Leaking Pond

[legends of the lower mars]

To Pondman or anyone else in the aquaculture industry;

Where can I buy bentonite clay down here in south Ms? I'm in Saucier. With all this rain we've been having, the pond is "finally" totally topped off after a 3yr drought and I found the damn leak! I've been searching for about 2yrs and it appears to be an small old root or rat burrow going through the top 3rd of my levee... It's not leaking real bad right now, but, just enough to annoy the hell outa me... Definately want to keep the water I now have! LoL!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Any immediate help will definately be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,


Mark Wright
228-324-7612

[mg]

Mark, I know an oilfield supply company in Ellisville has it. I purchased several bags a couple yrs ago. Its the powdered bentonite in 100 pound bags. Let me know and I can get u the name # of place. Or check with an oilfield supply co. closer to you.

[pondman]

Mark,

This is not what you want hear, but I have never seen bentonite work. People have told me that it does, but I have never seen it. The best thing I have seen is drain it down below leak level and pack in some clay.

That being said, you may have better luck than most because you know EXACTLY where the hole is. As to where to find it, I would start with oil field buddies. Most Co-ops can order it for you. I believe you can even get in online.

If you have trouble let me know and I will knock on a few doors for you as well.

Thanks,

Pond

[legends of the lower mars]

Thanks for the replies guys! Think I found a place to buy some... Hope they have the pelletized bentonite and not just the powder or granules... I'm loosing alot of young Bluegill so, we'll see!

[cajun squealer]

Mark, I hope you can find the pelletized variety as well. The powder form is a pain in the rear to deal with in bulk quantities. When that stuff gets wet, it turns into a snot-like slime that sticks to everything. As another suggestion for availability, you may also check with local geotechnical engineering firms or businesses of the like that perform standard penetration tests. Bentonite is commonly used to back-fill their boring holes.

[Chuckle12]

perform standard penetration tests

That's what she said.

[legends of the lower mars]

Pond levee / leak update:

Well, 800lbs of Bentonite and 3 yrds of clay dirt that I spent half a day wheel barrowing in and I got the leak down to a slow trickle... Damn I'm pizzed!!! Oh, and while I was on the backside of the levee trying to stuff clay in the outflow hole; I was kneeling down with flip flops on and noticed I was about 6in from a damn 3.5ft cottonmouth... Well, "involuntarily" my catlike ninja reflexes kicked in and I jumped straight up in the air and made a horizontal 90 deg slide to the right (about 4ft) and somehow grabbed a shovel while I still in the air... I guess I levitated or something... Still can't figure out how I did it... It was all a blurr. LoL!!! At the same time my daughter was on the levee getting ready to bring me a bucket of mixed clay when all the hell broke loose... All she said to me afterwards was; Daddy, how did you move like that and you scream like a little girl. LoL!!! Gotta love kids! Needless to say, no it ain't fixed and I'm still loosing small fish, I've done all I'm gonna do for now. Going to rent a pump and draw it down some and try to find the last hole... (Pond +1 / Mark 0......... F@*king pond!

Tired MOFO out...

[ScottBrown]

"the pond is "finally" totally topped off after a 3yr drought and I found the DAM leak!"


Fixed it for you

[legends of the lower mars]

"the pond is "finally" totally topped off after a 3yr drought and I found the DAM leak!"


Fixed it for you

Why thank you kind sir...

[ScottBrown]

I know this is old but every time I here about a Dam project I think about this.

This is a copy of an actual letter sent to Ryan DeVries, from the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan. Wait
till you read this guy's response - but read the entire letter before
you get to the response.

Mr. Ryan DeVries
2088 Dagget
Pierson, MI 49339
SUBJECT: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20;

Site Location: Montcalm County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality
that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced
parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner
and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet
stream of Spring Pond.

A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A
review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued.

Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in
violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource
and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994,
being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws
annotated.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially
failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at
downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently
hazardous and cannot be permitted.

The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities
at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by
removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel.
All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2002.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so
that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure
to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the
site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement
action.

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.
Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
David L. Price
District Representative
Land and Water Management Division
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RESPONSE:

Dear Mr. Price,

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20;
Montcalm County

Reference your certified letter dated 12/17/2000 has been referred to me
to respond to. First of all, Mr. Ryan De Vries is not the legal
landowner and/or contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan.

I am the legal owner and a couple of beavers are in the (State
unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris"
dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.

While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I
think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of
natural building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your
department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any
place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could
ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam
ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their
dam work ethic.

As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must
first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam
activity. My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers? or,
(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said
dam request?

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through
the Freedom of Information Act I request completed copies of all those
other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we
will see if there really is a dam violation of P! art 301, Inland Lakes
and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act,
Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.3010,1 to
324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated. I have several
concerns. My first concern is aren't the beavers entitled to legal
representation?

The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay
for said representation - so the State will have to provide them with a
lawyer.

The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed
during a recent rain event causing flooding is proof that this is a
natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In
other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than
harrass them and call their dam names. If you want the stream "restored"
to a dam free-flow condition - please contact the beavers - but if you
are going to arrest them they obviously did not pay any attention to
your dam letter (being unable to read English).

In my humble ! opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build
their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green
and water flows downstream. They have more dam right than I do to live
and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the
natural resources
(Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be
referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until
1/31/2002 The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then, and
there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them
then.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention a real
environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears.
Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you
should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone.

If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The
bears are not careful where they dump!)

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to
contact you on your answering machine, I am sending this response to
your office via another government organization - the USPS. Maybe,
someday, it will get there.

Sincerely,
Stephen L. Tvedten
The University of Texas at: Austin
Office Community Relations/Accounting unit
P.O. Box 7367
Austin, TX 78713

[legends of the lower mars]

Bwahahahahehehe!!! That's great!!!

[legends of the lower mars]

Well, the pond fell about a foot and lost alot of little fish; but, has finally sealed it's self on the 2 lower holes... Remember I dumped 800 lbs of Bentonite clay and about 3 yrds of clay dirt off the side of the levee. And, yea! I said holes... Come to find out, there were a total of 5 holes... All I can figure was old roots caused all this mess. I'm going to buy about 2 yrds of good clay dirt to seal the top 3 remaining holes. Maybe all is well now! Fingers crossed!!!