OK, so we bought a new house, and it has a large tank on it that has been dug, but does not and has not ever held water. My question to you guys is, whats the best way to make it hold water? Liner? Clay? Something Else??

Also, does any one know of someone in the houston or hempstead area that they can recommend for this type of work??

If you can find somewhere to buy some oilfield drilling mud additive called gel (which is ground Wyoming bentonite), put a layer down in the bottom of the tank 4 to 6 inches deep, then take a tractor with a disc harrow and disc it in. It is good to water it after this because it helps it to set up then when you get rain and water it should hold. The next solution (much more expensive) is to line it with clay and roll it down..

But, before you go to a bunch of expense - make sure that there is enough drainage area emptying into the tank to fill it and the lake/dam is properly designed.

I've seen some pretty stupid ponds and tanks built. Dams out of sand. No drainage area. Emergency spillways over the dam, etc.

Some people may disagree, but find your local NRCS agent. They will come out and take a look at your tank for free. They'll take same soil cores, and they will be able to go back and calculate the drainage area that affects your tank.

I wasn't sure if they still that. Good advice.

Yes. They still do that. What county?

Here's some offices around Houston/Hempstead.

The couple of people I have met from the Hempstead office seem to be pretty knowledgeable.

Make sure and ask for the NRCS office because they sometimes share space with the Farm Service Agency.

HOUSTON SERVICE CENTER
10808 HUFFMEISTER RD
HOUSTON, TX 77065-3106

(281) 469-7856
(281) 469-7005 fax

HEMPSTEAD SERVICE CENTER
519 9TH ST
HEMPSTEAD, TX 77445-4537

(979) 826-2448 ext 3
(979) 826-6384 fax


This came from here: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app



[This message has been edited by agenjake (edited 12/18/2006 3:43p).]

Shoot the elevation and stake off and push up some diversion ditches spreading out laterally from the inflow end of the tank. This will greatly increase the surface area of the tank's watershed which will obviously funnel more water to it. Also, since it is dry now you might as well take advantage of that to clean it out or enlarge it if need be. As mentioned in a previous post your FSA agent will do the surveying for free.

This is all great information. Thanks! When we get ready to get moving with this, ill give those numbers a call. I did not build the tank, and i have a feeling the agent that comes out will have much to say about its design. As for 'inflow' its a large tank but water runoff was not what they have in mind for filling. The main concern i have is runoff. Its a deep tank, and i dont know how that will affect anything. ITs deep enough that it would require several weeks of continuous rain to put it over its dam. Plus, they dug the thing about 30' from the back porch, which sucks, but i dont know what to do about that aside from fill in part of it. I also dont know what implications the location will have.

jed....is your property in Waller or Harris county???

If it is Waller then I'm the NRCS person you want to talk to.

Well actually I'm in Bryan now but I still cover Hempstead until the new guy gets there on Jan. 8th.

Anyway, call my office at 979-846-4814, x. 3. Ask for my Technician Ray Hale (he does my pond work).

Sounds like somebody dug the pond for the dirt either to sell or for the house. Anyway, we can look at it and provide you a list of folks that can hopefully fix it for you.

I was assisting your old officemate in Cuero last week BQ. There's a puzzle for you .....

Hated to see him go, but it did give me the chance to apply and get Bryan.

He seems to be a good DC. I don't mind it when he requests me.

Thanks BQ 90...actually, i AM in Waller County.

This is why i asked on Texags, if anyone was going to know what to do, it was you guys.

The pond was dug to build the house up out of the 100yr flood plain 18"....and its a large-ish house, so that should give you an idea of the size of pond im talking about. I dont have exact dimensions, or id surely offer them.

DONE...


Called and set up an apt with Ray. Thanks again for the information! Im curious about what he will say about the huge dry hole in my backyard.

Put up some reeds around your back porch and set out decoys. You'll be hunting from home.

It could be done! Both 'neighbors' are on 30+ acre lots. Gunfire is no cause for alarm around us, no one will bat an eye.

BQ 90

Will the pond techn. help w/ an old existing pond? I think I need a larger watershed area, but not sure where to get it from. Washington County area.

"All or none!"

Another way to firm up the ground is simple. Line it with clay or bentonite as explained, then you put out some hay in the area. The cattle will stomp it. Ground will pack tight.

Yes, 82. Conservation Technicians will look at old ponds too. Often times a diversion terrace can be installed to bring in water that might otherwise bypass a pond below. You just have to be careful about the outlet - if it is too high above the pool level it can create a gully.

82aggieff1 - call the NRCS office in Brenham or Bellville.

I think the technician in Bellville works both Austin/Washington Counties.

979-865-3138, x. 3 - Bellville
979-836-6108, x. 3 - Brenham

Ask for Merle

The Bentonite works. You can mix it in the water even after the tank is full. If you have a leak behind a dam it'll look like snot coming out and then usually stop pretty soon after that.

I always thought that a majority of the bentonite used in Texas came from Southern clay in Gonzales... maybe not.

A lot of the rubber-coated fabric companies are touting their fabrics as "geo-membranes" for waste tanks and spill burms if bentonite doesn't do it for ya.

Thanks


"All or none!"

Dump sheetrock in yer tank.