SCHH Phase 5 Lagoons Status

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-30T15:48:00.001-04:00

4:00PM - Repaired remainder of damaged lawn. Did not fix the previously reported problems with the irrigation system. One head is buried, another head is partially buried (heads are in different zones).

5:30PM Update - Grading and putting sod down in the common area at the end of Orchid Lane.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-30T15:40:00.003-04:00

4:15PM - Damaged sidewalk area was been formed and ready for cement yesterday. Worker was putting finishing touches on the new cement sidewalk poured earlier today.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-30T15:37:00.002-04:00

4:45PM -Seeded the embankment and installed the Enkamat material . Cleaning up the adjacent street area.

Lagoon #183 Update

2009-10-30T15:30:00.002-04:00

4:30PM - Lagoon has been dewatered and ready for excavation. Dewatering disclosed a very large littoral shelf.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-29T15:33:00.002-04:00

2:30PM - Rebuilding the embankment on the lagoon's NW corner that couldn't be reached by the excavators.

Lagoon #183 Update

2009-10-29T15:23:00.004-04:00

2:30PM - The excavator operators were trying to get the pump started to begin dewatering process. They were having problems with the pump. Pumping started late in the afternoon for about 1 hour. Photo is pre-reconstruction of the lagoon.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-29T15:16:00.004-04:00

2:30PM - Excavation appears to be completed. Major clean-up and repair of the landscape is required. Both excavators and the large pump have been moved over to the adjacent lagoon #183.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-29T09:49:00.008-04:00

8:45AM -Workers arrived to "pull" the plug in the curb inlet. They were told not to pull it until the corner of the lagoon that had eroded was fixed. The PBG Superintendent on site arrived and after much discussion told the workers to pull the plug. He said corporate gave him orders to return all rental "plugs" today.

9:00 AM Update - Todd Doupona arrived after they had started pulling the curb inlet plug. Todd said that they needed the plug elsewhere. He immediately got the landscaping crew on site to start fixing the corner of the lagoon that had eroded due to water coming from the wetlands via the defective lagoon #175 rip-rap overflow.

2:00 PM Update -Seeding the embankment, repaired some of the damaged lawn.

4:30PM Update - The landscaping crew ( many) spent the rest of the day on the project. They used wheelbarrows to bring the soil from streetside to the lagoon so they would not damage the lawn (or at least minimixe any damage). They also filled the large hole that had been dug previously for the large pump.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

11:30AM- Excavation continues. The two excavators have really made a mess of the Whitney's yard. The excavators are now really close to three lovely pine trees and concern is that the root systems of these three trees made be significantly damaged so that they will eventually die off. There is also concern that the underground viaduct pipe leading from the lagoon to the junction box in the side yard could posssibly be damaged from the weight of the excavators.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-27T21:25:00.004-04:00

8:45AM - Preparing to grade the common area next to the Pepper's home.

4:30PM - Common area has been finish graded and ready for sod to be installed.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-27T09:48:00.010-04:00

8:50AM-Both excavators continue to dredge the lagoon. Part of the embankment is higher than the rest of it. I assume they will "knock the high spot down" so it is level with the rest of the top of the embankment.
3:45PM Update - Apparently the contractor determined that there was too much gumbo to use on the embankment and decided to remove some of the material via dump trucks. One of the excavators is very close to the wetland and also very close to three large pine trees. Neighbors are concerned that the roots of the pine trees may be damaged. They are also upset that they weren't informed of the change in plans ahead of time.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-26T18:00:00.006-04:00

5:20PM-The NW corner embakment had been restored and new sod put down. There is a small area remaining for new sod installation. There is still more resodding, landscaping/replanting, and sidewalk repair remaining.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-26T18:00:00.005-04:00

5:00PM-They brought the 2 large excavators over from L-175 this morning. Excavation began today at approximately 1:00PM. Fish recovery also took place early this morning and late this afternoon. Any fish recovered were put into L-164 on French Garden Lane.

@5:00PM - Six workers arrived and started removing the soil dropped on the street by the dump trucks.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-25T19:00:00.004-04:00

4:30PM Sunday- The lagoon is drained down quite a bit now should be ready for excavation starting tomorrow. The above two photos show that there is a large littoral shelf covering about one-half of this lagoon.

Lagoon #176 Update

2009-10-24T14:18:00.003-04:00

10:00AM Saturday - 3 PBG and 2 Landscaping Crew brought the large pump over from Lagoon #174 and began installing it.
1:30PM Update- The pump was installed and started dewatering the lagoon at approximately 1:00PM today.
7:00PM Update- The pump was "on" and operating at low speed and seemed very quiet. Approximately 15" of water had already been removed from the lagoon since the dewatering process began about 6 hours ago.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-24T14:17:00.002-04:00

9:00AM Saturday - 3 PBG and 2 Landscaping personnel began removal of the large pump. The pump was later brought over to Lagoon #176 on Amaryllis Lane and installed there.

