Creeks & ponds - question for anyone - put here because I have a ctl/mtl

[kckc]

First -- looking to help a friend with a creek issue. It's not a big creek...they want to carve out an area for the horses to get in, drink etc. They have dug out the creek side a couple of times and it apparently keeps filling with silt or creek debris and is sort of quicksandy after every attempt. I haven't seen this yet but as I understand it is probably clay based creek that is the base of horse pasture. I could see putting a berm in the pasture that stops run off from going into this area when it's cleared out again but what other options should be considered to keep this accessible to horses? Gravel would probably just sink in and disappear, large rocks might work but most of the riprap is really pointed/sharp. Unless a barrier reef could be installed that allowed water to flow over but keep out creek silt/debris then sand would just wash away. Is there a liner or something that could be installed then gravel or rocks on top to keep the horses from sinking into the mud? Would love the end result to be a place where the kids/adults could enter to play in the summer so anything that involved making this more of a beach would be ideal.
Would love any thoughts, references, things-not-to-do....

Now pond question.... most I see are dank filled with algae... surely a pump system or plants for purifying (like they do for natural swimmingpools) can be installed into a new pond to keep it clear? I'd like to put a pond on my property and hoping to find someone with experience, not just someone that will dig a hole and leave me with problems. I've called a couple of companies but so far no references or sample ponds have been provided for me to see. Any helpful ideas or referrals? My property is in NC.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . .

kckc

things-not-to-do....

Probably no digging would be a good start.

Some pictures would help folks get an idea of the problem.

I can't comment on the dank and full of algae ponds . . . in my experience this is usually caused by runoff from livestock facilities or fertilizer from intensive cultivation.

Cheers.

 

[712alberta]

The best solution is to build a gravel pad about 30 feet or so away from the creek and set up a tank with a solar pumping system. With minimal lift you shouldn't need a very big one. Up here in Canada you can find complete systems for around $3500 Canadian. There are many benefits from this. First you won't have to be messing around with the creek anymore. The environmentalist won't complain when they see this, they love to complain about animals in creeks around here. Probably the most important is that your animals won't be in the creek, running the risk of getting stuck, or hurt. The water in the tank will be easier to access and the animals will go to it first. As a beef producer when I had cattle on pasture, the cattle would walk past creeks and dugouts to get to the tank to have a drink. I also saw a .75-1 pound a day improvement in gain. I know you were taking about horses, and I know horse people. So if you explain the benefits of putting in a tank they might do it. In the long run, it will probably save them money

 

[Oxbow]

Don't get caught altering a creek without an Army Corp Of Engineers permit.