November 2012 Bottom dam - plugging dam wall and making dry walkway

November 2012  Work on bottom dam.

Peter at work

We battled to work on the leaking wall as the water was too high. Eventually the leak and no rain dropped the level, so work began. -- a coffer dam was made to access the area...

 

The hole was plugged and more cement plastered on.

so we hope this will work now.

The next day the dam was full and overflowing.

*************************

Time to turn to the inlet of the dam which was a muddy path.

A trench was dug and two long pipes inserted

 

The pipes immediatley started draining the water from

 the natural springs into the dam.           

  

           

Rounds of wood were put on top to protect the pipes

 

Earth and grass were piled over the pipes

Voila -- a new and dry path ( no cyclists please)

October 2012: Dams full; repairs to the fencing

Rain! 

September 2012 we had 77mm as our first rain.

    

 The dam below the school filled up----

(the rubbish was removed the next day) and overflowed into the second dam

And further into the poplar forest -- a nice wetland!

Looking from the other side.

                

Fence repairs

One Saturday a car drove straight through the palisade fence

So Patrick's Gates offered to come and fix it

                                 

Last bit of welding

                                

A little buckled but all fixed

                                    

  

Then it was the gate's turn.

The runners were cleaned and the ground deepened so now it can be closed again

The Railing

The next job was to fix the sad looking railing

A 4x4 had driven over it, to get into the park!

Holes were dug

  

The cement was mixed 

And reconstruction work began 

Without being asked, all the car guards came and helped!

Metal pipes were inserted into the broken ones and cemented in place.

               .

  I don't think anyone will be able to drive over it now

                                            

Much better!!

Many thanks to all who helped and came to talk to us.

Below the top dam wall the metal cover

for this sewage or storm water drain was stolen

                                       Just a tempory covering,
                              but at least nothing can fall into the hole.

June 2012 Delta Park : Cosmos, hyacinth, pipes around trees

The cosmos was tall and beautiful this year

We found hyacinth in the bottom dam

Note the reflection of the autumn leaves in the water

a boatful of weed

happy water fowl

 a lovely view of the park

A family of Egyptian Geese: Mum , Dad and junior

 The young trees sporting their new protective pipes

March 2012: Top dam and blackjacks

Hyacinth

We kept seeing the odd hyacinth plant floating near the dam wall,
so we investigated

                                      

I went into the papyrus with the canoe and found a huge amount of
hyacinth, so I started pulling it out and loading it into the canoe

Elizabeth then pulled me back with the attached rope;

the weed was unloaded and dragged up onto the bank.

                                       

Another day at top dam we roped an indigenous water plant that was

blocking the spillway and managed to pull it up and secure it to a tree

                              Blackjacks                                                                           

    

Once again the blackjacks in the lane had grown --

  

But the brush-cutter soon had them under control!

Whilst we had the brushcutter, we went to the corner of Eileen/Standard Drive and cut the tall grass which was  obscuring the motorists' view   

                                                                    

  All done!

 

 Drainage

The pipes in the lane are working well, the water from them filling the new dam and the lane continues to stay dry

That's all for now, enjoy the park!