Welcome to SoilMovers LLC
Proven Experts in Lake Construction, Rural Retreats & Infrastructure Consulting.
Welcome to the Soilmovers website and thanks for looking.
We specialize in every aspect of improving your rural property. From ponds and lakes (referred to as tanks in western regions) to roads, building pads and clearing. We have years of hands-on experience to offer. Every picture on this web site is from a project that we built, start to finish, including the design, layout and all construction phases. All of the information in the Soilmovers web site comes from 40+ years of experience in the field actually doing the work. Soilmovers can offer you a basic consult to get you started or we can build your project from start to finish. We look forward to your inquiries and answering your questions. All emails and phone calls will get a timely response from Nick Jones the owner of Soilmovers. |
The changing role of fishing & recreational lakes & ponds.
Back in the day rural land retreats were mostly for the rich and famous. These days many people in all walks of life seem to be migrating back to the land. I speculate that there are many reasons for this.
|
Building Your Project At A Glance
How do I choose the right location?
Draw a 2-3 hour driving radius from your home location. Anything farther and the drive time will eventually become a burden.
What type of land is best?
Flat, hilly, rocky, fertile, wet, dry, green or brown. Everybody likes something different and there is lots of different types of land to accommodate those interests. Choose the land type that best suits your passion because in the end your land is your passion.
Where do I start?
Due diligence in the planning and be willing to spend a little money doing it. Most new landowners first consider the local contractors when contemplating their upcoming project. A rational choice but how do you know if the contractor is honest or even knows what they are doing if you do not know the proper questions to ask? Anyone willing to give you a free estimate might be more interested in telling you what you want to hear so that they can get the job vs. giving you an honest appraisal of your project requirements. Hiring a known expert to assess your project and provide a written report of their findings can empower you with enough information to sort out the local contractors. Make sure the expert/consultant that you hire has field experience ACTUALLY building projects.
Why is the actual dirt work portion of the project so important?
The excavation phase of your project is the most important because it is the most expensive part of the project equation **AND** it will be the most expensive to fix if it fails. Make sure that you hire a qualified earthmoving contractor and deal with them directly. Talking “fish” is an enjoyable part of your lake construction adventure. Resist getting manipulated into a construction contract with a vendor that primarily sells fish. Stocking your lake is easy and the information is readily available on the Internet.
How much will it cost to build my project?
Anything to do with excavation will be expensive. If you do it right the first time it will be expensive and if you do it wrong and have to do it all over again it will be even MORE expensive. Adding more insult to injury a failed project quite often does not turn out as well as a project done right the first time, even though it costs significantly more.
Time is the only finite resource.
If you have a failed project, it will most likely not be the money lost that will hurt the most. Instead, it will be the time lost and the aggravation associated with a failed project that will ultimately be the most devastating. New ponds and lakes require three to five years to mature. A failed project, by the time you sort it out and get it fixed, will require two years minimum ON TOP of the average three-to-five-year maturity time frame. Adding another several years to your existing time frame can be a deal breaker.
What is the average failure rate regarding these types of projects?
50% + - is the average failure rate regarding pond and lake projects. This is because Mother Nature designed the soil placement only about half of the time where anyone could dig a hole in the ground and make it hold water. The other 50% of the time she threw in a few curve balls where soils must be sorted out for proper placement (separating the sands and clays) or corrected (mixing the available soils for proper placement). This can be an expensive process and quite often no matter what you do the soils that Mother Nature has given you to work with will NOT hold water.
What are my options if the water holding capability of the onsite soils prove to be challenging?
How do I determine the soil types that I will be dealing with?
Detailed soil testing with the right equipment and done at the proper depths. Most failed projects start with inadequate soil testing and a lot of wishful thinking. Many a woeful landowner has described to me how the contractor or wildlife fisheries expert dug down a foot or two with a shovel or post hole digger and pronounced the soils “good”. Over the years I have consulted on failed projects that were privately managed as well as project failures that were engineered by professional firms and/or regulated by the state. A number of these project failures were in the millions of dollars, all due to failed soil testing procedures and/or poor management of proper soils procedures. Make sure that when your soil testing is done someone with experience and a vested interest in the project is on site to supervise the procedure.
Regarding my project, are there more challenging aspects other than the soils holding water?
