Pond dredging Project

JeremyBX2200

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
466
436
63
Indiana
Hi all,
I have a 1/2 acre pond on my property that I have been working on (previous owners neglected it along with everything else). I am at the point where I would like to try and pull out all the muck on the bottom (along with what ever else is there) from the first 10-20 along the bank.

I have a BX2200 and was wondering if anyone had attempted something like this with either a 3pt landscape rake with an extension of some kind, or if someone has fabbed something up to hook to the FEL to reach out and pull out the muck on the bottom?

Project is in the brain storming phase right now.

I also have a small towable backhoe that I can use, but it's reach it pretty limited even if I put a wide non-toothed bucket on it.
 

DustyRusty

Well-known member

Equipment
2020 BX23S, BX2822 Snowblower, Curtis Deluxe Cab,
Nov 8, 2015
6,237
4,816
113
North East CT
Get a 4 or 5 pronged grapple and throw it into the water to grab the weeds and use the tractor if you can't pull it out by hand. It will take a while to get all the weeds off the bottom of the pond. If you have the luxury of it being a self contained pond, you could pump it dry and then using your tractor scoop it out after it dries a bit. Winter is a good time to do these type of projects because it rains less and snow can be moved. If it is spring fed, then you might have to find a way to divert the spring water to another location while you work. Sometimes ponds like that are clay lined to keep the water in. Even if it is spring fed, possibly if you can get a friend at the fire house, they might give you a hand pumping it out. There are a lot of fire truck collectors and all you have to do is connect with one of them.
If you go for the grapple, don't buy a cheap one that will bend.
 
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JeremyBX2200

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
466
436
63
Indiana
Get a 4 or 5 pronged grapple and throw it into the water to grab the weeds and use the tractor if you can't pull it out by hand. It will take a while to get all the weeds off the bottom of the pond. If you have the luxury of it being a self contained pond, you could pump it dry and then using your tractor scoop it out after it dries a bit. Winter is a good time to do these type of projects because it rains less and snow can be moved. If it is spring fed, then you might have to find a way to divert the spring water to another location while you work. Sometimes ponds like that are clay lined to keep the water in. Even if it is spring fed, possibly if you can get a friend at the fire house, they might give you a hand pumping it out. There are a lot of fire truck collectors and all you have to do is connect with one of them.
If you go for the grapple, don't buy a cheap one that will bend.
Thanks for the info.

Draining it really isnt something I want to do since it is stocked with catfish, bass and bluegill.

As far as weeds, I don't have a big issue with that. I keep the edge pretty clean and added some grass carp a couple of years ago. My biggest concern is the muck on the bottom along with anything else that might be in it. I have found all kinds of "questionable" things around the property and while digging holes.......no bodies YET.

The first 5 feet of the pond is good. Has a gravel bottom. But after that 5 ft there is 6-12 inches of muck on top of the gravel.
 

The Evil Twin

Well-known member

Equipment
L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,817
2,830
113
Virginia
Depending on how deep said muck is, the remaining muck past your reach will quickly take its place.
 
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JeremyBX2200

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
466
436
63
Indiana
Depending on how deep said muck is, the remaining muck past your reach will quickly take its place.
Thanks.....

Well that's not what I was hoping for.

I have been adding the enzyme stuff to the pond as well. The ones that are supposed to break down the organic waste.....Maybe I just need to be patient with it.
 

Vlach7

Well-known member

Equipment
L47 305DT JD500C
Dec 16, 2021
346
252
63
Frazier Park Ca
Keep us updated. What works best for you but in your situation, I'd get something that has the furthest reach like an excavator and go around the pond getting out what you can.
 
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The Evil Twin

Well-known member

Equipment
L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,817
2,830
113
Virginia
Thanks.....

Well that's not what I was hoping for.

I have been adding the enzyme stuff to the pond as well. The ones that are supposed to break down the organic waste.....Maybe I just need to be patient with it.
The muck is not likely to go anywhere. It's probably decades of sediment and organic waste that has built up. It's going to take removal to restore it if that is what the muck is.
While it ain't cheap, there are companies that use a vacuum of sorts that will pump the water back into the pond while depositing the sediment on the shore in permeable bags. There is also mechanical removal with long arm excavators. If you watch some videos, you can see it is a LOT of work.
I'm not trying to discourage you. Just seen a lot of it done on golf courses. It's a ton of man hours to do it right.
 
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JeremyBX2200

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
466
436
63
Indiana
The muck is not likely to go anywhere. It's probably decades of sediment and organic waste that has built up. It's going to take removal to restore it if that is what the muck is.
While it ain't cheap, there are companies that use a vacuum of sorts that will pump the water back into the pond while depositing the sediment on the shore in permeable bags. There is also mechanical removal with long arm excavators. If you watch some videos, you can see it is a LOT of work.
I'm not trying to discourage you. Just seen a lot of it done on golf courses. It's a ton of man hours to do it right.
Thanks for the input.

I may try some things if I can fab something up for not too much $$.