Lagoon #175

2009-10-23T11:03:00.004-04:00

9:15AM - Excess soil from dredging operation was being taken away using 3 dump trucks. Apparently the excavator couldn't reach the north end of the lagoon because the machine was sinking too far into the mud. Consequently, that end of the lagoon has not been dredged and that end of the embankment has not been built-up to the proper height yet.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-23T10:58:00.003-04:00

10:15AM -A green in-ground utility box has been installed on the north embankment (where the equipment access was). It's located just inside the boundary of the cement sidewalk.

Lagoon #176

2009-10-22T09:57:00.004-04:00

This update has been corrected from the initial Post to show that the Preconstruction meeting was actually held on Wednesday afternoon.
Approximately 2:30PM - The Preconstruction meeting was held early yesterday afternoon (Wednesday). In attendance were Todd Doupona and Matt Raines from Pulte, and the three lagoon abutters - The Andreasons's, The Freemans, and Marion Dietrich. Members of the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee were not in attendance. Todd & Matt bumped into Warren after the meeting and provided him a brief update. Todd also mentioned to Warren that they may start L-176 a few days later than was discussed with the abutters because they (Pulte) wanted to get L-175 completed ASAP and would need both excavators at L-175.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-22T09:40:00.001-04:00

9:00AM- No activity at this time.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-22T09:37:00.002-04:00

8:45AM- The 1st excavator was in operation. The 2nd excavator was just being delivered via truck to this site. Two person survey team was taking readings streetside. Plan is to double-team the excavators to complete this lagoon.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-22T09:34:00.001-04:00

8:40AM- There were signs of digging activity but the worker was not on site. I believe he/she was up the street helping another T-W crew. No other activity at this time.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-21T10:37:00.004-04:00

9:15AM- Excavator operators were waiting for the surveying team to arrive. Surveying team is to verify depth before PBG moves the equipment from this lagoon.
9:50AM Update-Eleven landscape workers arrived and appear to be starting to finish-grade the embankment.

Lagoonn #175 Update

2009-10-21T10:32:00.004-04:00

9:00AM-Pump is "off". Lagoon has been drained.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-21T10:31:00.001-04:00

8:55AM- Hargray crew was digging in the equipment access area of this lagoon. No PBG or landscaping activity at this time.

Lagoon #183

2009-10-20T09:57:00.002-04:00

9:15AM - Workers were installing the wetland barrier along the embankment. They were also doing some digging along the embankment.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-20T09:55:00.004-04:00

9:15AM- Pump is on site but not installed yet. Rip-Rap overflow weir seems to be completed. No other activity at this time.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-20T09:52:00.002-04:00

8:45AM- Excavators are putting the excess gumbo into dump trucks for removal. Pump is "off".

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-20T09:50:00.003-04:00

8:55AM- T&H survey team was in jon boat taking depth readings. No other activity at this time.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-19T09:55:00.004-04:00

9:00AM- Excavators are removing excess gumbo and piling it on the common area land for later removal. Pump is "on". Top photo shows reconstruction of the weir.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-19T09:50:00.004-04:00

8:55AM- Building new weir at the SW corner of the lagoon. Existing weir at the NW corner of the lagoon will be removed.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-19T09:45:00.006-04:00

8:50AM- Surveying crew was just packing up and getting ready to leave the site. No other activity at this time. The two photos were taken on 10/15/09

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-16T16:30:00.001-04:00

4:00 PM - Small excavator is on site. Landscaping crew had started installing the guard barrier material along the wetland edge boundary earlier today.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-16T11:39:00.004-04:00

9:00AM- No activity at this time. The excavator was needed at L-172 to assist in expediting the "gumbo" removal via dump truck. Contractor had to do additional dredging at L-172 and is is trying to complete that project.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-16T09:58:00.006-04:00

8:45AM- They are trucking the "gumbo" away. Both large excavators are being used to facilitate the removal. The 1st excavator positions itself to easily load the truck with out having to move position, while the 2nd excavator is used to "feed" material to the 1st excavator. The hole that was dug yesterday and filled with "gumbo" was just a temporary storage hole for some of the gumbo. It is NOT being permanently filled with "gumbo". Also, the excavator operators explained that while they were excavating near the rear of the lagoon (near the weir), the excavator sunk so far into the "gumbo" that the material was about to enter the operators cab. So they went as far back into the lagoon as they could without endangering the excavator. Hopefully, all of the material will be trucked out today and they can start putting the lagoon embankment back to it's original condition.
4:00PM Update-Dredging is completed and all equipment has been removedfrom the site. The tilted curb inlet pipe to the lagoon has been removed, and the lagoon has been refilled. Next step is to rebuild the lagoon embankment and complete the landscaping.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-15T10:04:00.004-04:00

8:50AM -Pump is "on". Working on the rip-rap overflow. It looked like the workers were waiting for more rip-rap material (rocks) to be delivered.