Yes! The aesthetic failure rates of these types of projects exceed 90%. The reason? Most earthmoving contractors do not have much design ability. Couple that with the fact that contractors do not come to your project to lose money. They want to get it done as quickly and easily as possible and you as the landowner get a generically designed end product as a result. In order for your land tract to achieve maximum potential you need a consultant/contractor that has a vision for your property and can design it so that the finished product has the “wow” appeal. Combining the existing landscape with a design that includes your desires and melding them together while creating an optical illusion that enhances the positive aspects of your land tract is the goal.
So, what are the other aspects of my project that I need to be aware of?
Workability of the project can determine whether or not it can be done, how well it can be done and/or how cost effectively it can be done. Workability starts where you turn off of the state highway and ends at the last fencerow on your property. Roads, geographic location, weather patterns, natural terrain, soil types, native vegetation and project goals all must be considered. Meshing all of the mechanical aspects of your project in a cost-effective way that compliments the aesthetic properties of the project can be a challenge. Just think of your land tract as a blank canvas that you wish to paint a beautiful picture on. Do not be willing to settle for anything other than maximizing your land tracts potential both mechanically as well as aesthetically. The land tract that you dream and then build could be part of your legacy long after you are dead.
My water is muddy, and I cannot seem to establish grass around my new pond or lake.
Most likely you have a lack of topsoil problem. Mismanaged topsoil is an excavation problem that I see over and over. The reason for this is almost always $$money$$. The proper earthmoving sequence for your lake or pond excavation process is to first scrape off and stockpile ALL of the available topsoil. When the project is complete place the topsoil on areas where grass is to be established. This means that the topsoil must be moved TWICE. Most contractors do NOT want to do this because it costs at least twice as much money to move the dirt twice as opposed to once. Typically, since it is the top layer of dirt, the topsoil ends up under the dam. Most landowners will not realize this blunder until they encounter trouble establishing grass cover later, after the contractor is long gone.
Why is topsoil such a big deal? Why can’t I just use fertilizer to compensate for the lack of it?
The simple answer is that there is NO substitute for topsoil. Many experts describe topsoil as a non-renewable resource because it takes Mother Nature so long to make an inch of it. Topsoil mismanagement is one of the most difficult errors to spot and one of the most expensive problems to solve.
I did not think that there was this much to building a project such as mine.
Truer words have never been spoken, but take comfort in knowing that building your project is possible and the process is enjoyable **IF** you choose your steps wisely. None of this is rocket science but there is a little science involved. Be patient and be willing to pay a fair price for what you get. Determine an adequate budget that will build your project the right way the first time. Then, if you can afford it, move forward. If you cannot afford it as designed, consider sizing the project down to meet your budget specifications **OR** do nothing at all until you can afford it. Too many people let wishful thinking take over at this point and create a mess that takes years and lots of money to fix, if it can be fixed at all.
What about county, state and Federal requirements?
That is a good question and evolving continuously as the population increases and available land decreases. Water shortages are becoming more prevalent across the country and especially in the arid regions of our great nation. County, state and Federal permitting requirements are getting more common place as increasing levels of population and industry expand into the countryside. There will come a time, even in places as wild and free as Texas, that permitting water features on private land tracts will be the norm and not the exception. That time is a lot nearer than most people think. Some counties and municipalities near large population centers have been requiring permits for simple pond construction for more than ten years. As you read this large metro areas are attempting to re-draw the water district lines in an effort to control/own the water on/under **YOUR** land. Land tracts with existing water features will be grandfathered in and therefore worth their weight in gold.
How do I determine the size of my pond or lake?
When it comes to recreational bodies of water bigger is not necessarily better. This is due to the fact that your body of water is the most beautiful when it is full of water and it takes more water to keep a larger pond or lake full and beautiful as opposed to a smaller one. Consequently a smaller body of water that is easy to keep full is superior to a larger pond or lake that struggles to stay full of water and is consistently low and unsightly. Annual rainfall totals, typical rainfall events (how does the rain come), watershed data (how many acres of land are draining across YOUR land), soil types (percolation) and topography all must be considered when establishing the right size for your pond or lake. Hiring an expert with the practical experience to combine all of this information into a workable equation should be on your priority list. It takes years of hands own experience to be competent in “reading” the land.
A lot of information to process.
Give Nick Jones at Soilmovers a call or send him an email. Nick will be happy to help you get started on your dream project.
Draw a 2-3 hour driving radius from your home location. Anything farther and the drive time will eventually become a burden.
What type of land is best?
