lagoon #157 Update

8:50AM - One pickup truck (Hydrograss Corp) and three workers on site. They are just starting to install the Enkamat material on the embankment. since the water level is so high and the NWL is unmarked, I can't tell if the Enkamat material is being installed down to at least the NWL.

Note- Enkamat, a porous three dimensional material allows grass to grow through it, helping to anchor the topsoil, thereby preventing/minimizing erosion.

Lagoon #153

9:00AM - Pump is "off". There were 3 trucks and about 7-or-8 workers at the site but they were mostly standing around. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on but it looks like they may have been getting ready to do some more excavating (the excavator had been moved from it's previous location at the site).

Lagoon#153 update

9:00Am - The pump is "on". I estimate 20% of the water is going back into the lagoon because of the way the outlet hose is attached to the weir grating (not a big deal but it is inefficient). Last night's heavy rain deposited a lot of water in the lagoon, such that the level is back up to where it was two days ago. The excavator is on site but nothing more has been done since the initial excavation of the embankment. I noticed that the pump was "smoking" and was not doing that yesterday. I am not sure if it is a problem or not, but have notified Pulte via email (just in case).

lagoon #157 Update

8:50Am - Most of the re-sodding has been completed. There is still a small area on the south-west corner that still needs to have sod installed. Two workers were cleaning up the soil dropped in the roadway from the re-sodding process. The Bobcat is still at the site but it looks like they plan to move it elsewhere today. The heavy rain last night has eroded even more of the hydrograss from the embankment. I also did not see any sign of the Enkamat material having been installed on the embankment.

lagoon #157 Update

11:10AM - No sign of any activity. Most of the new sod has been installed. The Enkamat reinforcing material needs to be installed on the embankment. I saw at least three water/soda bottles left at the site by workers.

4:00PM - A pallet of sod has beed dropped-off at the site. No other activity change since this morning. Heavy rain has eroded some of the hydroseed on the embankment.

Lagoon #153 Update

11:00AM - Pump is "on". No sign of any other activity. A larger pump has been brought in to replace the smaller pump. Some of the water being pumped is going back into the lagoon ( I guess that's a fact of life?). They had started excavating some of the existing embankment.

4:10PM - Pump is "on". No change in activity since the 11:00AM report.

Lagoon #153

8:50 AM- An excavator and the smaller pump (GP100) are on site. Pumping-down started this morning. The output of the pump is being directed into the outfall weir. No other activity other than the pumping process at this time. The SCHH Fishing & Hunting Club has been notified via email that the pump-down process has been started on this lagoon.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:45AM - There were about 20 workers on site at this time (Hydrograss and Landscaping). I think the landscaping laborers were supposed to be preparing the soil for the new sod, but they all were pretty much just standing around. The Hygrograss team was just starting to seed parts of the embankment. Several pallets of new sod had been dropped off at the site.
I am still concerned that the soil may not have been compacted properly, if at all. I didn't see any signs today of the Enkamat material that is supposed to be added to the embankment.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:55AM - No activity at this time. The timber "skids" used by the excavator are still at the site.

lagoon #157 Update

8:45Am - No activity at this time today. All equipment has been removed from the site.

Lagoon #150 Update

A meeting was held yesterday between Pulte (Project Managers Todd Dupuona and Allison Tucker), Thomas & Hutton Engineering, members of the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee, and several residents that reside around the perimeter of lagoon #150. The Neighborhood Representative from Murray Hill (or any assigned delegate) was noticeably absent from the meeting. Several issues were brought up by the residents that got the meeting off to a contentious start. However, in the end, things got worked out. The meeting would have been more productive, and less contentious, if the Neighborhood Representative had been keeping residents better informed and/or had been "working" issues deemed important to the residents. I believe the residents need to "light a fire" under their current representative to do the job he was elected to do, i.e.; represent them on all issues.
Note- The Phase 5 lagoon Committe has made a concerted effort to keep all Neighborhood Representatives updated on the lagoon reconstruction process, as well as any other relevant lagoon issues. We made if clear from day one that the Neighborhood Representatives and/or their delegate(s) were expected to be a key part of the process, and to keep residents well-informed.

Here is the list of the action items agreed to for Pulte to complete work on Lagoon 150:
1. The water level will be raised 0.4 feet and vegetation installed and/or stabilized to just below the water's edge.
2. Pond depth issue -- Convene a meeting to review the survey data involving the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee and lagoon resident Bob Hermann. The intent is to resolve the residents' concerns that the pond depth may not meet the 5 foot average. Residents indicated that they saw elevation readings being taken by forcing the survey rod down through silt until it reached a solid bottom of the pond.
3. It was also agreed that the issue of ongoing maintenance of the lagoon needs the attention of CAM. Todd Doupona will send an email to CAM requesting that CAM provide thorough maintenance on a regular, consistent and continuing basis. The same request will be made via email from the neighborhood rep for Murray Hill, Don Olexa (the email was sent today, Thursday, August 6th).
4. Replace any "dead" sod around the lagoon perimeter.

Since CAM, specifically Damon Williams and Keith Willis, and not Pulte is responsible for controlling the unwanted vegetation around lagoons, the residents were encouraged to contact Damon and/or Keith regarding this issue.

Lagoon #157 Update

11:00 AM - All equipment has been removed from the site. No activity at this time. The rip-rap overflow looks to have been completed yesterday. With the water level so high in the lagoon yesterday, I'm concerned about whether or not the rip-rap overflow was constructed per the engineering plan.
Another concern I have is that I have never seen any soil compacting equipment at the site. So I question if the embankment soil was ever compacted.

Lagoon #157 Update

9:45Am- Excavator, Bobcat, and Trench Digger, plus 6 workers were on site. The Bobcat operator was spreading soil along the top of the west embankment. Five other workers were spreading soil in the rip-rap overflow area. Since the water is very high in this lagoon, not much of the rip-rap overflow area is exposed.

As I was leaving, three dump trucks (2 PBG and 1 independent) arrived with a soil delivery.

Lagoon #157 Update

4:15PM- No activity at this time. Other than a load of light brownish soil (heavy clay content maybe?) having been dumped at the site earlier today, nothing else seems to have been accomplished today. The water level is almost up to the top of the "cut-in" made in the north embankment for the rip-rap overflow.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:45AM- Both pumps are gone. The excavator is still at the site. The lagoon is fairly full of water. There is no activity at this time.

Lagoon #157 Update

3:30PM - No activity at this time. The pumps are gone. The excavator is still at the site. It looks like the rough grading of the embankment may be completed. They have also made the "cut" in the north bank for the rip-rap overflow. The lagoon has a lot of water in it. It will be interesting to see how they install the rip-rap materials without draining down the lagoon.