Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-11-14
KOTA. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER Id, 1903


MAKE LAKES.
It is good idea for our ranchmen all
over Custer county who are living on
streams of living water to put in dams
and form artificial lakes. Then stock
these with the small fry of trout and
bass which they can procure from the
government hatchery at Spearfish.
There is great benefit in these little
lakes or ponds, not only in the fish which
are easily propogated, but may become
source of profit. Always a source of
sport and always a luxury. Again, we
would have more game in the way of
wild ducks and geese if there were more
resting places for this species of fowl to
say nothing of the benefit, pleasure and
profit of raising domesticated ducks and
geese. On nearly every farm and ranch
in the Hills thase little lakes may be
made with very little expense, as by
seeking a narrow place between banks
dam can be constructed without much
cost or trouble. Now, to those who have
had no experience in the building of
dams we will tell you how to do it for
we have built many one in our long
and checkered mining career.
First select your logs of timber cut
from anything above eight inches in size
and be sure and have them peeled, for
if left the bark OH they will soon rot out,
but If peeled they will stand and do good
service for twenty years. Then lay your
logs across the creek, breaking joints as
a mason does in laying brick, and where
these joints occurlay cross timbers which
will point up stream and have them
slope little downward as they lay in
the bank Of the dam. These cross pieces
should be notched about foot from
their ends, with the notches downward
fitting the log. These cross pieces should
run clear through the dam but they
should be about five feet long. Now cut
some brush and lay it in the bottom of
your dam against the logs, and at the
same time haul rock and pile on the
brush with layer Of rock and layer of
brush for the first i've feet from the bot
tom. Above that you may dispense
with the brush but put plenty of good
sized rock against the logs clean to the
top. Now over the rock and brush put
two or three feet of gravel, fine and
coarse, and see that it is gravel and not
slate, for SLATE on account of its cleave.
age will not hold water and you must
have no slate in your dam. You are
now ready for your dirt and it is well to
put in enough, so that good road may
be made on top Of your dam that you
may drive across at any time with your
wagon. The philosophy OF constructing
your dam in this way is as follows:
The cross pieces beded in the dam
hold the logs, the logs hold the brush
and rock, the brush and rock hold the
gravel, and the gravel holds the soil or
clay. This pudales the gravel and the
whole will settle down together, form.
ing dam that will not leak and will
not 60 out with freshet Ofcourse you
must dig a trench or narrow ditch for
your logs to enter the bank which gives
them good hold and makes your dam
strong. If you use team with plow and
scraper it is best not to put up your logs
and cross pieces all at one time, but leave
it so you can drive across and deposit
your rock, gravel and soil, adding your
logs and cross pieces as you go until you
will need waste gate to carry off the
surplus water during freshet, and it
had better be put at one end of the dam
and be set about foot below the top
level of your dam. If now the water
from the waste gate can pass off on to
green sods it is well, but if the ground
below the dam is soft, you must put
plenty of rock below the dam or the wa
ter pouring over will cut out the dirt and
undermine your dam.
This is quite long story and may tire
the reader but it is intended for those
who design building dam. We have
been particular in describing it, for it is
essential if you put in dam that you do
it right, otherwise it will leak or the
floods will carry it out, and you will be
compelled to renew it every year or two,
which is poor economy. We hope in
this, that We have not spent our and your
time in vain, for besides the pleasure
and profit Of having lake on your place
it is always pleasant thing for the eye
to rest upon. 1t is thing of beauty
which is JOY forever.