10:00AM Update- Three landcscape workers arrived with a replacement tree for the one damaged by the excavator last week.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-15T09:59:00.004-04:00

8:45AM- The lagoon is pretty well pumped-down again and ready for the additional dredging. It shouldn't take too long to excavate the small amount of material required to get the bottom depth to where it needs to be.

Lagoon #175 Update

2009-10-13T14:46:00.003-04:00

10:30AM- While at another lagoon meeting today with Keith Willis, we bumped into Todd Doupona and he reported that the recent survey of Lagoon #172 showed that it had not been dredged deep enough, so they were planning to do additional dredging to ensure the proper depth. The pump and excavator that was planned to begin work on L-175 will be temporarily diverted back to L-172 in order to complete the work.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-13T14:35:00.004-04:00

10:30AM- Members of the Lagoon Committee and Keith Willis, Director of Lagoon Maintenance for CAM, viewed the ongoing work at L-174. Keith is trying to get ahead of the large task of lagoon maintenance. He plans to stock all of our lagoons with grass carp, approximately 7-to-10 carp per acre of surface area, sometime this fall. He asked that homeowners not cut the plant growth at waters edge. His team is trying to control the growth using chemicals, etc. Todd doupona arrived on site to check on the project. He said that the landscaping crew will return to fix the sprinkler systems. Todd also mentioned that the surveying crew determined that L-172 was not deep enough, so that construction crew would return to dredge it some more. The excavator was able to take down the large dead tree that was an eyesore for the past three years.

Dredging continues on L-174. Work is also being done on reconstructing the rip-rap outfall weir on the east bank of the wetland. The large dead tree on the east embankment has been removed. The Estate Management Svcs Team recovered a large amount of various size and species of fish yesterday. The fish were put into L-171 so they might return back to L-174 via the interconnecting culvert when work on L-174is completed and the plug in the curb drain is removed. They also caught the 5 foot alligator in their net!

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-13T14:20:00.005-04:00

9:30AM- Members of the Lagoon Committee and several lagoon abutters met with Keith Willis to discuss lagoon maintenance. It was a very informative meeting. Keith suggested, and it was agreed by all in attendance, that he would have his crew selectively cut down the plant growth along the waters edge. Keith is trying to get ahead of the large task of lagoon maintenance. He also plans to stock all of our lagoons with grass carp sometime this fall , approximately 7-to-10 carp per acre of surface area.

We noticed that the large pipe from the curb inlet on Sun City Blvd was at an odd angle and appeared to be either broken or disconnected at the adjoining joint.

10:30AM- While at another lagoon meeting today with Keith, we bumped into Todd Doupona and he reported that the recent survey of lagoon #172 showed that it had not been dredged deep enough, so they were planning to do additional dredging to ensure the proper depth. The pump and excavator that was planned to begin work on L-175 will be temporarily diverted back to L-172 in order to complete the work.

Lagoon #154 Update

2009-10-13T14:10:00.006-04:00

10:45AM- The new one-piece solid weir extension has been installed ( I believe it was completed on 10/9) and seems to be a much better installation than the original extension that was constructed using bricks.

Lagoon #175

2009-10-12T11:35:00.002-04:00

9:00AM- Preconstruction Meeting with Todd Doupona (Pulte Project Manager), lagoon abutters, and 3 members of the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee. No issues. Todd expected that a pump would be delivered today and dewatering the lagoon might possibly start tomorrow. The water will be pumped into lagoons L-176 and L-183.

Lagoon #174 Update

2009-10-12T11:30:00.002-04:00

10:30AM -Pump is "on". Dredging has started. Landscaping crew has also started repairing the damaged lawn. The landscaping supervisor was informed that the irrigation zone in the area had been damaged by the equipment. I also told him that my neighbors was probably damaged. He said he would take a look at it. Todd spoke to the excavator operator about removing the dead tree on the lagoon edge (it's not in the wetland). This lagoon had a large littoral shelf.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-10-09T12:01:00.003-04:00

10:00AM - The remaining area has been resodded. Except for the DHEC inspection , we can consider this lagoon completed.

