A pond is an excellent addition to any property. Whether you use your pond for relaxation, recreation, fishing, nature conservancy or stock watering, a properly dug and well maintained pond can increase the appeal and value of your property. In this article, we provide sound advice for digging a pond with a back hoe as well as how to dig a foundation with a backhoe. Read on to learn more.
What You'll Learn Today
9 Steps To Follow To Dig A Pond With A Backhoe
1. Familiarize yourself with the site
Walk the area where you intend to dig. Make sure there are no buried utilities or other obstructions that could interfere with your plans. Take note of overhead utility lines, as well.
2. Clear the area
Get all debris, including leaf cover, rocks, plant material and anything else that might get in the way. You want to start with a clean slate.
3. Delineate the area
Use stakes and orange marking ribbon to outline the perimeter. Use orange spray paint on the ground to divide the sections of the pond and indicate the depth of each section. Naturally, the center of a pond should be deepest with the depth tapering off and becoming more shallow at the shores.
4. Transfer your plan to paper
In addition to marking your plan on the ground, you’ll want to have it on paper. This makes it easier to keep track and work efficiently when digging begins.
5. Identify your spotter
Make solid plans to have a person on the ground directing you (or your backhoe operator). Even though you have marked the perimeter and sections of your intended pond, you’ll need eyes on the ground to help prevent mistakes and mishaps.
6. Get your backhoe in place
When you are ready to begin, you need to be sure to position your backhoe on sturdy ground. Make sure that the machine is well and safely placed throughout the digging process to prevent tipping.
The body of the machine should always be positioned squarely behind the backhoe. The backhoe, itself, should be held at a slight angle to facilitate a good view of the work area.
7. Begin work across the center
You’ll want to start by digging a trench across the center point of the pond. This will be the deepest trench.
Commence as follows:
- Lower the boom.
- Angle the bucket and insert it.
- Curl the bucket upward.
- Keep the bucket curled as you retract, then raise the boom.
- Draw the stick toward the machine cab and dump the load.
You may want to rotate the arm so that you can dump the load beside your backhoe or into a storage bin or dump truck. Just remember that you must always do your digging in an area in line with the machine’s wheels or tracks.
8. The spotter should keep track of the depth
As the work is done, the spotter should check each section of the pond, using a depth stick, to be sure you are consistently following the plans you have laid out.
9. Do it again, at an angle
After you have finished the initial trench, go back to the side of the pond where you started and dig a second trench alongside it.
You’ll dig this trench at an angle so that one side is as deep as the initial trench and the other side is slightly higher to account for the grade that leads to the shallows at the pond’s verge. You’ll repeat this process until the entire pond is dug.
Additional Tips
- Be careful not to overfill the bucket. If you try to pick up an excessive amount of material, you’ll end up spilling a lot before you can dump it properly. This will ultimately make more work for you.
- Place your containment truck or storage bin at a ninety-degree angle to the work area. This will make it easy for the backhoe to swing over the top and dump materials inside in a long line as the bucket swings. This makes the work go faster.
- Avoid having the backhoe rotate greater than 160 degrees. Excessive rotation increases spillage and decreases efficiency.
Digging a pond with a tractor and backhoe
Can A Backhoe Be Used To Dig A Foundation?
Once you’ve gotten some experience with a backhoe and learned how to operate it safely and how quick and easy very difficult tasks can be with its help, you will naturally begin to wonder about doing other projects with this very versatile machinery.
Many people wonder how to dig a foundation (or a basement) with a backhoe, so we’ll discuss that a bit here.
It’s worth noting that foundation digging is generally better left to the professionals. Digging a foundation is complicated, and while it can be done with a backhoe, that’s not always the best or even the right way to do it. Your foundation is the bedrock of your home, so in most cases, you are better off hiring a pro.
The trenches for a foundation should be dug by a professional excavator, but, having said that, here are a few basic guidelines regarding digging a foundation.
1. Know the rules
Check your local building codes for restrictions that may be in place. Be sure you have the right permits for the work you want to do. Even minor errors regarding permitting and building codes can lead to delays and unplanned for expenses as your project moves along.
2. Know your site
Just as with digging a pond or doing any other backhoe work, you need to familiarize yourself with the area and remove any debris before you ever start. Remember to check for buried utilities and be aware of overhead lines.
3. Be sure your plan will work
Double check to make sure a backhoe can fit in the space where you want to work. This includes being certain that it can get there. If the access to your property is too steep, narrow or unstable for heavy machinery to enter, you’ll have an insurmountable problem.
4. Remove tree roots entirely
If there are trees in the space where you want to pour your foundation, you’ll need to get the roots up altogether. Just cutting down the trees and pulling out the stumps won’t work. The remaining roots may continue to grow and damage your concrete foundation.
5. Plan for soil removal
Just as with digging a pond or doing any other excavation work, you’ll need to be certain you know what you’re going to do with the soil you dig out. You cannot simply pile it up as this may cause a landslide, an accident and more work for you.
TIP: You may be able to make arrangements to have your excavated soil removed for free if you can find someone who needs fill dirt.
Mind The Hazards!
Even after you’ve taken care of all the prep work mentioned above, digging a foundation with a backhoe can be quite dangerous. Be aware of these hazards:
1. Collapse
When you dig a deep trench, there is always the danger that a wall could collapse. This can lead to your spotter or other person becoming trapped or even buried in the fallen dirt. This can lead to injury or even death.
Likewise, when the side of a trench collapses, people and equipment that may be on the edge of that trench will fall along with the soil. This turn of events can cause severe mayhem.
2. Breathing complications
When you excavate, you stir up a lot of sand and dust. Furthermore, there may be mold or asbestos in the soil. You and others in the area could experience severe sinus, airway and lung irritation as a result. Serious health problems could ensue. People in the surrounding area could be affected.
3. Eye irritation and injury
Dust, sand, mold and asbestos can also cause serious damage to eyes without proper protection.
4. Extreme, unexpected expenses
Although you may think you could save some money by digging your own foundation with your own backhoe or rented equipment, this may not actually be the case. When you do this kind of work, a lot of expenses can add up, such as:
- Equipment purchase or rental
- Soil removal
- Insurance
- Permits
In the final analysis, digging a foundation is not an easy or simple task, and a backhoe may not be the tool you need to do the job right.
All in all you are better off working with a foundation professional who will work under contract and provide you a guarantee on the work.
It took almost one week for professionals to dig a pond in my farm, with a super old backhoe.