ever you are hope you doing will
A friend of mine in wales UK. HAD a sink hole. In his lower field.it was only maybe 70ft across. But it was 40ft deep. He dug a trench out the side. Let it drain down. Dug out the sides. So it was only 30 ft deep but 120ft wide. Then it caved in. Flooded out the field but 2yrs later. It settled. Got deeper filled with rain. Ended up. 200ft hole 90 ft. Deep. He had to fence it off because a few cattle drowned. It looked murky. But he put. Baby Trout in . And a basic pipe from a natural spring. A 400ft up the hill. So it filled with spring water which leaked over into a concrete trough . Then ran out into a natural stream. Really great. . Last time we dropped a plumb line down it was crazy deeper the it was wide. Perhaps in a few 1000 yrs. another lake is Born. Lol. 😅😂Full of old cattle bones lol
Awesome job on your pond!
Great job on the pond project. Repairs look like they should hold up. I hope you get enough water to get your ice skating rink this winter. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe
Excited for you to have it fixed!!
Adam, this looks great now. have you thought about putting some structure in the pond to hold fish? (eg fish cribs) might be easier to do now instead of when it’s full.
Showing the machines in the pond shows the large size of the pond. What a lot of work, but it looks like you did it right.
Hey! There's water in the pond...get out the swim trunks honey I'm goin in!! Great video Adam, thumbs in the hole in the dyke.
On the bright side, it's great content.
Before it fills too much, you could consider some fish habitat, do you have any big stones, old blocks or tree stumps, you can put in the deepest part.
Love your videos I think this repair will work keep the videos coming
ADAM, so now all said and done, what will the water depth be from floor to the overflow pipe?
And, time now to make and place some 'fish crates' (concrete blocks 'n pallets) for dem BIG bass!!!
great work. thanks for the entertainment!!
Good luck, it looks like it will be a pond soon. An idea! Can you build a few rock or concrete features on the bottom of the pond while it is filling up for fish to hide in from bigger fish. Like concrete blocks 3 or 4 high and cover with a slab of flat rock. Catfish like things like that. Maybe even a plastic drum with holes drilled and a concrete block in it to hold it down. Think of structure to install in around the deep to medium deep end while you can get to it. Fish love structure and it could be inexpensive to do.
Adam, I will never see a pond again in my old eyes. Absolutely so much goes into building a pond.
It absolutely does. But then again with a bit more experience, a lot of the things and failures could have been avoided. I don't think people realize just how much pressure even a few feet of water can put on a surface
Looks great!
Another great video, thanks for answering my question at the end, best of luck
Adam I think you nailed it this time
Best of luck 🤞🏻🤞🏻. Hope it’s all done and holds water. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻✋🏻✋🏻
Nice job. Keep up the good work
I’m looking forward to 5he ice skating videos 5his winter. Nice job Adam
Hi Adam, I am a little concerned about how far the riser pipe was inserted into the joint @ 2:16. I am using several smudges or marks on the inserted pipe end as a reference and it appears the pipe was only inserted 1/2 way until it stopped at the o-ring. Hopefully some more twisting and pressure was used to insert it a few more inches past the o-ring for a proper joint seal. I know that it probably happened off camera, but just wanted to make sure after you did all that work. You could probably sight down the tube to verify. Thank you for all your great videos. Good luck. UPDATE: He may have reset the pipe joint @3:30 but the speeded up video is hard to tell, but the top of the pipe appears to lower several inches.
Major investment but it will be gorgeous when you are finished! Congratulations!
Honest video well done for sharing your learnings thumbs up to ya
This pond has had problems but I just love the whole look.Best one for me on YT
Now would be a great time to build a Pier/Dock!
Good morning Adam.
We are with you.
We want to see your pond a success.
😁
Sincerely
Ed from chicago area
I love this series. But this might now be the most expensive small pond on RUclips!
still spending/making content.
Looking good Adam. Thanks for sharing, as always.
Hope you get a wet couple of days ;-)
Take care & stay safe.
Moving forward
Another great video man.
Neat skate park.
Future pond plans sound awesome! Don’t forget ab the ones living vicariously through you and film please!
I'm sorry for your loss!! R.I.P. (Go Pro).
How large is pond and of course cost , nice video
Place a large flat rock under the spring head feed pipe and build some around it so that it won’t move during heavy inflow periods causing erosion and mud that you don’t want
Fingers crossed!
Do you have the option to do a live feed of this pond first fill? that would be cool
Hopefully your gasket pipe will work, but the way that designed to work is the pressure from inside the pipe pushes against the gasket and that is how it seals
Im agreeing with this statement. Should have used glue fittings, the stand pipe you used is for pressurized water lines, pressure pushing out, not in.
They were designed that way for main water lines to be able to flex. I fear you will be draing this pond again.
