REMEMBER TO CALL BEFORE YOU DIG, ITS THE LAW AND IT PROTECTS YOU FROM DISASTER

To Receive More News On Earthmoving Activities, Join Our Association And Receive our Quarterly Newsletter.

FIELD DAY DEMONSTRATION ON CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR TYPES OF WATER CONTROL PRACTICES AND BRUSH CONTROL BY MECHANICAL TREATMENT.

One of the many accomplishments the Association offers is the holding of Field Days to show how practices are planned, designed, installed, and maintained.  In 2005 there were five practices demonstrated at a Field Day in Fredricksburg thru the combined efforts of four different organization.   Those participating in the five practices were Earthmoving Contractors Association of Texas (ECAT), USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Services, Texas Department of Agruculture, and theTexas Cooperative Extension Service.

Dr. Bob Lyons with the Texas Cooperative Extension Service provides a continuing educational unit seminar to those maintaining their private applicators liscense for dispensing herbicides at the beginning of the 2005 Field Day.  Several program were provided by those with ECAT during the field day for each practice being demonstrated along with the engineering staff from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Engineers provided information as to design, layout, and maintaining each practice being demonstrated.

Equipment Dealers provided equipement for display and for demonstrating their ability and performance.  Contractors assisting in the building of the conservation practices were given an opportunity to use the new earthmoving equipment and to evaluate its performance for themselves.  The equipment dealers providing equipment in the demonstrations were, Holt Cat of San Antonio, Texana Machinery of San Antonio, and Waukesha Pearce Industries of San Antonio.

Caterpillar, Case, Komatsu, and Kobelco were just some of the equipment being demonstrated and used in the field day.   Contractors in the area providing equipment for the field day were Eckhardt Dozer and Crane Service, Edmund Jenschke Inc, and L. D. Krause Construction Co.  The Association appreciated the excellent cooperation received from all those participating in the field day.  It provided a great opportunity for contractors to experience new technology being used in earthmoving.

One of the sites used for the field day was selected for pond design, layout, and construction.  Pond site was selected for its drainage area, controling erosion, water facilities needs, water holding ability, and meeting the needs of the landowner.   A call was made to the one call center to ensure that no pipelines or transmission lines were in the area.  Once the determination was made, the notice was given to proceed with construction. 

The pond site was cleared of all brush and fencing and the area was survey, design, and the pond was staked for construction.  Top soil and sod was then removed from the site and placed aside to be used later after the pond dam and spillway are complete.  In this case some standing water in the pond site was drained from the area by use of excavator and dozers.  The core trench was excavated the full length of the dam and good moisture consistancy clay soil was placed back in the core trench in lifts of 4 to 6 inches and packed for maximum stability. The core trench was carried through out the full height of the dam.

Scraper and dozers were used to move soil from the pond basin area and placed in lifts and packed to obtain a stable dam and good water holding ability.  The soil material going into to dam was free of any trees, rocks or other debris which is not suitible for the pond dam construction.  Soil from the emergency spillway can also be used in the building of the dam if suitable.  Emergency spillways are usually placed around one end of the dam or both depending on the pond site.  The spillway is usually design to carry a peak flow from a 50 year rainfall frequency from the upper watershed.

Once the pond is completed, the top soil and sod is then placed on the dam and spillways to promote a quick establishement of vegetative cover.  Sod forming grasses such as bermudagrass usually provides a quick cover of grass on the dam and spillway and offer the best protection against soil erosion.  Other species of grasses (native and tame grasses) can be used to form a vegetative cover, however, they will require more time to become fully established and provide a dense cover of vegetation.  

<< Back to previous news page