Lagoon #174

2009-10-09T11:38:00.010-04:00

9:00AM - Pre-construction meeting with Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker, Lagoon Abutters, and Phase 5 Lagoon Committee members. The plans were reviewed with the group. Dewatering is planned to start today and run 24/7 over the weekend. Water wil lbe pumped into lagoon #171 across the street. Whatever water can't be pumped into L-171 will be pumped through a large filter bag into the wetlands. Allison will provide her contact info in case the pump needs servicing over the weekend. Allison will also contact Estate Management Services regarding fish recovery so they can coordinate with Warren. Todd will have the dead tree along the embankment removed as long as it is not within the wetland area. The embankment along abutters' properties is not expected to require any work and should remain untouched.
The large excavator had been mistakenly dropped off early this AM at the wrong location, damaging some sod and a tree. There was also concern that the underground water supply pipe to #26 Star Flower may have been damaged. Todd immediately had a crew dig up the area to verify the water pipe was not damaged. He then initiated getting both the damaged area and the tree replaced. They will not use this entry path when the work is completed but will, instead, bring the excavator out through the common land access on Orchid Lane.

1:00pM Update- They are working on getting the pump/dewatering process setup so they can operate over the weekend.

6:00PM Update - The first pump wouldn't start so PBG brought in a replacement pump. dewatering actually started at about 5:30PM today.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-09T11:28:00.004-04:00

10:00AM - Dredging is completed. Excavator and pump have been relocated to L-174. The Landscaping Crew was getting ready to start preparing the embankment for grading and resodding. The owner of the company was present and it was pointed out to him that there was a depression that needed to be filled on the embankment created by the recent unsuccessful attempt to place some of the dredged material on the embankment so it wouldn't have to be trucked from the site. He wasn't too happy or, for that matter, polite but said it would be taken care of.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-08T10:10:00.005-04:00

9:35AM -The plan to deposit the gumbo on the NW corner embankment didn't work out as planned, so they are trucking the remaining material from the site. Pump is "on". The embankment will be graded and resodded.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-07T17:28:00.004-04:00

3:00PM -Both excavator operators were reviewing plans while they awaited arrival of a dump truck. The plan for depositing some of the dredged "gumbo" on the NW corner embankment was not working too well so they plan to truck the remaining soil away. Both operators expressed concern that several neighbors were berating them about the lagoon. I told them to tell those neighbors to contact the lagoon committee. I also told them that our Neighbor Representative had emailed lagoon residents yesterday with an update about the soil on the embankment.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-06T09:31:00.008-04:00

9:00AM - There is still a small amount of water in the lagoon from the recent rain, so the pump is "on" this morning. The excavator operator was getting ready to start dredging. His 1st order of business today is to uncover the inlet pipe that extends from the curb drain. The excavator is mired in the lagoon muck but, although you can't see it in the two photos above, there actually is a large wooden mat constructed of railroad size timbers submerged in the muck that makes it easier for the excavator to move around.
1:45PM Update-Rather than trucking all of the "gumbo" out, Pulte has decided to spread most of it along the NW corner of the embankment. Any remaining "gumbo" will be trucked away. Once the "gumbo" has dried on the embankment, it will be graded and resodded. If the "gumbo" doesn't dry out sufficiently, they will install the Enkamat stabilization material before resodding the embankment. This process has been used successfully on several other Phase 5 lagoons. The top photo, taken at about 1:45PM today shows the dredged soil being spread on the embankment. The middle and bottom photos were taken at around 9:00AM

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-05T10:27:00.004-04:00

9:00AM- The plan was to start the dredging today but, unfortunately, rain has required more dewatering of the lagoon before proceeding.
3:30PM - Not much seems to have been accomplished today due to the steady rainfall that didn't end until late in the day. The rain has stopped and the lagoon is pretty well dewatered. Perhaps dredging will commence tomorrow.

Lagoon #172 Update

2009-10-02T11:07:00.005-04:00

8:45AM- The work crew started dewatering this lagoon today. They are pumping water from this lagoon back into lagoon #182 across the street.
9:30AM- We had a pre-construction meeting with residents that live on this lagoon, the Aster Fields Neighborhood Rep (Bill Mitchell), and several members of the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee. Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker explained the work that was going to be done at this lagoon, and also answered residents questions. The plan is to leave pump on over the weekend (daytime only) so that dredging can begin on Monday. Todd explained to residents that because the width at one end of this lagoon is very narrow, the 4:1 embankment slope requirement means that this section of the lagoon will not necessarily be 5 feet deep, but may actually come to a "V" shape at that end. However, he assured residents that the lagoon will be dredged to ensure that the average overall depth of the lagoon will be 5 feet minimum. Todd also explained that the weir in this lagoon was lowered some time ago because it was constructed too high initially and was therefore creating a problem in the wetlands on the other side of Sun City Blvd.
4:00 PM Update- No activity at this time. The lagoon is pretty well dewatered now. Allison was going to notify the Estate Management "fish recovery team" so they could attempt fish recovery sometime today (they usually do this late in the day). I see signs of fish but I can't tell if there are any large ones in this lagoon. The two photos were taken at about 4:00 PM today.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-10-02T11:01:00.002-04:00

8:50AM - The crew currently dewatering L-172 is pumping the water back into L-182. Lagoon #182 is fairly full now.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-10-01T16:09:00.003-04:00

9:ooAM - Workers had removed the plug from the curb drain and were letting water back into L-182 from L-172 (across the street). It looked like the excavator operator was getting ready to have the excavator removed from the site.