Flat, hilly, rocky, fertile, wet, dry, green or brown. Everybody likes something different and there is lots of different types of land to accommodate those interests. Choose the land type that best suits your passion because in the end your land is your passion.
Where do I start?
Due diligence in the planning and be willing to spend a little money doing it. Most new landowners first consider the local contractors when contemplating their upcoming project. A rational choice but how do you know if the contractor is honest or even knows what they are doing if you do not know the proper questions to ask? Anyone willing to give you a free estimate might be more interested in telling you what you want to hear so that they can get the job vs. giving you an honest appraisal of your project requirements. Hiring a known expert to assess your project and provide a written report of their findings can empower you with enough information to sort out the local contractors. Make sure the expert/consultant that you hire has field experience ACTUALLY building projects.
Why is the actual dirt work portion of the project so important?
The excavation phase of your project is the most important because it is the most expensive part of the project equation **AND** it will be the most expensive to fix if it fails. Make sure that you hire a qualified earthmoving contractor and deal with them directly. Talking “fish” is an enjoyable part of your lake construction adventure. Resist getting manipulated into a construction contract with a vendor that primarily sells fish. Stocking your lake is easy and the information is readily available on the Internet.
How much will it cost to build my project?
Anything to do with excavation will be expensive. If you do it right the first time it will be expensive and if you do it wrong and have to do it all over again it will be even MORE expensive. Adding more insult to injury a failed project quite often does not turn out as well as a project done right the first time, even though it costs significantly more.
Time is the only finite resource.
If you have a failed project, it will most likely not be the money lost that will hurt the most. Instead, it will be the time lost and the aggravation associated with a failed project that will ultimately be the most devastating. New ponds and lakes require three to five years to mature. A failed project, by the time you sort it out and get it fixed, will require two years minimum ON TOP of the average three-to-five-year maturity time frame. Adding another several years to your existing time frame can be a deal breaker.
What is the average failure rate regarding these types of projects?
50% + - is the average failure rate regarding pond and lake projects. This is because Mother Nature designed the soil placement only about half of the time where anyone could dig a hole in the ground and make it hold water. The other 50% of the time she threw in a few curve balls where soils must be sorted out for proper placement (separating the sands and clays) or corrected (mixing the available soils for proper placement). This can be an expensive process and quite often no matter what you do the soils that Mother Nature has given you to work with will NOT hold water.
What are my options if the water holding capability of the onsite soils prove to be challenging?
- Installing a clay liner is a good choice **IF** you can generate enough of the proper clay material ON SITE. Hauling clay in from off site is expensive and the quality of the material being delivered is difficult to assess. I consult on a great many failed clay liner projects due to improper material, not enough material, poor installation practices or a combination there of. Dissimilar soils issues can also play a huge role in whether or not a clay liner will work.
- Bentonite is a “buzz word”/”easy fix” that I hear over and over. Bentonite is processed clay and it is a good product indeed, when it is used correctly. Typically, however eight out of ten bentonite projects that I see have failed. The reason for these failures are the same as those in clay liner failures. Bentonite failures are generally more catastrophic financially vs clay liners due to the higher cost of bentonite. Bentonite done correctly will typically cost more than half the cost of a plastic liner **AND** you have NO guarantee that the bentonite will work.
- Installing a plastic liner is the most bullet proof fix when dealing with challenging soils. Over the years we have built a great many plastic liner projects. In all of these years I cannot remember a single client that enjoyed the cost of a plastic liner. I also know of not a single client that has regretted installing a plastic liner. I do however know a great number of people who wish they had installed the plastic liner first and been done with it instead of wishful thinking, hoping that their existing soils would work and years of wasted money and valuable time.
How do I determine the soil types that I will be dealing with?
Detailed soil testing with the right equipment and done at the proper depths. Most failed projects start with inadequate soil testing and a lot of wishful thinking. Many a woeful landowner has described to me how the contractor or wildlife fisheries expert dug down a foot or two with a shovel or post hole digger and pronounced the soils “good”. Over the years I have consulted on failed projects that were privately managed as well as project failures that were engineered by professional firms and/or regulated by the state. A number of these project failures were in the millions of dollars, all due to failed soil testing procedures and/or poor management of proper soils procedures. Make sure that when your soil testing is done someone with experience and a vested interest in the project is on site to supervise the procedure.
Regarding my project, are there more challenging aspects other than the soils holding water?
