A marsh: not quite a pond, not quite a bog. An expanse of shallow water — some of which absconds during the summer months — being the defining characteristic of a marsh. The shallow water encourages vegetation growth. A diverse assortment of herbaceous plants will take up residence, a bouquet of flora that can’t grow in the inky depths of a standard issue pond. That’s not to say the marsh is all shallow though. Our marsh’s west end will be eight feet deep, suitable for bull frogs, turtles and perhaps a few kraken.
To build a marsh it’s generally accepted that one will need the following,
A hole
A way to keep the water from draining out of the hole
In a utopic universe we would use clay to seal the hole. Clay being 100% natural, this approach would get the green stamp of approval. But you know what they say: clay doesn’t grow on trees… So we will use a pond liner instead. A liner may not tickle the organic feel goodies, but in the choice between a marsh and no marsh we’re willing to overlook sentimentalism.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. In the intricate dual-part process that is marsh building, the first step is to dig a hole. That is where we begin…
The gravel pit
In this video I query my dad about the gravel pit in his front yard. Otherwise known as the future site of the marsh. We talk about how much gravel he’s taken out of the pit over the years. Indeed, a majority of the trails on his property have been fortified from the pit’s rocky reserves.
Of particular interest to other land owners, I ask my dad how a land owner might identify whether they’re sitting on their own gravel gold mine. My dad offered the simple advice: talk to your neighbors! If your neighbors have found gravel deposits on their property you might learn more about potential locations on your own land. You can also search for geological surveys of your area.
Project scope
Our marsh, by which I mean my father’s front yard, is projected to be half an acre in size. My father is doing the bulk of the material removal and subsequent marshscaping with his small bulldozer. It’s not the most efficient tool for the job, something twice as big would draw few complaints, but the Komatsu is paid off and it’s not especially inebriate on diesel.
My dad will dig out the excess earth until he’s happy with the shape of the marsh. He should finish within the next few weeks, at which point phase two will commence. Here is where the project stands now.
A video is worth a thousand pictures…
Conclusions
We are approaching the end of stage one, the denouement of excavation is crystallizing. Stage two will commence after we return from Montana. We will rent a large excavator and a small roller. We will dig out two feet of material from the bottom of the marsh, compact the soil with the roller, roll out the pond liner and then cover it with the excavated material. Stay tuned.
So we beat on, boats against the current… - Gatsby