12:50PM Update - The landscaping crew was preparing the embankment for sod installation.

3:30PM Update - All but a small area of the embankment has been resodded. The landscaping crew was leaving for the day. The two photos above were taken at about 3:30 today

Lagoon #172

2009-09-30T15:55:00.002-04:00

Pulte has pulled-in their schedule for starting the reconstruction work on Lagoon #172 in Aster Fields Neighborhood and will start working on this lagoon soon. A pre-construction meeting with Pulte and Thomas & Hutton Engineering is scheduled for 9:30AM this Friday, October 2nd, at the lagoon (probably on the embankment adjacent to Sun City Blvd). Residents bordering this lagoon, as well as any other interested parties, are encouraged to attend this informational meeting. It is a chance to have your questions/concerns addressed directly to Pulte represenatives (Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker). Members of the Phase 5 Lagoon Committee and the Aster Fields Neighborhood Representative have also been invited to attend.
These meetings generally start on time so don't be late.

Lagoon #182

2009-09-30T09:31:00.005-04:00

9:00AM - T&H survey crew ( 2 in a boat and 2 on shore) preparing to survey the lagoon (probably the "as-builts"). The excavator is still on site but not being used at this time.

11:45Am Update- Workers had just marked the location of the irrigation control valve box and were leaving. No other activity at this time.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-29T09:45:00.004-04:00

8:45AM - Dredging appears to be completed. The excavator is being used to rough grade the embankment. A two person surveying team was on site "shooting" elevations. The small pump has already been removed and they are removing the large pump and gas tank today. They took a large amount of soil (aka, "gumbo"?) from this lagoon. It is partially filled from the recent rain and is starting to look good already.
Once the excavator leaves, the landscaping team will do the finish grading and then the landscaping (sod, grass, etc)

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-25T10:50:00.004-04:00

8:45AM - There were two excavators in operation at this time. One was doing the dredging and the other one was loading the dump trucks.

10:30 AM - They were dumping some soil along the embankment. The two photos above were taken at 10:30AM

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-25T10:47:00.002-04:00

8:35AM - All equipment has been removed from the site. Work appears to be completed except for 1. the on-site meeting with the Neighbor Rep and the Phase 5 lagoon Committee , and 2. DHEC inspection/approval.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-24T09:17:00.004-04:00

8:45AM - The excavator was loading dredged soil into a waiting dump truck. The logistics operation is improving. When the loaded dump truck left, another empty one showed up about two minutes later.
12:45PM Update - There were 3 dump trucks lined up waiting to get loaded and a 4th dump truck being loaded with the "grunge" mud. They were dumping the "stuff" in the lot by the old contractor's entrance road (which has been closed for awhile) off of Sun City Blvd.

The two photos above weere taken at 4:30PM today.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-24T09:12:00.003-04:00

8:40AM - No activity. However, it looks like the dredging and landscaping work is completed. There's a Bobcat, about 1.5 pallets of sod, and some garden tools left there. Either there is some touch-up work to be done or this equipment is waiting to be picked up.
It's nice to see this lagoon without all of that plant growth in it. When it's filled with water it should be very nice.

Lagoon #157 Update

2009-09-23T11:31:00.002-04:00

At a meeting with Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker yesterday, Todd stated he is aware of the grass issue on the embankment of this lagoon and is keeping a close eye on it. The initial hydroseeding failed so the company hand-seeded the embankment. Todd is waiting to see if the hand-seeded grass "takes" before any decisions are made. He has not paid the Hydroseeding Co. for the work yet.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-23T11:12:00.003-04:00

10:30AM - The landscaping crew were in the process of completing the resodding. They were working on the street side. The lagoon embankment has been resodded. The temporary road for the dump truck access has been removed and the landscaping restored. The berm section that was "cut away' to allow access for the road has been rebuilt and also resodded.

The only equipment on site at this time was the Bobcat plus 4 pallets of sod. Both excavators have been taken away.

I have to say that, looking at this lagoon, even without much water in it yet, it sure looks a lot better than when it was a "rice paddy".