Yes! The aesthetic failure rates of these types of projects exceed 90%. The reason? Most earthmoving contractors do not have much design ability. Couple that with the fact that contractors do not come to your project to lose money. They want to get it done as quickly and easily as possible and you as the landowner get a generically designed end product as a result. In order for your land tract to achieve maximum potential you need a consultant/contractor that has a vision for your property and can design it so that the finished product has the “wow” appeal. Combining the existing landscape with a design that includes your desires and melding them together while creating an optical illusion that enhances the positive aspects of your land tract is the goal.
So, what are the other aspects of my project that I need to be aware of?
Workability of the project can determine whether or not it can be done, how well it can be done and/or how cost effectively it can be done. Workability starts where you turn off of the state highway and ends at the last fencerow on your property. Roads, geographic location, weather patterns, natural terrain, soil types, native vegetation and project goals all must be considered. Meshing all of the mechanical aspects of your project in a cost-effective way that compliments the aesthetic properties of the project can be a challenge. Just think of your land tract as a blank canvas that you wish to paint a beautiful picture on. Do not be willing to settle for anything other than maximizing your land tracts potential both mechanically as well as aesthetically. The land tract that you dream and then build could be part of your legacy long after you are dead.
My water is muddy, and I cannot seem to establish grass around my new pond or lake.
Most likely you have a lack of topsoil problem. Mismanaged topsoil is an excavation problem that I see over and over. The reason for this is almost always $$money$$. The proper earthmoving sequence for your lake or pond excavation process is to first scrape off and stockpile ALL of the available topsoil. When the project is complete place the topsoil on areas where grass is to be established. This means that the topsoil must be moved TWICE. Most contractors do NOT want to do this because it costs at least twice as much money to move the dirt twice as opposed to once. Typically, since it is the top layer of dirt, the topsoil ends up under the dam. Most landowners will not realize this blunder until they encounter trouble establishing grass cover later, after the contractor is long gone.
Why is topsoil such a big deal? Why can’t I just use fertilizer to compensate for the lack of it?
The simple answer is that there is NO substitute for topsoil. Many experts describe topsoil as a non-renewable resource because it takes Mother Nature so long to make an inch of it. Topsoil mismanagement is one of the most difficult errors to spot and one of the most expensive problems to solve.
I did not think that there was this much to building a project such as mine.
Truer words have never been spoken, but take comfort in knowing that building your project is possible and the process is enjoyable **IF** you choose your steps wisely. None of this is rocket science but there is a little science involved. Be patient and be willing to pay a fair price for what you get. Determine an adequate budget that will build your project the right way the first time. Then, if you can afford it, move forward. If you cannot afford it as designed, consider sizing the project down to meet your budget specifications **OR** do nothing at all until you can afford it. Too many people let wishful thinking take over at this point and create a mess that takes years and lots of money to fix, if it can be fixed at all.
What about county, state and Federal requirements?
That is a good question and evolving continuously as the population increases and available land decreases. Water shortages are becoming more prevalent across the country and especially in the arid regions of our great nation. County, state and Federal permitting requirements are getting more common place as increasing levels of population and industry expand into the countryside. There will come a time, even in places as wild and free as Texas, that permitting water features on private land tracts will be the norm and not the exception. That time is a lot nearer than most people think. Some counties and municipalities near large population centers have been requiring permits for simple pond construction for more than ten years. As you read this large metro areas are attempting to re-draw the water district lines in an effort to control/own the water on/under **YOUR** land. Land tracts with existing water features will be grandfathered in and therefore worth their weight in gold.
How do I determine the size of my pond or lake?
When it comes to recreational bodies of water bigger is not necessarily better. This is due to the fact that your body of water is the most beautiful when it is full of water and it takes more water to keep a larger pond or lake full and beautiful as opposed to a smaller one. Consequently a smaller body of water that is easy to keep full is superior to a larger pond or lake that struggles to stay full of water and is consistently low and unsightly. Annual rainfall totals, typical rainfall events (how does the rain come), watershed data (how many acres of land are draining across YOUR land), soil types (percolation) and topography all must be considered when establishing the right size for your pond or lake. Hiring an expert with the practical experience to combine all of this information into a workable equation should be on your priority list. It takes years of hands own experience to be competent in “reading” the land.
A lot of information to process.
Give Nick Jones at Soilmovers a call or send him an email. Nick will be happy to help you get started on your dream project.