Digging a Pond

Our neighbor started this project over two years ago.  His plan was to dig out the bog which occupies the rear of his property (and actually encompasses some of ours) and replace it with a beautiful man-made pond.  It was a HUGE undertaking, to say the least.

He spent more than a year cutting down and dragging out huge trees, mostly by himself.  Sometimes with the help of his brother, and sometimes even my husband.

The actual digging of the pit began this spring.  And there has been a LOT of digging.  He bought a small dozer and since he has had little work (I think he works construction), he has been working on the project nearly every day.

His back yard is a mountain of dirt (it has to go somewhere!) and the pit is nearly complete, now.  Above, you can see my husband to the left, helping him with the skid loader.  Our property line is pretty much right along the near bank, and I’m taking the picture from where I would love to set up our new campsite someday.  Won’t that be cool??  Seriously! 

In fact, I see park benches here and there, and can almost hear bull frogs through the night…

All that remains of the project is to fine-tune the slopes and banks a little, and grade the surrounding areas so that they drain into the pond.  Oh, and to haul off all that dirt!  Lol!  The very bottom (where you see the backhoe) is as deep as he wants to take it.

That’s a good thing. 

Because that four inches or so or rain we got yesterday?  Made 3 or 4 FEET of water in the pond!  Our neighbor is SO glad to be at a point where the deluge is welcome!  We are happy for him, too. 

That pond represents an enormous amount of work.  I’ll be sharing pictures here and there as the pond fills, and the rest of the landscaping is completed—both on his side, and ours. 

So hopefully you won’t mind being drug along on the journey.  This is what my husband and I LOVE to do.  To take a section of land, and transform it into a beautiful usable living space.