Dam Time

Spring time at the pond can really stress the old dam. Looks like some beavers passed through and made things worse. Here’s a pic from April 22nd.

A lot of us have been discussing what should be done to ensure it continues to survive for decades to come. Last year’s guys’ weekend they cleared the trees off of the back side of the dam because trees draw water through the dam and cause damage. The next step will be a biggie, rebuild the dam.

April 29th Beth, Andy & Joe met with Ken Bell to discuss how he would suggest we proceed and what kind of costs are involved. Ideally, he told us, we use material close at hand. He suggested the small hill in Eric & Cheryl’s field because it’s the closest open ground. When the pond is low, he would start with pulling the tree stumps out of the dam. Next would be to scrape the top soil off of the field and move the material down onto the dam. Once done, the top soil could be placed back over field for seeding.

The ground which makes up the hill would have to be tested to see if its composition is suitable material. Eric & Cheryl have generously agreed to permit the testing and the framework of Ken’s suggestion.

Ken estimated that rebuilding the dam would take a few pieces of equipment (which I don’t remember the names of) that cost $2,000 a day (with the labor included). The work would take at least 5 days or more. The materials needed for a culvert/bridge (where the walkway currently is) would cost about $1,000. So all together, we’re probably looking at about $12,000 to $15,000.

Eric, Cheryl, Doug & Deepa, as pond owners, have been assessing the best way to proceed from here. At the urging of a number of us, they recognize that accepting donations from the rest of the family will allow this project to move forward a lot sooner. And given its condition, if we could manage to raise enough to do it this fall when the pond is low would be ideal. If we don’t make it close enough to our fundraising goal by then, we can wait until next year.

Anyone willing to chip in and make this happen can send a check or give cash to Cheryl or Beth. We have set up a joint bank account for this specific purpose.

Beth Wedell, 617 Eayrestown Road, Lumberton, NJ 08048

Cheryl Lemyre, 35 East Lake Boulevard, Medford, NJ 08055

The progress towards our goal will be tracked on this blog. If you’d like your name withheld, just let us know. We’d also be happy to note any pledges you’d like to make. Then you can work towards your own personal contribution goal.

Our current goal is: $15,000.

Our contribution tracking was moved to the Dam Update post above.