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

10:15AM - No activity at this time. No workers on site.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-22T21:31:00.002-04:00

9:00AM - Excavation continues.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-22T21:15:00.006-04:00

8:50 AM- Lots of activity this AM. Continuing to remove excess soil from the dredging operation via dump truck. About 20 pallets of sod are on site and the landscaping crew (8 + supervisor) were preparing the soil.

4:00PM Update- At a meeting with Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker today, Todd explained the issue with the weir's grating cover. Apparently the problem was that the weir was not level,it may have shifted because of the large amount of excavation around it. The grating did fit the new riser opening. However, in order to have the grating level when installed, a decision was made to shim the grating using hydraulic cement. The solution was discussed with Neighborhood Representative, Rich Barton, who agreed with the solution as acceptable.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-22T21:13:00.001-04:00

8:45AM - The sod and crapemyrtles have now been replaced. I believe they were replaced sometime yesterday.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-21T14:45:00.003-04:00

8:50Am - No activity at this time.
2:00PM Update - Excavator operator was awaiting return of a dump truck to remove some of the excess soil resulting from the dredging process. No other activity at this time.

Hmmmm! I wonder how they plan to fill this fairly large lagoon with water?

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-21T09:37:00.005-04:00

9:00AM- They are pumping the remaining water out of the west end of the lagoon. TJ, the excavator operator, is getting ready to start the excavation process. Pulte (Todd Doupona) assured us that they would work on this lagoon everyday until they complete it.
2:10PM Update - The large pump was pumping a small amount of remaining water. Excavation was also in progress. Two of the five workers on site appeared to be a PBG survey team.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-18T09:27:00.004-04:00

8:55AM- No activity at this time.
2:00PM -They excavated a hole for the intake hose and also dug a channel to it so that they could pump-down the west end of the lagoon further. Except for some redidual water in the west end, this lagoon is almost completly pumped-down now.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-18T09:25:00.008-04:00

8:45AM - The excavator was operating. Two landscape workers were sitting in their automobile (either waiting for the rain to stop or awaiting other workers/material to arrive?). No other activity at this time.
2:15PM Update - They installed some more sod this morning and also excavated around the weir so that it could be repaired. The riser that was added to the existing weir structure overhangs a bit. Also, apparently the grating did not fit the opening in both dimensions so the contractor decided to use some creativity (?)to make it fit by building a ledge for one end of the grating to sit on. If you look carefully at the two top photos, notice that the grating slopes vertically from one end to the other. It doesn't look very professional to me (another patch job). I don't know where they find these contractors! Todd had stated just a few days ago that the contractor doing this work was very experienced and knew what he was doing!

9/22/09 Update- At a meeting with Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker today, Todd explained the issue with the weir's grating cover. Apparently the problem was that the weir was not level, it may have shifted because of the large amount of excavation around it. The grating did fit the new riser opening. However, in order to have the grating level when installed, a decision was made to shim the grating using hydraulic cement. The solution was discussed with Neighborhood Representative, Rich Barton, who agreed with the solution as acceptable.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-17T10:52:00.003-04:00

10:30AM - The large pump has been moved closer to the west end of the lagoon in order to get that end pumped down more so that the Estate Management team can do fish recovery later today. The small pump is "off" and the intake hose has been removed from the lagoon.
7:00PM Update- The Estate Management Svcs. team arrived to do the fish recovery. Only small fish (catfish, brim, etc.) were recovered. They were put into L-171.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

9:30Am -The large pump was "on" and appeared to be pumping a large volume of water. They apparently had trouble with plant growth clogging the intake hose of the smaller pump so this morning they were improvising a filter attachment for the intake hose to prevent the clogging. They were planning to use both pumps today. When I left the site, both pumps were working. However, I don't know how effective their filter was.
2:00PM - Both pumps are "on" and appear to be pumping large volumes of water.
4:00PM - Both pumps are "off".
5:00PM - Estate Management Svcs team arrived to attempt fish recovery in the west end of the lagoon. However, the water in that end was still too deep. Todd agreed to have a pump moved closer to the west end of the lagoon tomorrow AM. Estate management will return tomorrow around 4:30-5:ooPM and try again.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-16T10:34:00.005-04:00

9:15AM - Embankment preparation and resodding work continues. The faulty weir reconstruction has been removed (see yesterday's post). Pulte has committed to getting the correct precast concrete size so that bricks won't need to be added to achieve the correct height. The top photo, taken yesterday afternoon at about 4:00PM, shows the weir addition (precast section plus 2 layers of bricks, poorly mortared). The bottom photo shows the same weir at 9:15Am today. Notice that the repair work has already been removed. I also noticed in today's photo that there is no sign of the groove (per Pulte's plan) that was supposed to be cut into the existing structure before the new precast addition was installed. This groove was intended to lock the two precast units together and to provide a means of sealing the joint between them against leaks. It escapes me how the installer expected a haphazard (my opinion anyway) cement bond to prevent future leaks between the two precast sections. We need to keep a closer eye on how they repair these weirs. I believe that the repair to the weir in L-154 is already leaking slightly. It would also make sense to check all of the repaired weirs before we do any "sign-off" on the project.