If it turns in to a high dollar project I might just learn to live with it.

I have been eyeing a 3pt landscape rake......this might be me trying to find a way to justify the purchase......😆
 
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DustyRusty

Well-known member

Equipment
2020 BX23S, BX2822 Snowblower, Curtis Deluxe Cab,
Nov 8, 2015
6,237
4,816
113
North East CT
Thanks for the input.

I may try some things if I can fab something up for not too much $$.

If it turns in to a high dollar project I might just learn to live with it.

I have been eyeing a 3pt landscape rake......this might be me trying to find a way to justify the purchase......😆
How well can your Kubota swim? Go for the grapple and keep the Kubota away from the water. If your tractor goes into the water, it will cost more to fix it than it would cost to have a professional come to clean out your pond.
 
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JimmyJazz

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Equipment
B2601
Aug 8, 2020
1,219
739
113
Pittsburgh, Pa
Seems like a tall order for a tiny tractor. Give it a try. If you have a neighbor nearby with an excavator have them take a look . Also its possible to damage the clay liner that may have been installed long ago to seal the pond . If that's the case and your soil is rocky or sandy the existing water will leak out and you will have more trouble than bargained for. Good luck.
 
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Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
5,781
2,965
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
Hi all,
I have a 1/2 acre pond on my property that I have been working on (previous owners neglected it along with everything else). I am at the point where I would like to try and pull out all the muck on the bottom (along with what ever else is there) from the first 10-20 along the bank.
What’s the motivation? I have a similar issue in my smaller pond which if I’m lucky is an eighth of an acre.

As somebody mentioned above, you need to be careful, since if you disturb the pond bottom and cause a leak to happen you may regret what you did, that in hindsight, maybe, you didn’t have to do.

I don’t have any good ideas that I can share or use myself…wish I did.
 
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Speed25

Active member

Equipment
L2501(sold) - BX25D
Apr 23, 2024
139
194
43
NC
If you have access all the way around, I might try using a dirt scoop as a dredge. Attach straps or a chain to the front of it and pull it kinda diagonally across the pond? You'd have to play with the attachment height to keep it from digging in too much and becoming an anchor. No clue if this would actually work...
 
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AM28

Active member

Equipment
Bx2360
Jul 7, 2024
125
149
43
Socialist WA State
My pond is not quite as big as yours, but all I did was purchase a fairly cheap sludge pump, and got a free small boat off of Craigslist to use as a platform. I ran the discharge hose onto the banks of my pond, then just pumped the muck out onto the banks and let the water run back into the pond. I used my Kubota tractor to haul the muck off and rototill it into my garden. It was fairly quick, simple, and easy.
 
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Motion

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota MX5100HST/FEL
Aug 17, 2020
540
302
63
Mandeville Louisiana
Bring in a track hoe and cut the levee and have a fish fry, let it dry thoroughly, then remove the sediment, reshape the pond, then close the breech.
 

Flintknapper

Well-known member
Premium Member

Equipment
L2350DT
May 3, 2022
1,767
2,226
113
Deep East Texas
Keep us updated. What works best for you but in your situation, I'd get something that has the furthest reach like an excavator and go around the pond getting out what you can.
That is what we had done on our Fish Pond (about 2 acres). Hired a guy with a 'Long Reach' track-hoe to come and go around the entire pond.

He could reach about 25' out and deepened the bottom about 2' all around the perimeter that he could reach. It was expensive, but man what a difference.
 
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D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,827
5,569
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
I go by a farm pond that was cleaned out 4 years ago with track hoe and dozer to push it over the dam. It was a dry year that year, and the pond is STILL dry.

It turned out years back the pond was dug so the construction co. could get material for a nearby bridge construction. They hauled in clay to seal the pond. The cleaning eliminated the sealing clay!

The new owner only discovered the reason the pond was there and it's sealing clay after the damage was done.

When removing material from a pond be aware of possible outcomes.

When using a machine to remove the muck off the bottom (in a dry pond) it is necessary to cut down into dry material under the muck or the blade will never clean off or keep track clean. That gets down into material that seals the pond. That's where trouble begins.
 
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jampy00

Member

Equipment
BX1880
Jan 11, 2024
98
38
18
Ontario, Canada
Hi all,
I have a 1/2 acre pond on my property that I have been working on (previous owners neglected it along with everything else).
I'm in the same boat, my pond is a mess but I had no money or time to work on this year, so 2025 it'll have to be.

From what I was reading bottom up aeration proves to be helpful, so i am starting there and using a pond rake 16"-24" with a rope and have the tractor pull it out. it will take awhile but figure I'd work on it slow to see what works and what doesn't. Like you my pond is heavily stocked with fish, frogs, turtles and I'm on conservation land so draining is impossible..

Keep us posted!
 
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Sidekick

Well-known member

Equipment
Kioti CK2620SE cab, RTV-X, BX2360, Z726XKW-3-60
Jul 29, 2023
554
497
63
N.Y,
This guy tried it 🤓.
 
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