Dio Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 If I send you an Excalibur boxset when it is released, will you throw it into the lake? This is probably what would happen: >You throw the Excalibur boxset into the lake A fairy appears from the depths holding the Excalibur boxset "Did you throw this into the lake?" >Yes "For your honesty, here is a golden Excalibur boxset" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT! Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Wow Rob, Finally found a use for your natural habit of digging yourself into holes huh? Great thread and like the others I'm glad you posted pix and are sharing the progress with us. Looks great and I always admire anyone who takes on such a huge project... & actually completes it. Being completely ignorant of the process of lake building I'm curious, Do you have to seed it with plants and such like or just wait for nature to take over? I'm curious at what point does it stop being a hole in the ground filled with water and become something that is more natural/organic? T. p.s. Did you consider digging it in the shape of a minimate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storm 1:08 Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Somebody tell me if this thread gets a bit repetitive but as long as you guys are interested I'll keep posting the pictures ................. It'll only be repetitive once the thing is complete and all we get are pics of you sipping Mai Tais on your yacht. You are getting a yacht, right? I think Linda's Lake is a lovely name. So, are you the foreman or have you been bulldozing too? Hopefully you aren't sick of all our questions yet. We are all quite interested about your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 Consider it ? It IS in the shape of a Minimate. Luck plays a big part in the whole operation. Once the lake is filled nature should just take its course & I am specifically just going to let it do so for the first year or two......mainly because my budget for building it will be blown. Grass should re-establish itself almost immediately but because the lake is surrounded by farmland it will be difficult to completely secure the area from interruption from animals. I can secure it from cattle but sheep will have to be left in the area to keep the grass under control . The whole undertaking will probably take years but it is something I've always wanted to do & I expect that somebody else in the future who will be lucky enough to really enjoy it . Regards what actually will grow within the lake is dependant upon how quickly the water in the lake settles down ......it needs a source to fill it but continual running water will be detrimental . Once filled the source springs & streams will be diverted away . All this is new to me & apart from reading a book or two & reliance upon the advice of the guy digging it I know little more than you guys........perhaps a bit more than you guys but not a lot. Fish will arrive via the birds over time but I will start to introduce some species myself ,probably carp,possibly trout. This ain't a commercial venture & I'm not an overly keen angler so what happens regards the balance between the predators & prey is up to God not me ! I will however shoot the cormorants I keep saying this but I am really pleased you guys seem so interested & I'm actually enjoying sharing the project with you. Thankyou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 That last post answered a slew of questions I was about to ask. How long do you think it will take for the water to fill in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadpool Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 BHM, you have got to be one of the... no, the absolutely ODDEST man I have ever encountered on the internet ever. That being said, this is a really cool project. What prompted the idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 We get plenty of rain here & there is a phenomenal amount of water coming off the fields when it does so. Fortunately being a stock farm rather than arable farm we have very few 'nasties' going onto the soil ....ammonium nitrate is used as fertiliser but I have some control over its usage & I want to eventually eliminate it . It will probably eliminate itself if its cost doesn't stop rising ,it's become stupidly expensive & did you know that it is the main ingredient for most of the terrorist bombs we've had in the UK over the years ......& sadly the Oklahoma City Bombing? All this rain should fill the lake either directly or through the divertable channels running into it.....hopefully pretty quickly with untainted uncontaminated water. Once filled ,fingers crossed,it should maintain itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 BHM, you have got to be one of the... no, the absolutely ODDEST man I have ever encountered on the internet ever. That being said, this is a really cool project. What prompted the idea? I just typed the last answer & now I see this. What a fantastic compliment .....that was a compliment wasn't it The idea was prompted by the fact that I had a wet swampy field that has had a natural slope & dip in it that just said "turn me into a lake " . It was the worst field on the farm but very close to the river & more importantly uphill from the river . As a field it was shite but as a site for a lake it was perfect, although I wasn't to know that initially....it was luck more than knowledge. Getting permission for the lake was very difficult & quite costly in comparison to getting planning permission for a house etc. DP ,I was also prompted by a genuine desire to put something back . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja Mate Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 I wish I could drive one of the machines!! How fun would it be to dig dirt all day long and get paid for it. I remember as a kid taking my GI Joes to a newly dug housing development and play with them on the huge mounds of dirt.! I will be over in a year for some wake boarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadpool Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 BHM, you have got to be one of the... no, the absolutely ODDEST man I have ever encountered on the internet ever. That being said, this is a really cool project. What prompted the idea? I just typed the last answer & now I see this. What a fantastic compliment .....that was a compliment wasn't it The idea was prompted by the fact that I had a wet swampy field that has had a natural slope & dip in it that just said "turn me into a lake " . It was the worst field on the farm but very close to the river & more importantly uphill from the river . As a field it was shite but as a site for a lake it was perfect, although I wasn't to know that initially....it was luck more than knowledge. Getting permission for the lake was very difficult & quite costly in comparison to getting planning permission for a house etc. DP ,I was also prompted by a genuine desire to put something back . It was certainly a compliment! I just can't say I've ever seen another guy around the age of 50 who has a wealth of figures most people can't even picture, some rather entertaining work experience, and a pattern of speech that indicates he may be drunk at any moment Speaking of age, I've grown three and a half years since I joined this place... but that's for another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 10, 2010 Author Share Posted December 10, 2010 So after Deadpool we go back live to the Lake ........which technically may now actually be a 'pond' . There seems to be no definitive answer to when a pond becomes a lake but size probably matters Sod it ....it's a lake as far as I'm concerned Anyway the hole.... dam.... lake is making good progress but the weekend looms & work will stop tomorrow afternoon & resume Monday. The North & West sides have now been built up & compacted & look massive but TBH a bit ugly at the moment but that is to be expected I guess. The field ,that the lake is built within ,slopes West down to the river so in effect a damn has to be built at this lower end to an equal height of the Eastern shore of the lake . I hope that makes sense ? from the North looking South from the West looking East Thankfully the weather remains perfect . