Lagoon #157 Update

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 #157 Update

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 #157 Update

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 #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 #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 #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 #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.

Lagoon #157 Update

11:30AM - The excavator was working on the south slope of the embankment. Two laborers were talking to whom I believe is a T&H engineer. Both pumps are "off". Last nights rain contributed a lot more water to the lagoon.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:40AM- Both pumps are "off". Excavator is working on the west and south embankments. The attached photos kind of make me wonder what all the concern, and subsequent hassle, was about getting this lagoon drained-down before the excavation could proceed beyond the 1st day.

The dump truck had just delivered another load of soil to the site.

4;10PM - Both pumps are "off". No activity at this time. It looks like the rough grading of the west bank is completed, and the south bank is well underway.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:55AM - The excavator operator was "fired-up" and the operator was waiting for a load of soil to be delivered (it was late). With luck, he'll complete the soil distribution and rough grading today. There's still a lot of water in the lagoon from the recent rain. Both pumps were "off"

11:30 AM - It was reported that the excavator is at work, soil is being delivered, and T&H engineers are currently at the site.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:45AM- Both pumps are "off"". The excavator was removed from the site sometime yesterday morning. No other activity at this time.

3:45PM- The excavator is back. They did distribute some soil on the south side of the embankment (Col T Heyward side) since this morning. Yesterday's heavy rain added more water to the lagoon. Both pumps are "off". No activity at this time.

Lagoon #157 Update

11:30AM- The pumps are "off". They've spread the soil that was dumped at the site yesterday on the east side of the embankment, closest to Col T Heyward. I estimate that it covered about 40-to-50 ft of the embankment. Nothing else appears to have been done.

Lagoon #157 Update

8:55AM- Pumps "off", no other activity at this time. It looks like they are beginning to dump some soil at the site to be used for rebuilding the rest of the embankment. They did use some of the lagoon bottom soil for the embankment work completed to date. It apparently was good enough to use. However, the rest of the lagoon soil was apparently too sandy and/or muddy to continue using; hence, the new soil. Hopefully, this lagoon will be completed soon.