Lakes

Finally, after months of planning, the lake project at Chaplin Bend is scheduled to begin in the coming week.  This project has three parts:  expanding and improving the existing lake by raising the dam about 3 feet and creating a better emergency spillway; adding a new, smaller lake above the existing one; and building a smaller "constructed wetland" at the top of the valley to divert some water that now flows out to the east down to the south into the other two lakes.

Mike Mattingly of Mattingly Engineering in Louisville did the engineering and design work for the project.  Here's a diagram of the plans for the three lakes. (I know its small and hard to read.  Click on the image to expand it.)

I've hired Mel Taylor of Smart Fish Farm of Auburn, Kentucky to do the construction work on the lakes. Mel is an experienced lake builder and something of an artist.   I'm looking forward to working with him.

Mel got the project underway this week.  The first step was to strip the top soil off of the existing dam to see what we had to work with.  The good news is that the existing dam was well constructed and appears to have no leaks.  It should serve as a great base on which to build the new, higher dam.  

Mel also began scouring the topsoil off the site of the middle lake.  As our tests indicated, there appears to be plenty of clay in the bed of the existing lake to build the new dam.  

I'll continue to post photos (and maybe movies) over the next few weeks as Mel completes the job.  I can't wait to see the final result!