4:00 PM- No activity at this time. However, Pulte had the contractor do more excavating today in the northern 1/2 of the lagoon. Apparently the survey readings taken two days ago showed that the lagoon bottom in that area was not deep enough. the top photo was taken at 4:00PM today.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-15T11:10:00.007-04:00

9:15AM- The landscapers and T&H surveyors were on-site at this time. There were about 10 workers (landscapers + surveyors) plus a supervisor on site at this time. A bobcat was being used to smooth the embankment in preparation for resodding (pallets of sod were on site).

4:00PM - Notice the weir in the top photo. There is an issue concerning the addition that was made to this weir. The precast addition was not tall enough and the contractor added two layers of brick on top of the addition to achieve the correct height. The mortar job was also poorly done. Pulte (Todd Doupona) agreed to have the bricks removed tomorrow and a new precast addition for the correct height ordered (it should take about ten days for delivery). There is also an issue about the lagoon depth. Pulte had the lagoon bottom surveyed again and will be reviewing the data tomorrow to ensure compliance to the plan.

Lagoon #182 Update

2009-09-15T10:51:00.006-04:00

8:30 AM- The clock has started on this lagoon. The pre-construction meeting with Pulte Reps., Todd Doupona and Allison Tucker was held on-site this morning. Dewatering will begin today and probably take 2 days before the dredging operation can begin. The water will be pumped into L-172 across the street. L-172 flows into L-171, which then flows into L-174, so neighbors on L-171 and L-174 might see a temproary rise in water levels, even though it doesn't rain. Dredging will focus mainly on the eastern-most half of this lagoon. The western-most half of the lagoon is deep enough. The soil dredged from from the lagoon will be used to build up the embankment and provide the 4:1 slope required by DHEC. Estate management services is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon to do fish recovery. Todd stated they will work on L-182 every day until it is completed (estimated at about two weeks).
When they complete L-182, they will move on to L-208 in the Phase 6 area. When L-208 is completed, the team will return to our Phase 5 Aster Fields Neighborhood and remain there until they complete the reconstruction on the remaining six lagoons - #172, #173, #174, #175, #176, and #183 in that order.

4:00PM - Two pumps were on site but only one was connected. However, it was not "on". The 2nd pump had its intake hose in the lagoon but its outlet hose was not connected. It looks like they may be planning to use both pumps to drain this lagoon. Hopefully, pumping will start tomorrow.

Lagoon #157 Update

2009-09-15T10:45:00.004-04:00

8:30AM- At today's pre-construction meeting for Lagoon#182, Todd Doupona stated that the L-157 embankment had been reseeded manually last week so we should see some signs of grass growing on the embankment soon. I plan to keep an eye on this lagoon for awhile but will use last Wednesday, 9/9, as the tentative completion date of record. If there is still no sign of grass growth along the embankment, then we will revisit the issue with Pulte.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-14T09:28:00.003-04:00

9:00AM - Rubble from the dredging operation was being removed from the site. There was no other activity at this time.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-11T16:10:00.002-04:00

3:30 PM - The lagoon has been dredged and the bottom looks fairly level. The pump and fuel tank were curbside, apparently awaiting pick-up and relocation to another lagoon. There's a large pile of rubble at one end of the lagoon that needs to be removed. The top photo above shows the lagoon at 3:30PM today. The photo below it shows this lagoon at 4:30PM yesterday.

Photos

2009-09-10T11:34:00.005-04:00

Fellow Blog followers,

You may or may not know, that if you "left double-click" on any photo in the Blog you will get a full-size photo to view on your monitor. I probably should have mentioned this sooner.
Sorry about that.

Earth Angel............

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-10T11:28:00.003-04:00

10:30AM- Pump is "off" (lagoon is drained-down pretty good at this time). A PBG fuel truck was refueling the excavator at this time. T&H survey team has staked the lagoon.

Lagoon#178 Update (2nd of 2 reports filed today)

2009-09-09T17:09:00.005-04:00

This report and the accompanying 5 photos are from Howie Johnson (Basket Walk), and filed today: Wednesday, September 9 at 3:00PM:

Attached are 5 pics I took today at 3:00pm of the dredging operations on lagoon #178 in Basket Walk. I did not witness the bottom vegetation being carted away and Todd DuPona indicated when Rich Barton, Bill Able and I met with he and Allison Tucker on Tuesday, Sept. 8. However, it looked to me like the bottom had been scaped pretty clean. Most of the side vegetation appears to be gone as well. There was just one worker and he was doing the bottom scraping and slope build-up. You can see the stakes along one side of the lagoon where it is to built up.