It was good of you to set a future archeological find in the form of a GoPro time capsule there Adam!👍🤪
The pond was well carved from top to bottom. How large is it and where is this located? And the cost to dig? (I am aware it was a repair job)
Had no idea there was so many things to consider when building a pond. I thought you just kept digging and removing the dirt until you hit water and it started filling up,then it was done!
Some would say Jack of all trades and master of none
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔Interesting key trench hope it works😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
If possible you should pressure check the overflow before finishing. It did get broke the first time after all. Crazy this is all needed to hold some water. I would of just dug a big hole and thought it would work.
Way to hang in there Adam. Sure hope this fixes the issues for you. I assume this last crew is a different group than the original pond builders?
Just showed up to the channel my first video. Quite interesting how much money one can invest in just a simple pond.
What about fish structures in the pond? Look so great what you’ve done …
The pond looks great Adam, this time it should hold water.
Damn, at first I did understand you did loose the memory card, but the GoPro? Ouch! Big projects create sacrifices. Thanks for your videos and keeping it real. And Hi to your mum for giving a shoutout to Germany via your German grandma born in Cloppenburg. If you´ll visit Germany again someday in the future, perhaps there is a chance to meet.
Please do more firewood videos
Crossing my fingers for you
Is the bottom of the fish pond recommended soil or a tent?
This is clearly going to work imo.
I honestly didn't think the first version had much of a chance honestly.
@HometownAcres Have you thought about planting some underwater plants to help keep the water clean and support fish habitat?
Curious, what is the ridge of soil on the bottom of the pond. Opposite end of the stand pipe. I have noticed it in several videos. I enjoy your content. Thank you
Hwllo Who messed up the dam build.Did they help cover the cost to fix it?
Maybe you'll get a little ice skating in this winter!
In what state are you located. I'm just wondering about your weather.
What kind of fish structure are you gonna put in there?
Well done doing correction, making it Real, a lot mental a sweat equity in that build, not to mention the financial cost. 👍👍👍 all to bury a Go Pro 😆
Where all the structure for the fish? 🎣
Your pipe should have been a glue joint and not a gasket joint. gasket pipe is made for pressure. Pressure is what makes the seal on the joint.
Totally agree on that one
Great video Adam! Can you add a link for the film equipment you use?
www.amazon.com/shop/hometownacres
Hi from Lithuania, I'm binge watching your pond series and right from start was wondering why wouldn't you dig down half of depth and build up half of dam (height and length) to get size of pond you wanted. I'm not a dam/pond engineer, but almost every pond I now is made this way here rest just digs a hole 🤦♂️. Not saying it's the best way to go, but asked couple of friends who does that for living and they both said "smaler dam = less headache".
holy moly looks like somebody is compacting looks like it is going to be done right
Best of luck. I'll sacrifice a couple of beers to the Pond Gods for you.
Haha thanks
How many acres is the pond going to be.. Maybe its a camera issue. But it looks like the water is going to run out over the yard, before it gets to the spill pipe. Its probably just a optical deception on my part.
With your spring feed. You might be able to hold some trout, if the water stays cold enough
I’m somewhat surprised that they don’t have the sheeps foot attachment for the excavator.
That definitely would have been a good solution for digging the trench too narrow
Hoping👍. Quite a bit of rework. Finding that cracked Tee was a good thing and probably the cause of leakage all alone(?)
No, because the water had to get there. The tee was buried multiple feet under the damn. If the water hadn't found the tee, it would it found itself through to the other side. If the pond had been full, the results would have been disastrous.
What was the total size and cost of pond?
seems like a very different approach than Bama Bass pond build.....seems like some corners were cut, just hoping this latest fix actually does the trick!
Yeah bamabass is a RUclips millionaire. It’s easy to not cut corners when you have an unlimited budget
@@HometownAcres there's never enough money to do it right, but always enough money to do it over 🤔
How about a compaction wheel on the excavator
Are you going to name the pond? Viewer suggestions?
MM77 👍🏼👍🏼 Approved
Loved the series of videos. Completely transparent, including the problems.
I was laughing when you said the previous intro was buried under 9 feet of dirt. I thought it would be a time capsule to some future species that won't be able to play it because they only have invented betamax.
Adam I know you’re a numbers guy so once this pond is fixed and done you have to run the numbers for us.
this is pretty cool.not tryong to he rude or shady im just curious as much time and effort put into why not put a liner in? i know it costs $$$$$$ just curious cause you have spent Lot of time on this. love your vids!!
I think you need to anchor the mouth end of your spring pipe upwards so you don’t gouge an erosion channel where the water is running now.
Adam when are the fish coming?
Honestly after all that work I would LINE it if it still did not hold water! Never give up never quite! Other question how much investment did it take to build? Ball park of course!
We probably would if it came to that
i bet the gopro has some pretty compressed video on it now