I'm in the process of cleaning out an old slough and wanted to hold the water in there during the low water season. Over the years of hunting I've pretty much have seen two types of dams. Ones being made of wood and the others being made of sandbags. Having never had to build one myself I'm wanted to consult someone that has made a few. What methods have yall used? and Y? I will be jumping it with my gdlt so it needs to be sturdy.

quick cement wrapped in canvas tarps

damn Iphone

If I'm stacking this quickcement a few high do all of them need a canvas tarp around them or just the top ones?

I lay the canvas tarp down first then put the cement (leave in the bags) on top of the tarp and fold the tarp back over the bags. This will form to the bottom and makes a good dam

Where can I find a canvas tarp that big?

is there a good bit of current in the slough, how high are you bulding it?

how big of one do you need
Where do you live?
I can prob hook you up with what you need

I live in Ponchatoula, Northshore of lake pontchartrain. I'm gonna put it in a narrow spot of the slough to save on purchasing the concrete (about 4' wide). Not sure how high im gonna go with it cause i'm not sure how far this stuff is gonna sink when i drop it in. The water depth is about 2' normal and is even with the banks so im prolly go no higher than that cause if i do the water would just flow around it. How much should i allow for it to sink over time? Providing it is a silty mud bottom with no roots for good measure.

I would go one bag higher that you want your water level to be
Are you ever in the morgan city area
I can get you the tarp
They are used and dont smell to good but are free

I'm in morgan city fairly often. I'm a big bass fisher. How many days advance you need to know when I'm comming? I appreciate the help and the tarp.

Just let me know a few days before

appreciate it!

hire some beavers to build the dam for you

Here is how I built mine:

You likely cannot just do this. Better check with Army Corps of Engineers and the local NRCS. Better to have a good plan and permits than a failure and violations of Federal Law.

I always heard it was easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission....

Hang around with enough old farts and they will teach you a thing or two

release the beavers

Gots pics of the site you plan to build on? Dont know about the concrete deal though. Is this your property? How far do you have to haul material? I damed off a small flat/pond that would go dry at normal water level but filled up a couple times a year in the spring by just building my own beaver dam. I cut and drove some log posts in vertically across the cut. Stacked up some large size logs across the upstream side against the verts. Piled on a bunch of smaller logs and limbs along with some sand to fill in the cracks. Then over the next spring when the water came up it silted in my dam and I can now hold about 2' of water in the hole.

OK.. Just thinking outload here...
What is going to happen to this enclosed water in 2 years once is becomes stagnent from no movement? It is going to stink, and get grown up pretty quick.. You need to have a way to let the water in and out.. The cement is a good idea, but you need to think about some sort of door. if not, you just a soon rent a back hoe and fill about 8' or so up with dirt.. you can scrap off the topsoil for that.. That is the quickest. BUT, there is no return after you do it..

Just my $.02

A "Nationwide Permit" is not that hard to acquire if it is private property....

http://www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Pages/nw_permits.aspx

Submit drawings and plans - they have to be better than "napkin drawings" but need
not have come from an engineer either.... You will get a prompt permit - rejection - or
if no reply you may assume yourself permitted - this is the most likely outcome for a small
or un-complicated project.... I did all my own drawings on standard letterhead with just
a ruler and pencil and I was "approved" via failure to respond in the allotted time.... I attended
a seminar and then did my submission - the only key advise I got at the seminar was to submit
early in the year - when they are overrun with big complex projects - then plan on doing the
actual construction work 6 months later in mid-summer....

All I wanted was somthing to hold a little water in a ditch for me to get my boat back to my deer stand. I asked around on this site as well as a few old timers around the area. They suggested concrete and wood construction which is what i did. The explained that no matter what you did water was going to find a way around the dam so the best solution is to not hold it back completely but to slow the flow down. What i did was built the dam to a foot above the height I wanted the water on the back side then notched out a hole the width of my boat and a few inches above the desired water line. This still allows the water to go through keeping it from becoming stagnant. During the summer months the water line is well above the height of the dam so this will allow for water movement in and out also. When the water falls out it keeps about 9" of water in the ditch which is enough for me to get my LT to where i need it.
My next project is to build a ditch/trianasse cutter to extend the run. I posted a thread about one last week.

I have a dirt levi on an oak flat between two hills and at the deepest spot in a little ditch the levi is dug out with a peice of 1/8 sheet aluminum drove inbetween the cut.

Right before those aquatic weeds start coming up in spring I can walk down the levi and pull out the metal. It drains pretty quick and leaves cant clog it up like a pipe drain.

I guess i you had to jump it you could make a low spot in the levi to go over.