As you look at the image below this so called lake was made to build a road along time ago and the property lines go down the middle of the lake

I own the very end and it is really not a lake more like a pond but anyways with this drought my end of the lake is dry

The lake /pond is only about 3-4 foot deep and is in bottom land when it floods it floods on the navasota river

My question is can I dig my end of the lake out or would I possibly get in legal trouble because I decided to dig down 10 feet in the middle or something like that

The whole property drains towards my end of the lake if a flood

The lake is probably 4-6 acres

Thanks for any input

Tear their fence down…

I don't see any reason why you can't dig on your own property.

What if it affects the water level on their so called property line lake water which I dont see how it can

I

Oh and the right side is all bottom land and the left side has houses way up from flood land

Where is the damn/spillway located? Also how is it filled or rather where is the land that drains to it?

Thanks gunny There is no spillway or dam and when it floods it floods everything to my end which eventually makes it back to the navasota river

The bank is about a foot all the way around

Would a picture of the lake help and maybe it would be an easy answer

Reason I was asking the questions is that we have very similar thing on our property.
You are not impeding water flow or source so I can't see where you would be wrong doing whatever you want.
We kinda did the same thing and nobody got mad at us. Our NRCS agent gave advice to us as well and said all was good as far as he was concerned.

What is your goal? You could either deepen it to hold more, OR, build a dam along your property line and reclaim it from being flooded. Do like the water and want more ?

What is NRCS

I dont really have a actual goal I jist thought I would try to dig out so fish could be there and make the banks where i could plant and control the water tonplant millet

I have been stupid enough to walk out in waders when the water was rushing and the pressure against my legs was crazy so I dont know if the fish would actually stay in the digout part anyways

maddiedou said:

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What is NRCS

I dont really have a actual goal I jist thought I would try to dig out so fish could be there and make the banks where i could plant and control the water tonplant millet

I have been stupid enough to walk out in waders when the water was rushing and the pressure against my legs was crazy so I dont know if the fish would actually stay in the digout part anyways

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Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency (originally called Soil Conservation Service) established by FDR administration during the depression era, ostensibly to help farmers prevent soil erosion, but it was the beginning of welfare for farmers. It "hands out" a lot of federal dollars annually under various federal "programs".

Fish would indeed "stay" if there were sufficient cover and forage fish to attract them there.

maddiedou said:

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What if it affects the water level on their so called property line lake water which I dont see how it can

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My advice: Don't use this phrase around your neighbors.

BoerneGator said:

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maddiedou said:

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What is NRCS

I dont really have a actual goal I jist thought I would try to dig out so fish could be there and make the banks where i could plant and control the water tonplant millet

I have been stupid enough to walk out in waders when the water was rushing and the pressure against my legs was crazy so I dont know if the fish would actually stay in the digout part anyways

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Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency (originally called Soil Conservation Service) established by FDR administration during the depression era, ostensibly to help farmers prevent soil erosion, but it was the beginning of welfare for farmers. It "hands out" a lot of federal dollars annually under various federal "programs".

Fish would indeed "stay" if there were sufficient cover and forage fish to attract them there.

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Do note though, that following NRCS plans to claim potential funds will most likely cost you more money than other solutions you may come across. They are not known for always proposing plans that are practical or financially realistic.

fightingfarmer09 said:

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BoerneGator said:

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maddiedou said:

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What is NRCS

I dont really have a actual goal I jist thought I would try to dig out so fish could be there and make the banks where i could plant and control the water tonplant millet

I have been stupid enough to walk out in waders when the water was rushing and the pressure against my legs was crazy so I dont know if the fish would actually stay in the digout part anyways

---

Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency (originally called Soil Conservation Service) established by FDR administration during the depression era, ostensibly to help farmers prevent soil erosion, but it was the beginning of welfare for farmers. It "hands out" a lot of federal dollars annually under various federal "programs".

Fish would indeed "stay" if there were sufficient cover and forage fish to attract them there.

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Do note though, that following NRCS plans to claim potential funds will most likely cost you more money than other solutions you may come across. They are not known for always proposing plans that are practical or financially realistic.

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In other words, if you take NRCS funds to help with a project (they are not the FSA with farm programs and disaster payments) they will insist on those funds being spent on projects that meet a certain level of standards and specifications. You can't half ass build a fence, dig a pond, install water lines, plant grass, kill brush, etc….. and expect tax payer money to be spent. Their consultation and design assistance are free.

Probably gonna want it a lot deeper than 3-4 feet.

You're rolling the dice with hoping it holds water post-excavation.

Lots of money to spend digging it out to not hold water.

OnlyForNow said:

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Probably gonna want it a lot deeper than 3-4 feet.

You're rolling the dice with hoping it holds water post-excavation.

Lots of money to spend digging it out to not hold water.

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To mitigate the risk, consider renting a self/propelled auger to take a number of core samples down to the level you desire. You're looking for a layer of clay. But it might be necessary to "modify" layers of sand with clay or a substitute.

OnlyForNow said:

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Probably gonna want it a lot deeper than 3-4 feet.

You're rolling the dice with hoping it holds water post-excavation.


Lots of money to spend digging it out to not hold water.

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I am not the best at writing and explaining

It already holds water and it is already 3-4 feet deep

It has dried up and Really have no clue but I was gonna try for 10 feet in the middle

I hope to go out and take a actual picture today and let yall see

I do know this if this was one of many of yall that I see post on OB yall would have this handled easily

Thanks again

Thanks. Did not even think about that I am hoping the dozer guy that I rent will know what to do and get that part done

So you already have a "slough" and you want to deepen/expand it?

Don't leave any of the dirt you move in the 100-year floodplain as denotes by a FEMA map. Even though it's not additional material, that'll be something that someone could use as a 'gotcha'. Any dirt moved should be moved out of the 100yr floodplain more as a CYA than anything else.

Thank you because that is not what i was gonna do but only another 100 feet to get out of flood plain

I've dug a lot of ponds and done a lot of work for NRCS. Could you post a google map photo of the lake? Are there any types of deed restrictions on how the lake can be used between all owners?

Also, if you want to look into potential "wetland" issues, check out the USFWS NWI map. Use some caution when working in the areas labeled as "wetlands" according to the mapper. Even doing something as innocuous as enhancing (making it wetter) a low-lying area may be looked at as a violation of the CWA.

Unfortunately it is a crapshoot. The NRCS may be able to provide some free consulting though, they are good people.