Cattle need water, and they need it where they can get to it. Mr. Scott had the land but no water source in his pasture. He’d been hauling water out there or rotating cattle closer to the house—neither made sense long-term.
We dug a 20-25′ by 40′ pond with an L-shaped dam, compacted it properly so it holds water, added a spillway for overflow, and kept dirt away from the fence lines so he can still mow. Quick job, done right, cattle have water.
We walked the site with Mr. Scott to find the right location—good drainage, accessible to the herd, clear of his fence lines, then got to work.
We stripped the topsoil from the pond area and stockpiled it behind where the L-shaped dam would go. Topsoil contains organic material that prevents proper compaction—mix it into your dam and you get seepage and weak spots. Keeping it separate means a solid dam and usable soil for restoration later.
We dug out the pond to size - approximately 20-25 feet wide by 40 feet long, 6-8 feet deep at the center. Excavated material got piled on two sides to form the L-shaped dam structure. The L-shape wraps the pond on two sides, containing water from multiple directions and giving the basin structural support.
The dam was built up in 8-inch layers. Each layer got compacted with the excavator tracks before the next layer went on. This is what makes a dam hold—compacted soil reaches the density it needs to resist water pressure and seepage. A dam that gets pushed into a pile without compaction washes out after the first heavy rain.
We kept dirt and spoils away from the fence lines, leaving enough clearance for Mr. Scott to run his brush hog along the perimeter. He mows that fence line every week in summer - pile dirt against it and you create a problem he deals with for years.
We built a spillway on the low side of the pond to manage overflow during heavy rain. Water's going to go somewhere - a controlled spillway directs it away from the dam and prevents erosion that would undermine the structure.
We cleaned up the site and left it ready for use - no debris piles, no ruts from equipment, pond shaped and finished.
- Mr. Scott, Northern Oklahoma
Before we moved any dirt, we walked the property with Miss Nita. She showed us which trees to keep, where the old greenhouse debris was piled, and what she wanted the property to look like when we finished.
- Mr. Scott, Northern Oklahoma
We provide pond construction services throughout Northern Oklahoma, including:
We handle land clearing, pond construction, driveways, demolition, and site pads across Northern Oklahoma. Owner-operated, professional equipment, and we specialize in mid-sized jobs that fit your property and budget.
