There's a creek on some family land that has an artesian spring in it and I've always wanted to make a swimming hole out of it. The creek bank is probably 20' in places and the water at the bottom is a small trickle. I'd like to build a small damn and create a swimming hole. The kicker is that a ton of water moves through the creek after rains, hence the 20' deep sides. Is there anyway to damn it up in such a way that it won't wash out when the creek floods and won't fill up with silt? Has anybody on the all knowing OB tried something similar?
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Building Swimming Hole in Creek
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Last: 1 yr ago by OnlyForNow
Pics of the site?
Might be able to limit height to 3'-4' and make sure foundation is solid keying into the banks.
Might be able to limit height to 3'-4' and make sure foundation is solid keying into the banks.
Blast a swimming hole with dynamite
No way to damn it and keep the silt out during floods. Just make an option to re-route the water so you can pump it every 5-10 years and dig out the silt? or if the flow is slow enough you should be able to just pump it out and remove the silt.
I'll take some pictures this afternoon and post later to give everybody a better idea of what I'm working with. Are there people that do this for a living? I can get somebody down there with an excavator and make a hole easily, but after the first rain I'm afraid it'll be full of silt and debris.
Sorry, I can't offer any suggestions of what to do, but I am an expert on what not to do, lol. Of course, we were teenagers so there's that excuse. And the creek was only about 8 feet deep, we tried to build a dam about five feet in height.
I can provide some input, but first I will have to show you how to use it for the first couple of years. Especially on opening day of dove season.
Following. I want to do the same thing, but more worried about blocking the creek and having issues with the law if they ever found out...
tkusak said:
Following. I want to do the same thing, but more worried about blocking the creek and having issues with the law if they ever found out...
Is it considered Waters of the US or a FEMA floodway?tkusak said:
Following. I want to do the same thing, but more worried about blocking the creek and having issues with the law if they ever found out...
If the drought is as bad as what I've heard in Texas, if it's got any flowage right now, it should be jurisdictional.jpb1999 said:Is it considered Waters of the US or a FEMA floodway?tkusak said:
Following. I want to do the same thing, but more worried about blocking the creek and having issues with the law if they ever found out...
I'm sure mine is a water way of US. Spring fed, and still flowing.. it's a trickle, but there is still water in the creek bed. How do you research if it is?
I believe that the court system put some constraints on the assertive overreach by the Feds not too long ago.
Look into "digger logs"
As kids we built a dam across a creek near a bridge .. the SA river authority asked us what we were doing, we said making a swimming hole … they told us it would never work … 2 days later the water went over the top and washed it all away .. but it was fun ! We obviously didn't know what we were doing and we didn't tell dad, we just took the John door 4040 w a bucket down there and hauled sand for 2 days ! Fun times
My brother and I always tried to dam up the creek on our neighbors place just messing around. We would even put in pvc pipes at a certain depth so once the water reached that height some could flow through in hopes it would keep the water from breaching the dam. Weren't ever too successful in our endeavors but it sure was fun.
Import some Beavers! You can come trap some of the beavers we have on my deer lease. You can trap all of them, you'd be doing us a favor.
If you own both sides of the creek for downstream and keep a dam less than 6' tall, you should be able to minimize any permitting issues.
There are state water right exemptions for livestock and domestic uses and general permits that may help you avoid the need to contact the Corps of Engineers. Definitely check FEMA maps to be sure you don't put fill in a regulated floodway.
The main issue is it will be a challenge to design anything that will withstand flood flows, and it will likely silt in frequently and can also cause bank erosion and slope failure at a dam and immediately downstream. I've seen some old rock low head dam structures that were built to last, but most are concrete. However, getting someone that knows what they are doing for the bank tie ins is advisable.
There are state water right exemptions for livestock and domestic uses and general permits that may help you avoid the need to contact the Corps of Engineers. Definitely check FEMA maps to be sure you don't put fill in a regulated floodway.
The main issue is it will be a challenge to design anything that will withstand flood flows, and it will likely silt in frequently and can also cause bank erosion and slope failure at a dam and immediately downstream. I've seen some old rock low head dam structures that were built to last, but most are concrete. However, getting someone that knows what they are doing for the bank tie ins is advisable.
KALALL said:
I'll take some pictures this afternoon and post later to give everybody a better idea of what I'm working with. Are there people that do this for a living? I can get somebody down there with an excavator and make a hole easily, but after the first rain I'm afraid it'll be full of silt and debris.
Any movement on this front? Pictures? Dam progress?
This is the best advice.tamc91 said:
If you own both sides of the creek for downstream and keep a dam less than 6' tall, you should be able to minimize any permitting issues.
There are state water right exemptions for livestock and domestic uses and general permits that may help you avoid the need to contact the Corps of Engineers. Definitely check FEMA maps to be sure you don't put fill in a regulated floodway.
The main issue is it will be a challenge to design anything that will withstand flood flows, and it will likely silt in frequently and can also cause bank erosion and slope failure at a dam and immediately downstream. I've seen some old rock low head dam structures that were built to last, but most are concrete. However, getting someone that knows what they are doing for the bank tie ins is advisable.
I'll keep USACE out of this discussion, but if you're building a dam over 6' tall then you're legally "required" to get a TCEQ dam permit; and there is quite a bit that goes into that process.
There is the additional potential for checking local floodplains and following county engineering regulations on filling in the floodplain/floodway.
I was thinking you could add something like this canal gate:
This would allow you to drain behind the dam and clean out silt & debris. It would need to be secured differently & countersunk into the dam with a lockable manhole cover when not in use. (One big tree coming down the river sideways would wreck this gate as shown)
Edit: Water coming through the sluice would be too much for that gate to handle. You'd need to inset it at an angle so water force wasn't hitting it directly.
Just spitballing. Idea needs more thought.
This would allow you to drain behind the dam and clean out silt & debris. It would need to be secured differently & countersunk into the dam with a lockable manhole cover when not in use. (One big tree coming down the river sideways would wreck this gate as shown)
Edit: Water coming through the sluice would be too much for that gate to handle. You'd need to inset it at an angle so water force wasn't hitting it directly.
Just spitballing. Idea needs more thought.
In theory, I think you would want something like this and a pretty big overflow weir