Earthen Dam Help if you please

How deep is this pond at the dam? What is down stream from it?

I know that they replaced Saluda Dam near columbia S.C. a few years ago,for this reason.
It was an old earthen dam that was seeping,and they built a modern dam below it...but that Dam was like 300 feet deep,and probably would have flooded Columbia if it failed.

If it's not real deep,I would think that catastrophic failure is unlikely.
Seems like a county agent could help you out,on finding an expert,that won't cost much,or maybe nothing at all.

I drove by a failed concrete dam in Austin Pa. once.
It looked to be about 100 feet deep and 20 feet thick,maybe 100 yards across..?

I think the historical marker said that 19 people were killed down stream.

ETA,damn, I just looked at wikipedia,and it says that 78 people were killed.

That is not a proper spillway/overflow for a 2 acre pond. Water seepage is a concern. Even if not threat to house, insurance may disagree.

Either run, have the sellers fix, or use as leverage to negotiate price.

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Did you mean the 4th pic is your yard?

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I think that pic is probably from the back deck of the house. To show that the pond is at a lower elevation.

Yeah guys that 4th pic is from the back deck.

Is the consensus to get the soil conservation service out to look? If we need someone to look at it we need to do it quick so that may be out.

We aren't too sure how deep the water is but no more than 12 feet at the dam and likely considerably less. Based on the topography it shouldn't be too deep unless they really, really dug it out. If that's the case I'll build an ark. I will find out the depth at the dam.

The small Creek that drains out of it didn't appear to have been suffering from severe erosion, but there was certainly occasional gulleywashin.

There is definitely water seeping out of the dam in a few spots and maybe some seepage from the lot we'd be in. The water from the lot drains into the small Creek about 50' behind the dam. The seepage from "my" lot into the creek is off of "my" property. All of the seepages drain into the little creek and seem pretty roadworn but not subject to much fluctuation in flow.

It looks like the pond was an intermittent stream they dammed up. Definitely not more than a primary stream.

Thanks.

May need to drain and fix dam if you don’t want it to continue seeping. Not real sure.

I do know trees on dam are bad. Roots rot and open channels for water to follow. Looks like there are a few trees on that one.

Sorry that’s all I can add.

Just guessing, but I would say that small pipe is there to maintain the water level under normal weather conditions. Pic 3 looks like a spillway that releases water in a big rain or flood. The boards were probably put there in an attempt to slow down the soil erosion when the water goes out the spillway.

If the 1 inch pipe is an "overflow" I would feel strongly that it is inadequate. The one we had, and the ones I've seen elsewhere, are 10 + inches and turn upward. I would DEFINITELY have the ASCS (Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service) come take a look.

You want to go talk to NRCS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service. It was FORMERLY known as SCS.

The old ASCS is now the Farm Service Agency, which won't be able to help you at all.

NRCS will be able to tell you everything you need to know.

ETA: Some of you guys are showing your age with "SCS" and "ASCS". LOL!

2 acre pond with seepage in the shitty earthen dam is meaningless.


They are right about the overflow pipe, that's ridiculous.

I suspect it isn't really an overflow pipe.

If you are buying the property in Oconee, by the time you call a competent person to look at it, the property will be sold to someone else who dgaf.

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I'm not saying don't contact the government agencies but if you do be prepared to go through a mountain of red tape (permits, studies, etc.) to fix this problem.

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NRCS typically isn't going to make you go through any of this unless there are wetlands involved.