Howard Johnson

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-09T09:58:00.003-04:00

9:00AM - Pump is "on" but not pumping anything - pump head is buried in the mud. Excavator is removing some of the plant growth around the embankment and appears to be grading the embankment at the same time. A 2-man survey team from T&H Engineering was setting up their equipment.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

9:05AM - Pump is "on", pumping a small amount of residual water in this lagoon. No other activity at this time.

4:00PM - No activity at this time. Pump is "off". Most of the plant growth in this lagoon was removed sometime today. It is piled at one end of the lagoon, hopefully in preparation for it to be removed. The attached photos were take at 4:00PM today. Compare them to Sunday's photos of this lagoon.

Lagoon #182

2009-09-07T09:47:00.002-04:00

Sunday 9/6 @4:40PM - Pulte/PBG hasn't started on this lagoon yet, it's "next in line", but I took the opportunity to take a few "before" photos.

Lagoon #178 Update

2009-09-06T21:31:00.003-04:00

Sunday 9/6/2009 @ 4:30 PM - I knew this lagoon would be completely dewatered today so I checked to see if there were signs of dead/dying fish. When a lagoon is dewatered, I've always (so far anyway) seen dead/dying fish around the lagoon, even after Estate Management Services has recovered many of the fish and transferred them to designated fishing lagoons not undergoing reconstruction. However, in L-178 today, I saw not one dead fish; which leads me to believe that either Estate Management Services did an outstanding job of fish recovery (yet unseen by me to date), or this lagoon did not have any fish in it.

The accompanying photos show how severe the vegetation is in this lagoon. I assume that Pulte/PBG will remove this vegetation

Lagoon #178

2009-09-05T16:01:00.002-04:00

3:30 PM Friday (9/5)- This lagoon is almost completely "pumped down" in preparation for excavation. the water is being pumped into the overflow weir at the north end of the lagoon.
A large excavator, large pump and a gas tank are currently at the site.

Note- The pump was initially turned "on" at 3:00PM Thursday (9/3) and operated for about 30 minutes before being turned "off". The pump was restarted sometime Friday morning. We had no notification of any fish recovery activity by Pulte and/or Estate Management Services, so we don't know if any of the large fish in this lagoon have been recovered to one of the 5 lagoons designated by the SC Fishing Club.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

8:00 AM, 12 Noon, and 3:15PM Saturday - No change since yesterdays report.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-04T09:29:00.003-04:00

9:10 AM - No activity at this time. Awaiting sod and shrubbery replacement in the area that was cleared for equipment access.
4:30PM Update- No change since today's morning report.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-03T15:06:00.003-04:00

Note- While I was on vacation, Bill Abel monitored the work on L-153 from 8/19 to 8/29, inclusive. His daily log for L-153 during this period can be seen if you open Bill Abel under the list of "followers" on my Blog site. It includes photos and construction progress updates.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-03T09:11:00.006-04:00

8:45AM - Mini-excavator, bobcat, ditch-witch and several wood pallets are still at the site. No workers on site. No change since yesterday. Water level is still "holding" at the top of the weir.
All equipment/materials need to be removed from the access area, the "distrubed" soil leveled and resodded.
11:00AM Update- There were four workers on site and it looked like they were preparing to remove the equipment from the site.
4:00PM Update- All equipment has been removed from the site and the access area graded and prepared for sod installation.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-02T09:51:00.002-04:00

9:10 AM - No change at the site since yesterday. Mini-bobcat, ditch witch, small backhoe, and many pallets still at at the site.

Lagoon #157 Update

2009-09-01T11:00:00.005-04:00

9:05AM - There's a distinct lack of growth on much of the embankment that was hydroseeded. It may have something to do with the fact that much of the hydroseed material was washed away by heavy rains (on 8/12 & 8/13) right after it was applied. Pulte is currently looking into this issue. I don't consider this lagoon reconstruction completed until this issue is resolved.

Lagoon #153 Update

2009-09-01T10:56:00.002-04:00

9:00AM - Excavator was removed this AM. All other equipment needs to be removed and the equipment area resodded. Also, the landscaping needs to be installed where it was removed for equipment access. Water level is at the top of the weir.

lagoon #157 Update

2009-08-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-14T11:07:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-13T10:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-13T10:01:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-12T12:21:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-12T12:14:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-11T09:28:00.003-04:00

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.