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT! Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 The field ,that the lake is built within ,slopes West down to the river so in effect a damn has to be built at this lower end to an equal height of the Eastern shore of the lake . I hope that makes sense ? Thankfully the weather remains perfect . Just thought I'd point out your spelling faux pas Otherwise great progress Rob, oh and is that mud on your boots... I bet the biggest issue you have right now is not bringing all that mud back indoors with you! T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke314pi Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 My recommendation for the middle of the lake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniFiend UK Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Nahh one of these would be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksun1520 Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 This is quite the awesome undertaking Rob, very cool! Once it's full of the wet stuff, someone should start a rumor legend that there is a giant 14 point articulated creature living in it. Oh, and from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services: The term "lake" or "pond" as part of a waterbody name is arbitrary and not based on any specific naming convention. In general, lakes tend to be larger and/or deeper than ponds, but numerous examples exist of "ponds" that are larger and deeper than "lakes." For example, Echo "Lake" in Conway is 14 acres in surface area with a maximum depth of 11 feet, while Island "Pond" in Derry is nearly 500 acres and 80 feet deep. Names for lakes and ponds generally originated from the early settlers living near them, and the use of the terms "lake" and "pond" was completely arbitrary. Many have changed names through the years, often changing from a pond to a lake with no change in size or depth. Often these changes in name were to make the area sound more attractive to perspective home buyers. Examples of ponds that are now called lakes include Mud Pond to Mirror Lake in Canaan, Mosquito Pond to Crystal Lake in Manchester and Dishwater Pond to Mirror Lake in Tuftonboro. So, it's up to you buddy, lake or pond, but I would go with lake, it sounds better. BS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 10, 2010 Author Share Posted December 10, 2010 (edited) Damn that irony TBT. Pond or lake Blacksun ......I'm not sure ? I'll ponder some. As for the mud Timbo......spot on as usual ! Edited December 10, 2010 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 With a bit of luck we'll be ready for the water after tomorrow & the forecast is heavy rain then heavy snow after Thursday so maybe I'll get my water The 'dam' at the Westerly end is now completed & here's a picture looking NW (today) whilst this looks directly West (today) .......the digger sits atop the dam ,compacting the clay with its tracks. The distance from where the digger is sat to the bottom of the dam will be the depth of the lake which will be far deeper than we first imagined . That depth isn't a problem but it will obviously hold more water & I guess more wildlife eventually. This shows the view from atop the dam (yesterday) before the two sides of it were joined together . This looks SE & that's Bumblebee in the distance . This old guy just keeps getting in the way (yesterday) whilst this pic gives an idea of how deep the lake will be The lakes structure was completed this evening , there was to be an island in the middle but I decided against it for various reasons , the main one being that we are running out of material to build it with . I'm not entirely sure I've made the right decision but I decided that a floating island could be added later but removing an island ain't quite so easy if I didn't like it. All the top-soil that was removed initially before excavation will be carefully returned around the shores & dam & the that should be it . I'll take more pictures but until the lake fills I don't really think there will be much more to report. Thanks again for the interest you've all shown & I've really enjoyed sharing the experience. Pictures don't really convey the scale of this & whilst it's a comparatively small lake ....it'll be big enough for me & a great experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja Mate Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 your not done yet... ......I didnt see your underwater lair. I assume sharks with Fricken laser beams to be delivered after there is ample water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) ......I didnt see your underwater lair. That's the idea All the levels for the entire project involved using a Laser leveling device Edited December 13, 2010 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniFiend UK Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 That seriously needs a game of football playing in it before the water goes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 That is a sight to behold, and it looks a good bit deeper than I imagined it would be. I'm terrible at eye-balling distance/height- how deep did it end up? It looks great. I hope you have a nice, wet week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 The Environmental Agency & the relevant planning departments were informed that the lake would be 4 metres at its deepest point (13 feet). The bullshit to get permission for this lake was far more involved ,far more expensive than for a house yet nobody has come prior to digging it or will subsequently come to inspect it but it needs to be thirteen feet deep. It is definitely thirteen feet . No question . Absolutely spot on to the inch . I'll guess 20 feet at least but I'll measure it when the final touches are applied tomorrow. So the length of the hypoteneuse is equal to what of the which ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 ......the lake begins to fill .....slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minijeff Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 This is a great looking project Rob, thanks for sharing it with us! Jeff of the Miniacs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 What's that strange white substance on the ground? Was there some kind of chemical spill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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