Dredging 2012/2013 at Lake Ponderosa
In 2012 we dredged in the months of April through November, totaling approximately 900 hrs. In a normal year the dredge is in operation for 350 hrs. This year it took approximately 350 hrs to finish the east cove between Horseshoe Dr and Center Point Dr, making the total for the two years 1250 hrs instead of the average of 700 hrs for that time.
In 1988 we received a couple of estimates for dredging some silt ponds around the lake. Those companies wanted $350,000 apiece to dredge them, and on top of that, we’d be required to build a dam and supply the ground for them to pump the silt. Last year we increased the rates for dredging to approximately $20.00 per property owner; the dredging fees have not increased in over twenty years, and during that time, the cost of fuel, repairs and insurance have doubled. In addition, the dredge, anchor system, two tractors, 4000 ft of pipe line and labor for two men adds to the expense of keeping this in operation.
Dredging is an extremely tough job. The dredging process can get messy and unfortunately some people’s yards can be affected. Our operators have to deal with lot owners in that regard, and also those who do not want any equipment on their property at all. Oftentimes the pipeline is damaged and that causes it to leak. During the dredging process itself, it is sometimes a stop and go operation due to the stumps and the debris that is on the bottom of the lake. As for the stumps in the cove area between Entrances 6 and 7, we can look into the removal of some of them once we figure out the cost to do so. One option would be to rent a barge to use our track hoe to pull them out; again, if we can figure out the costs to do so we’d be glad to explore that option.
One of the biggest costs of dredging is finding a place to pump the silt to. For the past two years we have pumped silt 4000 ft to the southeast of Center Point Dr to a pasture owned by Cimarron, Inc. Though it often appears that just water is being pumped through the pipe, that isn’t so. Water is needed to help push the silt through the pipeline. People are welcome to take samples from the silt pond if they wish, and may also ask to see the dredger in operation for themselves.
We have two silt ponds north of 480th St. The pond on the east side, between Entrances 6 and 7, is not owned by us and therefore out of our control. The owner will not give us permission to clean it out and we’ve asked numerous times to no avail. Lake Ponderosa Development owns the silt pond between Entrances 8 and 9. We have two spill areas there – one on each side of the pond. This silt pond has been dredged twice. It is still in very good shape for holding silt.
Building Lake Cimarron has added a huge benefit to Lake Ponderosa. Most of the silt is caught before it has a chance to reach Lake Ponderosa; Cimarron’s silt pond is located just south of 480th and by the time it runs through that lake, through the culvert and into Ponderosa it is mostly water. Cimarron does not, however, stop the silt coming in from the east by Entrance 5.
I have tried hard for many years to keep Lake Ponderosa cleaned up by trying to keep the mud and silt out of the lake, at a reasonable cost to property owners. Weather has been a major factor in the past few years, but with more people landscaping their shorelines, and more enforcement of installing silt fencing when doing any major construction, we should continue to be able to keep the lake as clean as we can. One thing we need to remember is that having land to pump the silt to is a major expense; we are very fortunate to have land on Cimarron for this purpose. We have looked at the possibilities of using the bag system; this involves pumping the silt into a gigantic bag and then trucks are used to haul the silt away. This is extremely costly, however, and isn’t an option we’ve chosen to pursue at this time until we get more information.
Our plan for 2014 is to continue dredging in the inlet between Entrances 8 and 9; we’ll start on either the east or west side and weather permitting, should be able to finish both sides by the end of the season. We will do our best to keep you posted at that time if something changes.
Thank you for this opportunity to submit this year’s dredging report.
John G. Ahrens
Ponderosa Dredging, Inc.