# how to dam up a brook



## raizenboyz (Feb 11, 2014)

i have a brook in my backyard...and i want to dam it up...not asking about rules and regs...don't care about none of that...just wondering if anyone out here has done it successfully and how...

land has high end where 3 natural springs feed it...and runs entire length of my land...
erosion is already taking place...want to dam it up...
should i start at lower end and work my way up...daming a little at a time, so that i can control the 'pools or ponds' of water, as i want some bigger...some smaller?
should i start at higher end...damin a little at a time...
it will be essential that i keep waterflow continuous...so dam construction is important...
i want to use all natural materials...am thinking of converting all of these empty feed bags into rock and clay containters for bottom layer of dam...any thoughts on that?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Thick rubber matting reenforced on the outside with concrete block with rebar driven threw it into the ground. Landscaping black plastic will work but will degrade after a few short years


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## raizenboyz (Feb 11, 2014)

lol...all natural huntinghawk...all natural and/or recycled


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Put some beavers in the brook & have them do it for you.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

HuntingHawk said:


> Put some beavers in the brook & have them do it for you.


That will work. I've been watching them knaw trees down by the river lately. I now know where the term "Busy As A Beaver" comes from


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Go the other way and dig it out to make a pond.


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## raizenboyz (Feb 11, 2014)

LOL...well...i already have a family of those...and actually, i have decided to let them live...for now...they are building my dam for me at the low end of my property...right where i want it...imagine that!  now...i am coming in at the center...cleaning as i go...i am at the point that i either can turn right or left...if left...i go towards the lower end...if right...i go towards the high end where the springs are...and i need to know which way to go...and should i start with a dam right in the middle...or if i go right, wait till i get to the top, or if i go left...build from there...and what in the world to build it with...i have plenty of rebar as suggested by hunting hawk...and feed sacks...and plenty of gravel (i live down a gravel road and would love to 'make use' out of all that gravel that the county keeps grading up on my land...plenty of clay, trees...etc...

have i mentioned that i am a GIRL... and not one of those liberated mutants--go easy on me!

i will be happy to document my journey as i go...so others might learn...so...right or left and what do i pack with me when i go


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## raizenboyz (Feb 11, 2014)

hey...one thing i left out...one of my main objectives is to control the flow of water...as best i can...don't want to flood the lower lying areas (yet) ...so...is there a way to do that...make the water flow faster in some areas and slower in some areas...with a continuous source, i have an unending supply of water...not to mention the runoff that i get...so...i have to be careful here i think...and build as i go...slowly...???


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

Who and what is down stream of your property? How will it effect them. The federal government will come down very hard on you for trying to control the water flow, be very careful and don't post your "illegal" actions on the internet.


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## SARGE7402 (Nov 18, 2012)

I know that most of us would rather do something else besides ask the feds for help, but this is free http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/hydraulics_lab/pubs/manuals/SmallDams.pdf . Many years ago I had the good fortune to use it.


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## raizenboyz (Feb 11, 2014)

not illegal...if it would have been, i wouldn't have wanted to do it...nor would i have posted it...  thanks sarge...ill look at the info...


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The problem with damming a creek is that you really need some elevation on either side of it. The ground has to be stable - as in rock.

You will understand when the beavers get done. You will have a marsh that takes up a huge area because the water spreads out. If you want small pools then dig them out - it is a lot less work than a dam.

A few of us got together (much younger then) and dammed a small creek. We had 45 degree banks so we thought we had a perfect spot. We put in 8 foot poles pounding them four feet into the creek bed. We kept enough flow between then so we could do all the work before we stopped the water flow. then it was a race to fill in the base of the dam while we weaved smaller limbs around the posts and filled with rocks an moss and mud. We even filled the back side of the dam - down stream - to help hold it in place. We tied into the sides with poles and continued filling and back filling until our four foot dam was no longer leaking. It took two weeks from start to finish and we thought we had conquered the world. We came back the next day to find a hole where the dam was. The water pressure had moved the banks and the current had removed all but two of the poles. There was a 3 foot deep pond where the dam had been and just down stream from the dam. Since then I have learned that if you are going to build a dam that is not a compression dam (Hoover dam) the the dam has to weigh at least three times the water that you expect it to hold. You also need a weir so the water can go over or through the dam without causing erosion. Trust me, it is easier to dig the pond out.


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## PalmettoTree (Jun 8, 2013)

PaulS, is correct you need an excavated an area for a pond. This earth can be used for the dam. Lay down a large diameter pipe. You should use a wooden valve of sorts to stop the flow later. Or create "j" for the over flow.

You must let the water flow freely through this pipe during construction. Pile up the dirt just like you likely did as a child. The bottom base of an earthen dam must be as thick as as the final pond is deep. Once you think you have completed your dam you must let it settle. The earth must be packed tight. Therefore you must sift out any wood, leaves, or trash that will rot. 

Plant mondo grass on the top and dry side.

The dam must be higher than you expect flood stage to be. If water tops it you will be starting over. For that reason I would use separate pipes for the overflow and the construction bypass pipe. If you start to fear the overflow will not keep the dam from being topped you can pull your wooden valve on the lower pipe.


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