This project took place at the end of the summer dry season. Rain was just around the corner, and the customer wanted to squeeze in a quick expansion of their pond footprint. A budget was established, and the goal was to efficiently clear the expansion zone, cut the top soil off, core the clay, build a bank by compacting the clay into a keyway, and break the dam holding back the pond.

Simultaneously, we were building a driveway for the customer. While coring the clay, we cut through to shale and found a highly valuable blue shale vein. The blue shale was extracted and separated from brown and white shale, and the hole was filled in with clay.

This project benefited the customer greatly. They saved money on their driveway build by harvesting materials onsite, the pond was expanded, and a deep pocket in the pond came as a bonus.

All of this work on the pond was a productive first step in a greater pond revamp that will come in 2026. We will take advantage of the full summer season in 2026 to remove the sediment that has built up in the pond. The customer will end up with a very nice 1 acre footprint, up to 15 feet deep in selected pockets, and a healthy pond for generations to come! Stay tuned for this continuation in 2026!